# What's the name of that behaviour where dogs run about like mad? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 7, 2004, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-name-of-that-behaviour-where-dogs-run-about-like-mad/223112 "2004-01-07T00:09:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2004, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-name-of-that-behaviour-where-dogs-run-about-like-mad/223112/1 "2004-01-07T00:09:37Z")
Frantic random something something. For the past few days I’ve been racking my brain to remember the exact name for this behaviour (an otherwise relaxed dog will spend 3 minutes running in and out of all the rooms, up and down the stairs as fast as it can, and then goes back to resting) It’s quite funny when our quite large border-collie does it, thundering up and down the stairs, skidding about on the uncarpeted kitchen and hall. ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2004, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-name-of-that-behaviour-where-dogs-run-about-like-mad/223112/2 "2004-01-07T00:38:33Z")
pledge week. ---
**Author:** ![ltfire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ea924/32.png) [@ltfire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ltfire)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2004, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-name-of-that-behaviour-where-dogs-run-about-like-mad/223112/3 "2004-01-07T01:02:32Z")
I dunno either, but when my dog does it, I scream WHATTHEFUCKSWRONGWITHYOU! …and she stops. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Manduck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/manduck/32/256_2.png) [@Manduck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Manduck)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2004, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-name-of-that-behaviour-where-dogs-run-about-like-mad/223112/4 "2004-01-07T01:05:39Z")
FRAP = Frantic Random Acts of Play. Google knows all. ---
**Author:** ![Patr100](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f17d59/32.png) [@Patr100](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Patr100)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2004, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-name-of-that-behaviour-where-dogs-run-about-like-mad/223112/5 "2004-01-07T01:07:56Z")
Cats sometimes do it as well. We call it going a bit scatty. I can’ t remember the correct term for sure but but I seem to think it’s vaguely called something like displacement activity. ---
**Author:** ![Manduck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/manduck/32/256_2.png) [@Manduck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Manduck)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2004, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-name-of-that-behaviour-where-dogs-run-about-like-mad/223112/6 "2004-01-07T01:10:48Z")
Further Googling reveals that another possible answer is “FRAP = Frantic (or Frenetic) Random Activity Period”. ---
**Author:** ![Gadfly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/aeb1de/32.png) [@Gadfly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gadfly)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2004, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-name-of-that-behaviour-where-dogs-run-about-like-mad/223112/7 "2004-01-07T01:12:28Z")
Being a dog. ---
**Author:** ![bughunter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/aeb1de/32.png) [@bughunter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bughunter)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2004, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-name-of-that-behaviour-where-dogs-run-about-like-mad/223112/8 "2004-01-07T01:36:48Z")
Growing up, we almost always had a dog and at least one cat. This kind of activity usually happened at the same time with two or more of them. And often, late in the evening when everyone was settled down in front of the TV. We called it “Show Time!” 😃 ---
**Author:** ![stockton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5a626/32.png) [@stockton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stockton)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2004, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-name-of-that-behaviour-where-dogs-run-about-like-mad/223112/9 "2004-01-07T03:06:09Z")
“wilding” ---
**Author:** ![Zoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/a4c791/32.png) [@Zoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zoe)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2004, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-name-of-that-behaviour-where-dogs-run-about-like-mad/223112/10 "2004-01-07T03:13:22Z")
Viking weekend at Athens. Oh. Wait. That was 1971. My name is Zoe…Now where was I going? ---
**Author:** ![RadioOrange](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a9adbd/32.png) [@RadioOrange](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RadioOrange)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2004, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-name-of-that-behaviour-where-dogs-run-about-like-mad/223112/11 "2004-01-07T03:14:25Z")
Maybe a tick bit down on its tallywacker? ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2004, 12:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-name-of-that-behaviour-where-dogs-run-about-like-mad/223112/12 "2004-01-07T12:54:45Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by RadioOrange \* > \*\*Maybe a tick bit down on its tallywacker? \*\* With a nick-nack tally-whack! Give this dog a bone. This old man came rolling home! MOTHER GOOSE **RULES DUDE!!!** 😃 ---
**Author:** ![TartPops](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c4cdca/32.png) [@TartPops](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TartPops)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2004, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-name-of-that-behaviour-where-dogs-run-about-like-mad/223112/13 "2004-01-07T14:29:50Z")
When my rabbit does it we call it “going madcap.” When our Wheaten Terrier does it we call it “The Wheaten Frenzy.” ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2004, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-name-of-that-behaviour-where-dogs-run-about-like-mad/223112/14 "2004-01-07T14:50:58Z")
In deference to a Welsh drinking custom, we call our cat’s version the “Mad Half Hour”. Pronounced “Madafawuh”. ---
**Author:** ![PetW](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/d2c977/32.png) [@PetW](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PetW)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2004, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-name-of-that-behaviour-where-dogs-run-about-like-mad/223112/15 "2004-01-07T15:17:29Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by samclem \* > \*\*pledge week. \*\* Hahaha, perfect answer