Uh-oh, there goes your Cavapoo again. Your dog has a bad case of the zoomies, as they’re rushing around in circles over and over. You get dizzy just watching your dog! What can you do when your Cavapoo has zoomies?
Here’s what you should do when a Cavapoo has zoomies:
- Dog-proof your home
- Don’t chase
- Watch yourself and your kids
- Stop zoomies when it’s hot
- Disrupt with a toy
- Try a command
This article will teach you exactly what to do when your Cavapoo has the zoomies. Whether you’re okay with the behavior but you want your dog to be safe or you’d prefer if they didn’t rush about the house, make sure you keep reading! There’s lots of great info to come.
What Are Zoomies?
What is even meant when we talk about zoomies?
Well, zoomie is a colloquial term that refers to what’s technically known as frenetic random activity periods or FRAPs.
You’ll see FRAPs in both dogs and cats alike. Your pet will be sleeping and all of a sudden, they awaken, stand up, and begin rushing about the house like mad.
Sometimes, your Cavapoo will only spin around when they have zoomies.
More than likely though, you’ll see your dog run in large circles over and over. Eventually, they’ll tire themselves out and the zoomies will stop…well, until next time, that is.
When our puppy gets zoomies, she races up, and down the hallway, in and around the living room, and jumps on and off of furniture. She goes crazy!
Not all dogs will engage in zoomie behavior, but enough do. It’s a common activity to see among puppies and young Cavapoos, but even an older dog can still do zoomies if they’re physically able.
Related Reading: Are Cavapoos Aggressive Dogs? Answered!
What to Do When Your Cavapoo Has Zoomies
Now that you understand a bit more about what zoomies are, that will make it easier to identify when your Cavapoo begins behaving this way.
Per the intro, here’s what we recommend you do when your Cavapoo has zoomies.
1. Dog-proof Your Home
It’s perfectly fine to allow your Cavapoo to exhaust themselves doing zoomies, but you at least want your pup to be safe.
Your home should be dog-proofed so that in most of the common rooms of the house where your Cavapoo spends time, doing zoomies wouldn’t cause the dog harm.
Trust us, your dog isn’t paying the least bit of attention to where they’re running or spinning during zoomies. It’s the act of doing something that your Cavapoo cares more about.
Keep your Cavapoo off any slippery surfaces such as linoleum, hardwood, and tile. Your poor pup can skid during zoomies and potentially end up injured.
Help your dog avoid pointed surfaces such as the ends of a coffee or dining table, armoires, cabinets, or any other furniture that could be injurious.
If there’s a rug in the room, it should be stapled or otherwise affixed to the floor. Your Cavapoo can easily kick up a throw rug and potentially slip or trip on it.
Close the doors to any rooms you don’t want your pup in.
2. Don’t Chase
If you’re trying to calm your Cavapoo down in the midst of zoomies, please don’t get too close to where they’re running and think you can scoop your dog up to stop them.
Your Cavapoo will realize you’re chasing them. You could spook them with this behavior, which will make them run harder and faster and thus exhaust them more.
Even if your Cavapoo isn’t scared by your chasing them, to the dog, when you go after your Cavapoo, it seems like you’re playing. This too will motivate your pup to run faster.
You have other options you can use to stop zoomies that we’ll discuss in this section but running after your Cavapoo is not one of them.
3. Watch Yourself and Your Kids
As we mentioned before, when a dog goes into zoomie mode, they’re not paying much attention to anything beyond running.
Cavapoos can be fairly big dogs, enough that a rushing Cavapoo could easily barrel over a child and likely knock down an adult who’s caught unawares.
During zoomies, dogs usually go in circles. Keep yourself and any other family members out of that circle while your Cavapoo runs. Be sure to pull other pets out of the room as well.
4. Stop Zoomies When It’s Hot
Overexerting oneself in the sweltering summer heat is a great way to end up exhausted and possibly dehydrated as well.
If your Cavapoo is outside when the urge for zoomies strikes and it’s a warm day, nip that behavior in the bud. We’ll tell you how in just a moment.
Even indoors, if you’re already feeling the heat, then your dog will be too, especially once they begin running like crazy. Curtail the zoomies.
How to Stop Zoomies
1. Disrupt with a Toy
Okay, so we’ve alluded to stopping zoomies enough by now. How do you actually do it?
You can throw your Cavapoo’s favorite toy their way. As soon as your pup sees the toy, their interest in continuing zoomies should cease.
Try to do this earlier into zoomies if you can, as you can prevent your Cavapoo from needlessly using energy.
2. Try a Command
You spent a lot of time training your Cavapoo (or you sent them to doggy behavioral school), so you expect that they know a thing or two.
It’s not a bad idea to have a command that you can rely on to stop your dog’s zoomies in an instant. For example, if your dog is well trained and you call your Cavapoo’s name, the dog should snap out of zoomie mode and stop.
Related Reading: When Do Cavapoo Dogs Calm Down? (Plus 5 Calming Tips)
What Causes Zoomies?
Does your Cavapoo seem to engage in zoomies at particular times of the day? Here are some situations and scenarios that cause zoomies.
Being Freed After Being Leashed up or Crated for a While
Your Cavapoo has been on its leash all day because you took them to the vet, or perhaps you had to leave your beloved pup in a crate for several hours.
During this time, your Cavapoo couldn’t exert any energy. Once you unleash them, all that pent-up energy is going to come right out.
Being in the Car for a Long Period
Most dogs love a good car ride, your Cavapoo among them. The same issue as above presents itself, though. Your Cavapoo is confined and cannot stretch its legs let alone run around any.
If your Cavapoo does zoomies after a car ride, it’s not exclusively that they’re hyped up on the joy of riding in the car. Your dog wants to release some of its energy.
Going Outside
For some dogs, especially puppies or young, excitable canines, just being outside is enough to trigger zoomie mode!
Further Reading: Cavapoo Energy Levels – Are They High Energy?
Seeing Their Favorite People
You love coming home from work every day because you know your Cavapoo will be there to greet you. You usually get quite a dramatic greeting with lots of jumps, cries, and snuggles.
Lately, once you put your work bag down and check the kitchen to see what’s for dinner, you’ve noticed that your Cavapoo will do zoomies. In this case, it’s all that happy yet frenetic energy coming out.
Going to the Bathroom
Your Cavapoo was patient and waited until you took them out to do their thing. Now that they’ve gone, they feel several pounds lighter. In the dog’s elation, zoomies could follow after a bathroom trip.
After a Bath
One of the most common times to see zoomies in canines is post-bath. Although bathing is a relaxing activity for humans, for dogs, it can lead to a rush of adrenaline. At least when your Cavapoo does zoomies after a bath, they’re drying themselves off on their own!
Further Reading: How Often Should You Groom a Cavapoo Dog?
After a Meal
The more food-oriented your Cavapoo, the likelier you are to see them do zoomies after they’ve eaten. In some dogs, it’s simply the influx of energy after a good meal that they’re eager to burn off by running around.
Stress
Zoomies are not always a good thing. When your Cavapoo feels stressed or anxious, running around is a good way to release the nervous energy that’s accumulating within.
That explains why your dog does zoomies after a vet trip.
Are Zoomies Safe for a Dog? Are They Natural?
To you, it’s very strange that as you’re winding down and getting ready for bed, your Cavapoo is doing laps around the dining room table. You can’t help but wonder sometimes, is it even normal for your dog to do zoomies?
Yes, it is. As we explained earlier, zoomies are technically FRAPs, which occur in most domesticated pets and nearly every dog breed.
The R in FRAPs is for random. It’s not like your Cavapoo plans to do zoomies. They just happen.
As your Cavapoo gets older, their instances of zoomies might lessen, so if you see zoomies a lot now, try to cherish each instance!
As for the safety of zoomies, that all depends on where your dog is running. We can’t stress enough that dog-proofing the main rooms in your house will go a long way towards preventing injuries in your Cavapoo during zoomies.
How Long Do Zoomies Last?
When your Cavapoo is in the mood to run, precisely how long can you expect zoomies to last?
Well, that depends on factors such as how much energy your dog has and how tired the pup is.
At the very least, zoomies can last for a minute or several. An especially energetic Cavapoo might do zoomies for upwards of 10 minutes!
Conclusion
Zoomies are a common behavior in most dogs that cause the canine to run around in circles or spin for several minutes at a time. Although zoomies is a cute name, the real behavior is referred to as frenetic random activity periods or FRAPs.
Now that you’re well aware of why your Cavapoo does zoomies and how long they last, you can make your home a safer environment for playtime!
Further Reading:
When Do Cavapoo Dogs Calm Down? (Plus 5 Calming Tips)
Do Cavapoos Bark A Lot? Answered!
Will Male Dogs Mate With Their Offspring? (Is It Safe?)
