When Do French Bulldogs Calm Down? How to Deal with Hyperactive Frenchies

French Bulldogs are one of the most adorable dog breeds out there and they are very exciting and fun to have around because of how friendly and playful they can be.

However, these dogs are inclined to become hyperactive, especially when they’re young, which can lead them to display some unpleasant and destructive behaviors.

So, when do French Bulldogs calm down? French bulldogs will usually start to calm down when they’re at 2 or 3 years of age but some dogs might even take until they are at 4 or 5 years of age. Getting your French Bulldog to calm down will mainly depend on the reasons behind the dog’s hyperactive behavior.

Keep reading to learn more about the reasons why French Bulldogs become hyperactive and how to get them to calm down.

How Hyperactive Are French Bulldogs?

When adopting a French Bulldog, you need to be prepared for how hyperactive these dogs can be especially when they’re younger.

Signs of hyperactivity in French Bulldogs include running around very quickly, jumping, barking loudly, pawing or digging at the ground, having short attention spans, playing too roughly, being impulsive, and not listening to their owners.

If you do not take care of your French Bulldog by training it and providing healthy outlets for their extremely high energy levels, their hyperactive behavior will eventually escalate into destructive and even aggressive behavior.

Some of the destructive behavior your dog might display includes chewing on furniture or anything they shouldn’t chew on, biting your hand or pushing hard against you with their bodies, and pooping or peeing inside the house.

Some of the aggressive behavior your dog might display includes baring its teeth, lowering its head, growling, pulling its ears back completely, holding its tail in an upright rigid position, and moving its tail back and forth rapidly.

Do Hyperactive French Bulldogs Calm Down with Age?

French Bulldogs are more inclined to be hyperactive when they’re young because they will have more energy levels then. However, they usually calm down as they receive more training and learn how to release their energy.

It takes some French Bulldogs until they’re at 2 or 3 years of age to calm down while other dogs might take until they are at 4 or 5 years of age. You can learn more in this article on are Frenchies calm dogs.

What to Do If Your French Bulldog Doesn’t Calm Down?

If your French Bulldog doesn’t calm down with age, then there’s likely a reason behind the dog’s hyperactivity other than simple immaturity.

So, whenever you notice that your dog is being unusually hyperactive, you first need to identify the reason behind its behavior in order to take the action needed to help your dog calm down.

Reasons Why French Bulldogs Are Hyperactive

Here are some of the reasons that could cause your do to display hyperactive behaviors:

Lack of Attention or Boredom

French bulldogs are very social and they love companionship. They enjoy playing around with their human friends and they crave being the center of attention most of the time.

So, if French Bulldogs feel like they are not getting as much attention or playtime as they normally need, they will start getting bored which will lead them to become hyperactive in an effort to occupy themselves, show their frustration, and get their humans to pay more attention to them.

Feeling Threatened or Scared

If French Bulldogs do not receive proper socialization when they are young, they will be more likely to perceive new situations or new people as a threat.

When bulldogs feel threatened or scared, they will become more hyperactive than usual as a way of coping with fear.

Experiencing Separation Anxiety

As mentioned before, French Bulldogs love companionship and they love being around their human friends. So, if they are left alone for extended periods of time, they will begin to experience separation anxiety which causes them to act and become hyperactive.

Lack of Physical Activity

French Bulldogs have high energy levels so they need to do various physical activities in order to release their energy in a healthy manner.

If they do not do enough physical activities, they will seek alternative ways to release their high energy which can turn into hyperactive behavior.

Not Receiving a Proper Diet

The quality of French Bulldogs’ diets can greatly affect their mood and behavior. So, if they do not get enough calories or nutrients, they are likely to display more hyperactive behaviors than usual to communicate their need for a change in their diet.

Lack of Training and Discipline

If French Bulldogs do not receive proper training and discipline early on in their lives, they will continue to display hyperactive behavior as they do not understand that it’s wrong

How to Get Hyperactive French Bulldogs to Calm Down?

Now that you know the main reasons behind your French Bulldog’s hyperactive behavior, here are some tips that will help you with getting them to calm down quickly and even prevent them from becoming hyperactive in the future.

Give Your Dog Enough Attention

Make sure you’re giving your French Bulldog enough attention by interacting with it, feeding it, playing with it, and even talking to it. You also need to avoid leaving your dog alone for extended periods of time.

This will help you effectively calm down your dog’s hyperactive behavior. It will and also help you build a healthier and stronger bond between you and your dog

Engage Your Dog in Various Physical Activities

Engaging your French Bulldog in various physical activities to help it release excess energy and tire it out.

On average, a bulldog puppy needs to get around 30 minutes of physical exercise in a day while an older bulldog needs to get around 60 minutes of physical exercise in a day.

Some of the best physical activities that will help your French Bulldog release excess energy include going on daily walks or runs, climbing stairs, as well as playing games like fetch or tug of war.

Engage Your Dog in Mental Activities

Engaging your French Bulldog in various mental activities is just as important as engaging it in physical activities. That is because French Bulldogs are highly intelligent and require mental stimulation so they wouldn’t get bored.

You can effectively engage your dog mentally is by playing games with it, teaching it to do new tricks, or making it track and find treats that you hide for it.

Provide Your Dog with A Proper Diet

Improving your French Bulldog’s diet will have a great impact on its behavior.

Make sure your dog is eating enough calories as it would need to eat about 25-30 calories worth of food per each pound of its body weight.

You also need to make sure that your dog’s meals contain all kinds of nutrients it would need to be healthy. Avoid any low-quality foods that have fillers, sugars, or byproducts.

Socialize Your Dog at A Young Age

You need to socialize your French Bulldog in order to teach it not to perceive new situations as a threat or act out in fear.

To properly socialize your dog, you need to start at a very young age and allow your dog to interact with different scents, sounds, animals, and people.

The best way to do that is to take your dog for daily walks in a busy park. Another way is to take it to socialization events which are often held by pet shelters so that various owners can bring their dogs to meet other dogs.

Train and Discipline Your Dog Properly

You need to train your French Bulldog to respond to commands like “stop” “sit” “stay” and “down” when you need it to calm down. You also need to use positive reinforcement to discipline the dog and get it to behave the way you want it to.

This technique involves learning the things that motivate your dog the most, whether it’s treats, toys, or words of praise, then using them as a reward to encourage your puppy to continue displaying the desired behavior.

Keep in mind that positive reinforcement should only be used when your dog displays the behavior you want it to. If you start giving your dog rewards when it’s hyperactive for no reason, you are likely to diminish the effect of the discipline technique and cause the dog to act out more.

Discourage Your Dog’s Hyperactive Behavior

If you want to discourage your French Bulldog’s hyperactive behavior, you need to avoid hitting or yelling harshly at your dog as this will only cause the dog to feel scared and act out more.

The best way to discourage your dog’s hyperactive behavior is to simply ignore the dog and walk away. This is very effective because French Bulldogs love getting attention and this way you will be letting them know that their hyperactive behavior is not the right way they can get you to pay attention.

Another effective way to discourage your dog’s hyperactive behavior is to use a squirt bottle to spray your dog with water whenever it gets hyper to let your dog know that you are not pleased with its behavior.

The water spray is completely harmless and will only cause a little discomfort to your dog. With repetition, your dog will learn to associate being hyperactive with getting sprayed with water and will eventually stop misbehaving to avoid the punishment.

Keep Your Dog Away from Stressful Situations

There are some situations that might be too stressful for your French Bulldog causing it to feel uncomfortable. So, it’s best to be aware of these situations and keep your dog away from them as much as possible to avoid having your dog become hyper and act out.

However, this doesn’t mean you shouldn’t introduce your dog to new situations. You just need to be prepared for your dog’s reaction and act accordingly to quickly prevent their behavior from escalating.

Seek a Professional Trainer for Your Dog

It might be a good idea to seek a professional trainer to help you correct your French Bulldog’s Hyperactive behavior if you do not have enough time to train your dog or do not know the right way to do it

When to Consult a Vet About Your French Bulldog’s Hyperactive Behavior?

If your French Bulldog’s Hyperactive Behavior persists and you can’t seem to identify the cause behind it or get your dog to calm down, then it might be a good idea to consult a vet.

There’s a chance that your dog is suffering from certain diseases and neurological disorders that are causing changes in the dog’s behavior so the vet will be able to prescribe the right medication to treat your dog and reduce its hyperactivity.

When Do French Bulldogs Calm Down? How to Deal with Hyperactive Frenchies

How Hyperactive Are French Bulldogs?

Do Hyperactive French Bulldogs Calm Down with Age?

What to Do If Your French Bulldog Doesn’t Calm Down?