26/10/2026
Overtired is one of the most misread things in a puppy's whole day. You'd expect a tired puppy to look sleepy... yawning, slowing down, taking themselves off to bed. But an overtired puppy doesn't look sleepy, they look wired. They're not winding down, they're winding up, because by that point their body's pumping out adrenaline and stress hormones.
It usually hits in the evening. They've been out, they've played, they've had a lovely busy day, and then suddenly those needle teeth are going in harder than ever and they're hanging off your trouser leg. Next minute they're tearing round the living room like a bat out of hell. You pop them in their bed and they're straight back out again, whining. And you're sat there thinking, what have I done wrong? Why are they being so naughty tonight?
Most of the time, it isn't naughty at all. So before you decide you've got a naughty puppy on your hands, check the four signs in the graphic... and the last one is what they really need from you.
