Hyperactivity and over-arousal in companion dogs is often a welfare problem reflecting unmet behavioural needs rather than an inherent character trait.
Hyperactivity in companion dogs is frequently a welfare problem rather than a personality trait — it reflects an animal whose mental and physical stimulation needs are not being met. A working breed dog confined to a flat without appropriate exercise and mental engagement will manifest that deprivation in over-arousal, destruction, and demand behaviours. The welfare-centred interpretation of these behaviours — that the animal is communicating unmet needs — is more accurate and more productive than the behavioural interpretation that the dog is difficult or badly trained. Providing adequate species-appropriate exercise, nose work, training, and mental stimulation often resolves hyperactivity that seemed intractable, demonstrating that the problem was environmental rather than inherent.