Puppies do the funniest things, I mean, they make whole TV shows with that very name. But let’s face it, their behavior can seem a bit weird sometimes, strange, rather than funny weird. You might be asking ‘why is my dog acting weird all of a sudden’ and trying to find the reasons. Is it something that’s concerning you? Well, here at Zigzag, we’re here to help.
In this article we’ll list out 10 common reasons your puppy may be acting weird, whether you should be concerned about the change in your puppy’s behavior, and of course our tips for what you can do to help your puppy if you think they’re acting weirdly.
Download the Zigzag app to help understand your puppy’s behavior, get a structured puppy training program and have the support of professional dog trainers too. They’re available every day in our in-app chat to talk you through anything puppy related, whether it’s your puppy acting weird or for help with any other puppy question, just drop them a line.
10 Reasons why my puppy is acting weird
Puppy’s can behave strangely at times, this can be as a result of developmental or hormonal changes, breed behavior, or even illness. Here’s our top 10 reasons your puppy might be acting weird.
- Hormones
Just like our teenagers, hormones create BIG feelings in a puppy! As puppies grow, their hormone levels fluctuate, and this can cause your puppy to act weird. Hormone related strange behavior includes humping, looking sad, eating less or a lot more, being restless and agitated and in male dogs starting to mark furniture!
- Fear periods
Puppies have several fear periods as they develop, and during these periods they can show fearful responses or be scared of things they weren’t scared of before. This can look like your puppy suddenly stopping on walks, being scared at night, or suddenly scared of everything, even a plastic bag blowing down the street.
Read more in our guide to puppy fear periods.
- Breed specific behavior
Many breeds exhibit behaviors, which if you haven’t owned that breed of dog before can certainly seem weird! Cockapoos stealing socks (or pants!) and then suddenly resource guarding them because they haven’t been taught to drop, is easily explained when you understand the breed mix is bred to collect game! Border Collies, chasing cars or trying to herd children, can certainly seem weird and worrying when you haven’t owned a herdy breed before.
- Stress
Stress can be the cause of all kinds of challenging and weird behavior, humping inappropriate digging, chewing, being super clingy, and excessive barking can all be as a result of stress.
- Tiredness
Puppies need a huge amount of sleep, so if they’re overtired or overstimulated they can behave quite weirdly, zooming all over the place doing wall of death on the furniture, digging at beds and all sorts. Tiredness is often a cause of the dreaded puppy biting too, as they get more nippy and irritable the more tired they get.
Read more in our guide to puppy sleep explained.
- Teething
Puppies can really struggle when they’re teething, their gums hurt a lot, both when their new teeth are cutting through, and they’re losing the old ones. Weird behavior associated with teething can be suckling on blankets, chewing on inappropriate items, grinding their teeth, and a lot of drooling!
Read more in our puppy safe chews and puppy teething guides.
- Boredom
If your puppy isn’t receiving enough exercise, either mentally or through walks and physical stimulation like play, then they can get bored and act weird as they’re just going self-employed and trying to keep their brain busy.
- Attention seeking
Attention seeking behaviors can include weird things like a puppy just staring at you, putting their paw on you, or also chewing and ripping up things they shouldn’t.
- Illness
If your puppy seems suddenly lethargic, has an upset tummy, or is being sick, then this can be an obvious reason why they might be acting out of character and appear grouchy or even aggressive.
- Overheating
Some dogs handle the heat better than others, and for many getting too hot, can result in increased panting, lethargy, drinking excessive amounts of water, or even diarrhea.
Learn more in our article is it too hot to walk my dog?
Should I be concerned about my puppies change in behavior
Any sudden changes in behavior can be a worry, if you feel like there is a medical reason for your puppy acting weirdly, then we do advise you to seek veterinary help. Even if it’s just a quick phone call to ease your worries, it’s better to be safe than sorry.
Make your visits to the Vet stress-free by reading our guide to your puppy’s first visit to the Vet.
If your dog is acting weird all of a sudden, it’s handy to keep a note of what they’re doing, when, and any strange circumstances, as it can help to pinpoint the reason behind it.
What can I do to help my puppy?
To help your puppy, it’s vital to recognize that some of the obstacles they face will be developmental, and will require simple management and patience on your part, while others will be specific things you can do to help.
Here’s our tips to help your puppy through their weird behavior.
Give them a routine
Having a structured daily routine, so that your puppy understands what’s coming next in their day-to-day life, provides them with security and can help to lower overall stress.
Provide them with adequate exercises
A regular walking schedule, and enrichment via puzzle toys and interactive games, will meet your puppies needs and prevent boredom, lower stress and reduce attention seeking behavior.
Make sure they sleep
Get your puppy a cosy bed, blanket and a crate if you’re open to using one. Very often puppies are not good at putting themselves to bed when they need it, so they need help to get into routine nap times. Think of it like a cot for your pup.
Manage their behavior
Some bits of puppy raising require management, so remove things they want to chew, use babygates or puppy playpens if there are areas you don’t want them to get into. Provide plenty of toys for redirecting your bitey puppy onto, and ride out the developmental phase.
Listen to them
If your puppy is struggling with a fear period, hormones or other emotional phase, listen to what they need. If your puppy is stopping on walks, don’t drag them, stop and wait and let them take in the environment until they’re confident enough to move on.
Read more in our guide to puppy body language to see what your puppy is trying to communicate with you.
Understand their quirks
There’s usually a reason behind weird behavior, it might just be your pup’s goofy behavior, or a little foible of their personality that they act weird. It can also be breed type behavior, so get a book on your breed to understand why their perfectly normal behavior might seem weird to you!
You can also check out the breed guides on the Zigzag website, or download the app and get a personalized program today!
Chews, chews and more chews
Chewing not only helps a teething puppy, it also helps prevent boredom, and has a positive effect on dogs psychologically as chewing and liking releases endorphins in the brain, and lowers stress. Even adult dogs need recreational chews, so fill your boots (or Amazon cart) with edible chews, Kongs to stuff up and other fillable chew toys.
Seek professional help
Talk to your Vet if you think there’s a medical reason or look for a positive reinforcement dog trainer, who will be able to help you come up with strategies, or help you to understand your puppy’s weird behavior.
Any sudden changes in behavior are worth checking in on, whether that’s with your Vet or trusty reward based dog trainer or behaviorist. Many aspects of your puppy’s weird behavior can be explained as ‘normal puppy behavior’ but when it doesn’t fit into our lifestyle it can be challenging. Keeping a diary is useful to see what can be improved or changes in your puppy’s daily routine and what effect that has on their weird behavior.
Read our guides to puppy behavior explained and puppy facts to learn more about the wonderful and weird world of puppies!
Zigzag is a puppy training app with a difference. We have a personalized training program based on your puppy’s stage of development and their breed type. We also have a team of professional dog trainers available 24/7 in our in-app chat to help you with any of your puppy questions.
