Puppy Blues

[whattodonownow]

I know this topic has been done to death.
But I’m just feeling a bit down today.
Posted last night about how puppy decided she hated her crate after 12 weeks of sleeping through every night in it. Anyway, she howled for about 15 minutes in the end before falling asleep, but now I’m dreading the same thing tonight. Hearing her howling makes me feel really anxious.
Everything’s just getting on top of me a bit. We are used to dogs, had our last one for over 10 years, but puppies are such hard work aren’t they? And this week she’s started pushing the boundaries.
She’s refusing to do a wee before I leave for work in the morning at 9am (baring in mind she’s not been since 6am by that point) and then because the dog sitter doesn’t come until 10.30 she’s started weeing in her crate. I only work for 3 hours a couple of times a week so she’s not alone for long.
Today she refused to go for a wee at 9am, I had to pop home at 9.15 as had forgotten something and she went and did the biggest wee imaginable when I let her out, so why won’t she go before I leave for work?!
After a month or so of great behaviour she’s ripping up plants, digging carpet, shredding beds. She gets 3 good walks a day, on and off lead, and she’s only meant to have 25 minutes a time due to her age, but she has around 40 minutes 3 times a day as she’s a pain if she doesn’t. She has mind games, puzzles, kongs, pizzle sticks, pigs ears, cows ears, paddywack, yak chews, antlers etc etc.
I feel so guilty if we even leave her for 2 hours on a weekend, mainly because I feel bad leaving her crated, but if she’s not crated she chews the skirting board, doors, furniture etc. I find myself rushing back for her all the time and I’m spending a fortune on getting the dog sitter to pop in for 20 minutes even if she’s only left for 2 hours!
She’s a spaniel so really clever. She aced puppy class and is halfway through the next level class and is 100% the cleverest dog there. She picks everything up so quickly.
Just wanted a moan really as I feel so restricted right now.

[whattodonownow]

Also dread the evenings.
She turns into a demon if we let her in the lounge and won’t settle, plus although fully house trained she will without fail wee on the rug in the lounge.
I feel like we can’t relax to watch tv as we are constantly checking she’s not snuck off to wee, if we let her roam the house while we watch tv then she gets up to mischief, so we spend our entire evening just sat in the kitchen with her on a sofa until it’s bedtime at 9pm.
Our old dog would come up with us about 8pm and chill on the bed while we relaxed watching films. Then he’d go for a last wee before sleeping all night on the landing.
I just feel like my whole life right now revolves around the puppy.
Think in 10 years I’d forgotten how hard it is!

[BiteyShark]

Mine was not allowed to roam the house unattended at that age. Simply too young to be trusted not to chew.

Things like peeing on the rug. Clean it and take it up until she is older. I used to tie my floor lengths blinds up as he 'loved' them but now he isn't bothered. They grow out of it so it isn't worth the hassle of them chewing/peeing etc.

Do you have a different routine when you leave the house? Maybe she doesn't associated needing to pee at that time on the days you work compared to being at home. Perhaps 10 minutes walk before you go will be enough to get her to pee plus it establishes a routine only for those days.

we spend our entire evening just sat in the kitchen with her on a sofa until it’s bedtime at 9pm. Again we only let our spaniel in other rooms when he was older and only for short periods because otherwise he was far too excited.

It will get better but remember that you need to go through all of this before they become they lovable laid back adult that you remember of your old dog.

[whattodonownow]

On the other days I pop out to do a school run so she wees even earlier, around 8.30am, and 99% of the time she’ll go, typically I’m only gone 30 minutes.
On the days I go to work she refuses to go, and typically they’re the times she’s on her own for 1.5 hours before the dog sitter comes!
Yes I think I’m just going to have to suck it up sitting in the kitchen with her each night. It’s not very relaxing though!
Just can’t wait for the time she can be trusted to roam the house and come upstairs with me. At the moment she gets so excited if she sneaks upstairs she does wees all over the beds so that’s a no no.
Perhaps by the time she’s 1 in October she might be able to be trusted more! Wishful thinking.

[BiteyShark]

Yes you think you are never going to be able to get out of the kitchen but slowly he got better and better.

I sometimes now have to try and find where he has snuck off to for a quiet sleep, rather than worrying he is up to no good 😁.

[NotwhereIshouldbe]

Very normal for pups to be settled for the first month and then turn into devils! They're doing so much sleeping and growing that they are initially very quiet and now she is settled and has a bit more energy this is where you will start to see naughty behaviour.

You say she was fine overnight in the crate until now, have you tried sleeping in an old t shirt and wrapping it around a teddy and putting it in the crate? This is possibly where she might be missing you as she has developed a bond with you.

RE toileting: when pups regress it usually means something has confused the pup and stopped them going. Ensure all wees and poos done outside is reward with a treat to reeducate your pup that you want them to do it outside. Ideally, try adding a command ("wee wees" and "poopies") as she does it so then you are starting to teach her to go on command. In the meantime do not allow the garden to be a play area: out the back door means going to the toilet, not playtime (to make it crystal clear to the pup).

Puppies are hard work but stick with it. This is what I call the terrible twos stage, it will get better before pup regresses to "teenage" phase at around 8 months!

[whattodonownow]

She gets a high value treat every time she wees or poos outside.
But when I try to get her to go before work she just looks at me blankly! I’m sure she’ll get there. It just means I’m at work worrying that she’s desperate for a wee and it makes me feel really guilty.
And I’ll try re a t-shirt in her crate.
She has gone down without a peep for 12 weeks solid so I think she’s just decided she doesn’t want to sleep there! Hoping us being strict last night means she won’t play up tonight. I’m getting anxious about it already!
Apparently they start testing boundaries at 5 months.

[adaline]

Ah, the dreaded teenage years!

Mine was an absolute nightmare between the ages of about 7-11 months old. A real handful. Jumping, nipping, chewing, destructive behaviour, stealing things, barking at everything - it was really hard and I know both DH and I wondered "what the bloody hell have we done".

But he's one now and has calmed down so much in the last six weeks or so. He's responding to commands again (not all the time but more than he was), seems to have calmed down in the house and is much happier to settle with a treat/ball/chew while we eat or relax in the evenings.

I've just had my dinner with him flopped at my feet (on his lead, but still flopped) and he's currently eating a chew while I do this and watch TV. He's a pleasure to own - the hard work will pay off eventually!

[whattodonownow]

She’s not been too bad this afternoon actually. She slept for a few hours after a walk.
I’ve been trying to toss treats into her crate randomly today so she associates it with good things.
Really hope she’s settled tonight as I find it unbearable to ignore her when she’s howling!

[bert3400]

Have you tried covering the crate with a blanket at night . Our pup is 11 weeks old and can't wait till we can walk her, she is going stir crazy or maybe we are !!

[whattodonownow]

Her crate is covered yes! We learnt that after the first few days!
She slept through again without a peep last night so hopefully just a blip.
She wouldn’t wee again this morning at 8.30am so I’ve popped home in the hope she’ll go now!