A very common question I am asked by new puppy owners is why their puppies get what is commonly known as the “zoomies.” Called zoomies because for what appears to be no reason, a puppy or dog will seemingly out of nowhere freeze, tuck their tails, and then start running wildly throughout the house. Like a lot of things your dog is going to do over the course of their lives, zoomies is for most part done for no other reasons than for the fun of it.
Believe it or not, there is a technical term for the zoomies which is “FRAP” or “frapping.” FRAP is short for “frenetic random activity period.” Most puppy owners report that their puppies get the zoomies later in the evening when they should be settling down for the evening. Zoomies can also happen when owners come home from work for the day and release the hounds so to speak. The behavior has also been associated with a release of stress after an event like a bath or getting nails done.
Whatever the reason, most of the time, a dog or puppy gets the zoomies for the pure joy of it. In the world of Bull Terriers, we call these sudden outbursts bully runs. Most of the time, I simply sit back and enjoy what looks like chaos at times and hold my breath when I think there is no way they will be able to avoid that tree or that they are going to go right through the drywall of the house. I do have carpets spread around the house over the wood floors to prevent my dogs from slipping around when they run from one room to the other.
Over the course of your dog’s life, they will do things that will have you asking them and yourself why? Why did you eat that inedible object? Why are you barking at absolutely nothing? Why did you destroy my shoe or pillows or steal my lunch from the table? Many of these behaviors will not have an answer, and your puppy or dog getting the zoomies is perfectly normal and, in my opinion, pure joy to watch.
I love watching my dogs do bully runs and the look of pure joy on their faces. There will no doubt be some reason at some point to worry about something when owning a dog over the course of their lifetime. Zoomies is not one of those occasions for worry so my professional advice is to sit back and enjoy the show!
Wishing everyone a very Merry and Peaceful Christmas from Heidi and the Bull Terriers of Four on the Floor Dog Training.
Any questions please feel from to email heidi@fouronthefloordogtraining.net
Heidi Clayton started Four On the Floor Dog Training to provide positive, reward-based dog training in South Jersey. She breeds, trains and shows bull terriers under the SoraBully’s Bull Terriers kennel name. Email questions to heidi@fouronthefloordogtraining.net or learn more at https://fouronthefloordogtraining.net
