June 8th, 2020 by Amy Varley

If you’ve ever seen your dog running frantically around in circles like a crazy thing, chances are your dog has got the zoomies! Perhaps you’ve bathed your dog and before you had chance to wrap them up in a towel, they’ve started running around the house splashing water everywhere and you just can’t seem to catch them, yup – that’s the zoomies! Here is a short guide to what the zoomies are and what you can do when they happen!

What are the zoomies?

The actual scientific term for the zoomies is ‘Frenetic Random Activity Periods’ (FRAPS), but are most commonly known as the zoomies, or if you have a poodle cross, it’s a ‘doodle-dash!’ Zoomies are a quick and sudden release of energy in dogs, usually as a response to excitement or arousal – and is nothing to be concerned about.

Which dogs most commonly get the zoomies?

Puppies, young dogs or high energy breeds such as spaniels or terriers are the most common dogs that get the zoomies, however, any dog can get them at any time in their life. The zoomies are typically seen before bed and are usually a sign that your dog hasn’t had enough mental or physical stimulation that day – so they are getting rid of the last bit of energy themselves before they go to sleep!

Why do the zoomies happen?

The zoomies are simply our pooches releasing any excess energy they have, or their response to any excitement or arousal they experience. If your dog has ever seen one of their doggy pals at the park and they’ve both play-bowed to each other before chasing each other round in circles, going as fast as they can, this is the zoomies – as a response to excitement!

Another common time that dogs get the zoomies is after they have had a bath. This is mostly because they are so excited that the bath time is actually over! My elderly terrier used to get the zoomies after she was bathed – any other time she was quite happy pottering around very slowly and snoozing for most of the day – and she wasn’t too keen on being bathed so you could tell the zoomies was definitely her letting you know she was over the moon that the bath was over!

Should I do anything?

For the majority of dogs, the zoomies are nothing to worry about, they are simply dogs being dogs and releasing their energy. As your dog gets older and becomes more mature you may find the zoomies happen less often. If your house is pretty open plan and doesn’t have too many breakables lying around then you should just let your dog get on with their frantic 5 minutes, however if your dog is at risk of hurting themselves or if you have elderly family members or small children who are at risk of being knocked over, you can try and direct your dog into the garden so they can run it off out there! Chasing your dog with the zoomies usually has the opposite effect that you want – it’s likely you won’t be able to catch them and you’ll probably get them even more excited! So, they may just continue with their zoomies for longer!

If your dog commonly gets the zoomies just before bed this is usually a sign that they haven’t perhaps get enough exercise that day, so you can factor in another short walk before bed or play some enrichment games with your dog, such as hiding treats around the garden for them to find – you will probably find this tires your dog out more than a walk as they are having to use their brain and their nose to sniff out the treats!

Does your dog get the zoomies?

Hopefully if your dog does get the zoomies they don’t cause any destruction in your house (they usually like to jump from furniture to furniture – even if they aren’t normally allowed up on the sofa!). The zoomies are pretty harmless and can be very comical to watch, your dog’s tongue will usually be lolling out of their mouth as they run around like their life depended on it – so enjoy the silly moments you have with your pooch!