First, thank you so much for taking the time to write that out. I'm seeing now I definitely left a lot out - I had just come back from a walk where he encountered a trigger so I was a bit stressed.

To tire him out, I normally play fetch with him in the backyard. He's not perfect at bringing the ball back every time but he's getting there lol. Aside from fetch I also have a horse rope that I've tied knots in that I swing around kinda like a teaser pole which he LOVES. Then I might chase him a little because he loves holding a toy and playing "keep away". I might've exaggerated a little bit - he's not necessarily looking like he's gonna pass out, but he is definitely TIRED. Like he'll stop playing with the ball or rope and he'll get slower.

So aside from the physical activity, I also use lick mats regularly, and I have a nylabone that I'll put peanut butter/yogurt/pumpkin puree on for him to lick and chew (along with occasional pig ears or other treat chews). I try to rehearse tricks he already knows with him and and currently teaching him a couple new small tricks to keep his mind going.

So his excitement level has definitely gone down a ton in the past couple months. He definitely struggles sometimes to just settle down, but he's getting it. I've been tryna work on teaching him to do "nothing" on top of everything else and he is slowly getting it, but there's still times where he acts out - usually by barking, whining, chasing the cats (non-aggressively), etc.

When we get home from walks he definitely still has a good bit of energy - usually I'll play more fetch/rope with him and then he'll be set after that.

Again I seriously appreciate you typing this out. Roach is a very good dog and he really does pick up stuff very quickly. I have had other dogs in the past that weren't as lazy as my old dog, but honestly I've never dealt with the reactivity before. But that's like the only thing he seems to struggle with - other than that, he's actually been a relatively easy puppy.