The living-room grand prix at ten at night has a name — frenetic random activity periods, or FRAPs — and in a healthy dog it is usually a sign of a battery that never got drained rather than a problem. A dog who has slept through most of the day arrives at the evening with everything still in the tank.

Drain the battery on your schedule

What works is physical first, then mental. A real walk or a game of fetch in the early evening, then something that makes the dog think: a handful of kibble scattered in the grass, a food puzzle, five minutes of training for a treat. Sniffing and problem-solving tire a dog in a way that running alone does not. Chewing settles them further, so a long-lasting chew after the walk is often what tips the evening into sleep.

Make the zoomies boring

When the zoomies do come, the worst thing you can do is join in. Chasing a dog around the sofa is the best game you have ever offered, and it will be requested again tomorrow night. Stand still, say nothing, and let it burn out. Clear a lane so nobody meets a coffee table, and put a rug down if the floor is slippery — most zoomie injuries are skids, not collisions.

When it is worth a vet visit

Zoomies that appear out of nowhere in an older dog, or circling that looks anxious rather than joyful, are a different thing. That can be discomfort, itching, or cognitive change, and it is worth a professional opinion. A dog who has always done this at ten o’clock is simply a dog.

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