Perhaps the definition for unruly will give a glimpse to a major issue reported by dog owners. Unlike hyperactivity which is a medical condition, Unruly seems to be just a bad behavior issue.

UNRULY = Disorderly and disruptive and not amenable to discipline or control: a group of unruly children.

Again notice that the terms seem to relate to children who wont do what grown-ups want them to do. It somehow has transitioned to dog behavior?

The big problem I have with a condition of Unruliness being reported by owners is that they are unlikely to have tried sufficient dog training or dog socialization (daily walks).

The reason is that they haven’t the time or money or motivation to do something that will actually fix the problem and make a dog’s life much better. They would rather complain and get a vet solution.

What is wrong with a vet solution to unruly dogs?

This is a seemingly pointless question, for surely your paid vet knows best?

Some people will go further and say that dog trainers know best.

And yes, dog trainers can help with issues like getting your dog to sit, to stay, or to not rush a person at the door, but often unruliness is just high energy that needs to be released naturally to balance a dog, not to be suppressed or hidden.

Dogs have energy because in the wild they would hujt for long hours. that is how they caught prey, ate and survived, this was a large part of what their wild life was about.

Modern urban dogs don’t have the luxury of hunting their own food. They are given grain in a bowl. The whole meaning of their life is diminished.

They often don’t get daily walks and very rarely are they off lead – because the owner never took the time to socialize and train them.

So what does the modern responsible parent or dog owner do to their unruly charges? Well more often than not they are not taught about behavior modification therapy, they are told about the magic of drugs. Depressants that dull a dogs senses and lives.

If a dog has a mental disease like depression, caused by a brain disorder, then pharmaceutical are fine as a last step. They could be used for dogs that are considered to be hyperactive, after they have been walked for long hours off lead .. that is, if you have exercised and socialized your dog, and they still can’t sit still and they are getting into self harm – then yes you need an extreme solution.

UNRULINESS is not a medical condition, it is a dog training or dog socialization (dog walking) issue. Depending on what dog behavior your dog is doing that you don’t like, will depend on what solution (dog training or dog socialization) you need.

The human condition of laziness is the number one cause of dog unruliness. It is not natural for a slightly trained, well exercised dog to be unruly to the point of annoying the owner. Puppies are rambunctious and cute, but tire easily, they cant run hard and fast for hours, so you should never medicate your puppy to slow it down, you will damage its brain.