How do I get my puppy to calm down?

He likes to run around and jump everywhere. I tell him to sit but he'll only stay there for a few seconds then it's off to the races.How do I get him to stay calm and heel?

Mostly takes time... It's a puppy... However buying a big bag of rawhide bones can keep him occupied, to settle down in the meantime.

LOL, what kind of puppy do you have? Sounds like a classic Shiba 500 race to me. But anyway, most puppies are bundles of boundless energy. It's hard to get them to stay calm, but establishing a routine really helps. Puppies need a rigorous schedule for about the first nine months of their lives in order to grow up to be very well-behaved dogs.For immediate calming down, it helps if you stand up and turn your back to the puppy, looking up at the ceiling. Once it realizes that it's not getting your attention, it'll calm down more.For the long term, make sure that your schedule has a time daily where your puppy CAN romp and play to his heart's content. For us, this was the local dog park, only three blocks away. For 45 minutes after work, our dog could run around, play with other dogs, jump, whatever. Then when he came home, he was crashed out!! You could make that playtime at home, too -- toss a ball, have him play with toys, etc. A tired puppy is a calm puppy.Also, you can get him some puzzle toys that tire him out mentally (very important) as well as physically. Try getting a puppy Kong (at PetSmart or Petco) and stuffing it with some peanut butter or treats. Your dog will spend hours licking at the thing and trying to get treats out. You could also get a treat-dispensing ball, so your dog rolls the ball around, trying to get all the treats out.Also, if you have a crate for your dog, use it as safe haven for him (not as punishment). We taught our dog to go in it whenever we said "Home." (We started by showing him a treat, tossing it in his crate, and saying "HOME!" as he walked into the crate to get the treat.) That way, when he starts acting too riled up, you can put him "Home!"We also took our trainer's advice and leashed the dog to us when he was young, even when indoors. That way he couldn't act up too much and was always in our sight and couldn't do anything too bad. This sets your puppy up for success. He doesn't jump all over the place, you don't get mad.If he does jump on something unacceptable, say "OFF!" and reward him with a treat when he jumps off (only when four feet are on the ground!). You might have to physically lift him off while saying "OFF" the first few times.Anyway, hope this helped! The idea is to build in a few pockets of good play time, with walks to supplement, and provide some great puzzle toys. You'll find this takes up a lot of energy and that your puppy will be calmer.

First off- make sure your puppy is receiving adequate exercise- if he is a house dog, he will require several(!) walks a day if you do not have a contained area where he can run around off leash. Second, excitability is inherent with puppies. What you want is for him to focus on you and not other things while you are working with him. To do this, get some very small treats and ask him to sit. Make and hold eye contact with the dog, initially by bringing the treat up near your face. when he sits for two seconds, reward him profusely (make sure you smile!). At each new training period,(the next day or so) ask him to sit a few seconds more until he receives the treat. When he will sit for 5 seconds reliably, begin to space out when you give the treat and when you don't- but always reward him with praise verbally and by petting. Continue this until he sits for at least 10 seconds reliably. You will also want to use off-leash time and other non-food "treats" after successful training periods. Keep it to 5-10 minutes or less at first, then work up to 15 minutes. Don't forget your puppy hasn't matured all the way. And obedience class always helps! Hope this helps!

Sit him on your lap, SLOWLY stroke his fur and talk calmly to him. It may take some practice to get it right but it works.