advice on a 4mo Lab/greyhound cross puppy?

[theothersparticus]

I could do with some advice and reassurance regarding my new puppy Bella. I have wanted a dog for some time so please excuse getting a puppy at this time of year. She has been passed between 4 families already and I understood that it would be a huge change to my current family (OH and 2 cats) but I can't get my OH to relax and be patient.

He has already had a winge at the fact that he deals with her all day while I work and complains that he has to pay her so much attention. She does have hyper moments but in the evenings she has been sleeping peacefully on her mat while the cats are working up the courage to come near her.

We have only had her since last Wed (07/12/11) and I think he's being unrealistic to expect everything to go back to normal in such a short time but he has been talking about sending her back on onto another home. I am trying to introduce training that I have learnt from 'it's me or the dog' and I have ordered a puppy training book to help speed things along.

Can anyone let me have any advise for calming a young dog down and will this wear off as she gets older?

Our rescue pup was 5.5 mos when we got him two months ago - I can't tell you how much he has settled in that time! The first week or two were mad. He wasn't particularly hyper, just a puppy who didn't know where he was - but all our stress levels were up around our ears

He still has less calm moments in the evening (like kids), but after about 4 weeks he just seemed to know he was here to stay - and relaxed. Yes, your OH is being unrealistic, as you know...I think I would be understanding about how much work it is, whilst still reassuring him that its totally normal and will not stay like this. Bella will get older, and she will get more settled.

Routine helps. Crating (if you are using a crate) when one of you - dog or human - is getting crazy, helps. Use treats and praise so the crate is always a great place, not a punishment. Feeding meals in a kong or tug-a-jug helps, as it keeps them occupied for a while. Enough exercise helps (I discovered that the old '5 minutes per month' rule was no longer necessarily valid - and labs do like their walks!).

And time helps

Congrats on your new dog!

I'm not sure 'It's me or the dog' is the best place to take advice from. You should go to proper puppy training classes and also read 'In defence of dogs' by John Bradshaw. Don't let anyone tell you that you need to be alpha, the dog is trying to control you etc, pack theory is correct etc cos it's all rubbbish.

We're starting puppy training classes this friday, if anything it'll get her used to other dogs and not just throw herself after them in the hopes of playing.

She came with a crate that she wasn't really used to but we've been leaving the door open and her bed in there so she has got quite used to it. I've dragged myself out of bed early the last couple of days to give her a quick morning walk in the hopes it'll help wear her out and we're getting her a kong this weekend.

She is normally peaceful, it's just she has a couple of 'mad half hours' a day and doesn't really like to be left alone