Every time after I bathe my schnauzer, he never fails to go crazy and hyper by dashing at full speeds across the house in a frantic behavior. If you see this in your dog, do you ever wonder what the heck causes them to go all crazy post bath?
As of today, no scientific study has been conducted to debunk these myths. And, until the day where we could understand dog language, this is my attempt to make educated guesses based on their body language and history. So, let’s get started.
What Are Dog Zoomies?
Simply put, it is when a dog for seemingly no reason at all bursts into a high energy state– dashing across the room, jumping on the couch and treating it like an obstacle course, etc. According to the American Kennel Club, the technical name for it is called frenetic random activity periods (FRAPs). This is a common way for dogs to release their pent up energy and it is mostly seen after a bath. If your dog acts all hyper and euphoric post bath, it is possible your dog has the zoomies. So, what are the common reasons for zoomies?
It is a sigh of relief for your dog
Most dogs aren’t the biggest fans of water aside from the exception of breeds that enjoy playing with water. Whenever I bathe my schnauzer, he gives me the side eye that reminds me of a kid being told that he is due for a dental appointment. That is probably the same thing your dog might feel (if he hates water) when he is given a bath. There are so many videos of dogs on youtube or tiktok that express their dreadful look whenever their owners signal it is time for a bath. Seeing such videos really makes my day. Who knew dogs could also relate to the human condition.
I think it is a universal dread that most dogs endure whenever they have to be stuck in a confined space while being given a good rubdown with soap. This feeling is probably equivalent to someone with a fear of flying going through rough turbulence. Can you imagine the pent up relief that person feels when the plane safely lands. So,when the ordeal for them is over, it is speculated that dogs are bursting with excitement and goes frantic “zooming” across the floor expressing their relief that the “torture” is finally over.
If you are worried about your dog’s discomfort with water, monitor his behavior with his interaction with water. Is his tail down? Or are his facial expressions tense? These are one of the signs that your dog is probably water phobic. There are other ways to ease your dog up by using dog-friendly dry shampoo or teach your dog to be less scared with water by reinforcing positive interactions with water. By getting your dog to be more comfortable with water, your dog might go less crazy every time he/she gets a bath.
Here is one of my all time favorite dog videos of this adorable fluffy malamute doing whatever it takes to avoid bath time. This video always brings a smile to my face. Hope this cracks you up as much as it did for me!
Read more: Is My Dog Dehydrated– How To Tell?
Smelling clean is a strange smell to them
Getting a good scrub down with shampoo is an unfamiliar smell to your dog. Dogs’ perception of a “nice” smell is relatively different to what is nice to us humans. My dog loves the smell of poop and loves it even more when he rolls in it sometimes. So yeah, our definition of “nice smelling” is completely opposite from them.
Lathering your dog in shampoo might take away their “unique” scent that could only be identified by other dogs. In previous articles, where I mentioned that dogs excrete this scent from their anal glands that marks their “signature” smell and as a way to communicate with other dogs. By giving them a bath, this might temporarily remove their “unique” scent and in a sense “disable” their communication with other furry friends. So they display their frenzy by zooming around and rolling around in an attempt to gain back their familiar scent.
From observing my schnauzer, rolling around in dirt and poop is ingrained into their very DNA. what might help with the zoomies would be to buy unscented dog shampoo in that way that could reduce the “get this off me!” frenzy behaviour.
They can’t wait to be dry
One of the obvious reasons for the zoomies is to dry themselves off. I always expect to be half-soaked from my dog’s post bath shake from his fur even after towelling him down 3-4 times. And things get even more “exciting” when he decides to zoom around our little confined bathroom. Even with a simple shake, we might not realise it but dogs can carry up quite a heavy load with their wet fur.
A study from the Journal of the Royal Society Interface revealed that a 60 pound canine is required to carry up to 20 pound extra in load from wet fur (without post bath shake). Also, natural air-drying of the fur would take up 20% of the canine’s caloric intake.
Wow, that only takes up too much energy. Luckily due to their innate ability, what quickens this process by 70% is the signature post-bathe shake. On top of that, they tend to zoom and go hyper by rubbing their bodies across any surface or in my case my freshly washed bed linens :’) that could get them to accelerate the drying process. Oh, did you know dogs can shake off 70% of the water from their fur in 4 seconds? That is nature’s efficiency showing off right there.
Most dogs just do not like bath time even to those they enjoy water. Even if they do sit still and allow us to bathe them, they are most likely just tolerating it and are impatiently waiting for it to be over. Dogs do get nervous and this builds up especially for dogs that are uncomfortable with water.
Mistaking bath-time as play time
So far, the reasons for zoomies are dogs’ natural response to water. However ,in this case, it is possible that your dog getting the zoomies might be a learned behaviour if his intention was to incite excitement and play time from you.
Remember the time when your dog was a puppy? When it was time for bath time, your dog might have jumped out of the shower and you chased them to catch them. Well, your dog might now associate the feeling of “play time” with bath time and so by giving your dog a bath it may signal to your dog that it is time for games and fun. And naturally, he starts doing the zoomies to elicit excitement from you post bath time.
Read more:
Tips To Reduce Your Dog’s Zoomies Post Bath Time
1. Bring your dog to the groomers
There are professional groomers out there that provide bathing services for your pup. Drop off your dog at the groomers and come back to receive your dog smelling like a fresh new pup. However, this might cost more from your pocket but it definitely saves you the time and energy it takes to clean your dog.
2. Use a hair dryer to quicken the drying process
I have found that using a hair dryer definitely helps with reducing the face/body rubs on my newly clean sheets on my couch and bed. On the other hand, it can be quite challenging to keep your dog in one position and sometimes he might start fighting with the blow dryer. Which is quite cute but annoying especially when you are pressed for time.
3. Use an unscented shampoos
As mentioned earlier, dogs feel uncomfortable when their natural scent is washed away and replaced by the soap scent. By using an unscented dog shampoo, this could help retain your dog’s natural smell and reduce the stress that your dog may face post bath.
Final Thoughts
It is completely normal and normal for your pup to have the “zoomies” post bath for experiencing a change in their physical and sensory experience, such as feeling lighter or smelling different, which can be exciting for them. As with any behavior, it is important for pet parents to observe your pup’s behavior and ensure that it is not causing harm to themselves or others. Overall, zoomies after bathing are a natural and fun expression of your pup’s excitement and energy.