Hyper versus high energy

Laurelin

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#1
Not wanting to derail the corgi thread but how would you describe each? I always hear people say there is a difference but honestly I'm not sure what that is.
 

Dekka

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#2
To me high energy mean just that the dog has lots of energy. Hyper to mean uncontrolled high energy. Sport is high energy, but its easily controllable and he has an off switch.

Hyper- the dog can't seem to settle with out being tired, can't just chill when its time to chill. High energy means the dog is up and rarin to work/play etc when its time.
 

Laurelin

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#4
Couldn't that really just come down to training and perception though? I could see a lot of people who are used to calm dogs finding Mia to be 'hyper' or even Beau really. But to me they both settle nicely, will sleep much of the day but when they are up and going, they're definitely GOING, if that makes sense.
 

Dekka

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#5
Training can help.. and people can make a high energy dog hyper. BUt thats like saying well shy dogs aren't shy cause you can train them to be more confident. When breeding you shouldn't aim for shy just cause it can be mostly overcome.

All my JRTs except one have came with off switches, only has one puppy needed to have one 'trained' in. I have had some fosters on the other hand that litterally had to be crated before they could chill.
 

Laurelin

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#6
Well what I was trying to say was in the wrong situation and with the wrong people, I think Mia could easily be classified as hyper. I think she would overwhelm a lot of people with her energy. But with me and taking the time to exercise her a couple hours a day, she's just fine. She's asleep on the couch right now after having no exercise all day, for example.
 

corgipower

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#7
Tyr is a good example of hyper. He'll lie down. for a minute or two. Then he's up and pacing, checking windows, pawing me, looking for where his toy is hidden. Then he'll lie down again for a minute. Then he's up again and wandering. Then he'll find a toy and quietly chew on it, then he's up and looking for a different flavor of toy. Then he's leaving both toys on the floor and looking out every window.
 

Doberluv

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#8
I'd basically remember what the pre-fix, "hyper" means. It means over. Over-the-top, excessive. It is not a word in itself. It's only a pre-fix. When you put it in front of a root word, ie: active. It means over-the-top active. When you say, "high energy," it depends what you consider high energy. It's all relative. But energy doesn't necessarily present in the form of activity. A dog or human might have lots of energy, but that doesn't mean he's always active. Being active is a behavior. Having energy is a state of being, not necessarily a state of behavior.
 

colliewog

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#9
For me:

Hyper is a mental state - extreme excitability that cannot contain itself, often seen combined with spinning, non-stop barking (at nothing), etc.

High energy is a go-go-go dog, but one that can settle when asked and doesn't show extremes in temperament.

I agree that a many hyper dogs are owner-caused, but some are a breeding flaw and nothing but sedatives can control them!! :( I also agree that you can turn a high energy dog into a hyper one without proper stimulation.
 

sammgirl

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#10
Abby is my dog that paces and whines and wanders all over the house aimlessly. I don't know if that makes her hyper. I think she's just nervous and uneasy, which is why we're going to take her to the vet and get her meds looked at again, becuase maybe they aren't helping.

Harper is a stable, high energy puppy who needs a great deal of exercise and mental stimulation. With out that, yes she can be hyper and chase her tail and do zoomies all over the house (which I find amusing)

It's the owner that can turn the hyper dog into a dog that is fun to live with. You just have to provide outlets for all the mental energy especially if you have a breed designed to do a job. For example, get some Nina Ottosen toys or play a game of fetch or learn a new command and somehow stimulate the dog.

IMHO, that is where opinion and research really come in to play. I don't think Harper is hyper (LOL!!!) but I bet that other people very well could. I just see her as a dog that has a brain and wants more out of life then laying down and chewing a bone.

If I wanted a blah dog, I would have picked a less drivey breed. Personally, I wouldnt choose then breed then water it down for anyone. There are enough pet dogs in shelters to where if someone wants a pet, they can get one.

AND there's nothing wrong with that- dogs should always be pets first, but some ARE easier to live for someone just looking for a companion.
 

Amanda885

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#11
Dekka took the words right out of my mouth, lol.

Hyper is usually uncontrollable and annoying. High energy is active, wants to play, and is full of energy but you can tell them to calm down.
 

protodog

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#12
Hyper--dog with loads of energy who expresses that energy in ways I find annoying

High Energy--dog with loads of energy who expresses that energy in ways I find cool, fun, entertaining, or funny
 

ihartgonzo

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#13
Hyper dogs are annoying.

High energy dogs are fun.

:) That's the difference for me! I like a dog that can turn 'on' in a second and turn 'off' just as quickly, when ever you want them to. I used to think that was completely dependent on owner training, but I have worked with a lot of dogs at the hotel who make me question that.
 

Laurelin

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#14
Hyper--dog with loads of energy who expresses that energy in ways I find annoying

High Energy--dog with loads of energy who expresses that energy in ways I find cool, fun, entertaining, or funny
Hyper dogs are annoying.

High energy dogs are fun.
Lol, I like both these. I was talking to my friend over the weekend and we were discussing dogs. She has a labrador pup and a lab/bc and I of course have the two paps. As she was leaving after spending two days she said 'Man your dogs are a trip. I'm so glad they're yours and not mine!' Which I thought was hilarious because she finds mine to be 'hyper' (in her words) and at the same time I find her lab (the bc/lab is actually very mellow) to be insanely hyper!

So then I started wondering if it really just was a difference in opinion about energy type. There are certain types of energy that just drive me crazy and then others that don't.
 

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