You’re probably familiar with zoomies: the unmistakable state of chaotic orbit that your dog enters, making it seem pointless to try and bring them back down to this planet. It’s not just casual playing or your average galavant (or even your above-average galavant); we’re talking episodes of full-blown cyclone-sprinting that defies the laws of physics, with a total disregard for anything in the path of destruction.
What Are Zoomies…you know, scientifically?
It turns out that Animal Behaviorists have a scientific name for this phenomenon: Frenetic Random Activity Period, or FRAPing. This pretty much summarizes all there is to say about zoomies: it’s frenetic (like a delirious frenzy), and it happens in manic bouts. And although seemingly random, the major reason they think dogs do this is to blow off steam and burn excess energy. For that reason, your dog may be telling you that they’re bored or cooped up too much all day, but these bursts of movement pretty much fix that problem.
Are Zoomies Dangerous?
The major threat from zoomies is your dog running into something in your house and hurting themselves in the process of losing their mind for a bit. In a zoomie state, I’ve seen all 95 lbs. of Opie effortlessly side-wind on top of the back of our sofa much like a squirrel traversing a power line. It makes me nervous that he’ll come crashing down and injure himself, but time slows down when he’s in that zone, like a professional athlete who can see the ball in slow-motion when the game is on the line. Other than that, the secondary risk is to your furniture itself (if inside), as even zoned-in zoomers seem to be on a mission to bounce off as many things as possible.
What If I Want My Dog to Stop Zooming?
If your dog zooms right before bed and you’re worried about him getting too amped up to sleep, there’s no better way to ensure he zonks out than to let him get it out of his system. If zooming amps YOU up, the best thing you can do is to stimulate himm more throughout the day with exercise and training, and even to induce a zoomie episode just prior to turning in for the night. Same principle for anytime of day: ride it out or try to get ahead of it with exercise.
Whether you call it FRAP or zoomies (we’ll stick with zoomies), its just your pup’s way of celebrating what he is capable of. He could be suggesting to you that he needs more stimulation and attention, and there’s nothing better than when our dogs remind us of how much they love us!
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zoom away, Scooby, Lammy, Scooby and Miss Piggy
I always called it “Rodeo Dog”. My brindle pit mix, Bailey, was walked twice a day whenever possible, but still went Rodeo Dog once or twice a week, both indoors and out. He was the best boy ever, but was also always a wanderer (probably how he ended up needing to be adopted at 9 months old). He escaped the yard on 02/27/18 when I was out of state, and lost his life trying to cross the road outside my housing tract; just 6 weeks shy of his 10th birthday. Both I and my dog sitter were devastated and I still think about him every day. His “sister”, Karma…also a pit mix, is not a Rodeo Dog. She will be 11 on 01/15/20.
You are accurate about zoomies and stupidly not getting herself out of their way. My pup did not even hit me straight on, just glanced my knees and I was down. Bruised both legs. He did not even stop. Luckily only bruises and a lesson learned. Even with walks, he will periodically zoom and I wisely step off to the side.
Our dog does tight ovals in the yard whenever we come home. Even though he isn’t crated, he does little when we are gone. A cat food raid mid-day, but otherwise just waiting for us to return. So we expect zoomies each time we come home and take him out for his sprint. He also does jump at our hands if we reach them out and touch them with his nose or tongue. Go Loki go!