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Puppy really getting me down

56 replies

Thisislifefornow · 02/03/2021 18:18

Hi, I hope this doesn't come across that I'm cold hearted as I'm far from it. We got a puppy at 9 weeks and knew it would be tough after owning previous dogs from puppy stage. However the last few days I've been in constant tears. From day one he has been a excessive biter but we have been muddling through it even though my poor children have took the brunt of it. We are very firm and he tends to respond when we tell him no. Over the last few weeks things have ramped up and I'm getting more and more upset. He is now 24 weeks, he's walked for a good amount of time daily, fed a good diet, played with , cuddled, kept busy with challenges but things are getting worse. He climbs all over the table, skirting board and now tonight jumped in the counters and eaten all the meat for dinner. He's ripping carpets up, eaten dining chairs , dug huge holes in the garden , scratched the sofas to death. I could go on and on. I'm not soft on him at all and I remain firm but it changes nothing. What do I do?? I'm completely miserable so the dog must sense this too. I spoke to a dog trainer but there's not much inside help at the moment because of COVID restrictions. Please help

OP posts:
MarieFromStTropez · 02/03/2021 18:19

Whereabouts in the UK are you OP? We are desperate for a dog and would happily take him.

SpringersLoveSofas · 02/03/2021 18:47

The examples you gave are all things, at that age, I would expect to physical prevent.

Jumping on counter with meat? I wouldn't expect to leave a young dog capable of that alone with the meat on the side?

Digging in the garden? Supervision and a lead, if needed.

Ditto jumping on tables or chewing furniture. At that age, I wouldn't necessarily expect to be able to leave the dog alone with furniture he could chew, especially if he was scared to be left (which he might be).

Some dogs, sure, are more mature at that age and more trustworhty. But many not.

Is he doing all these things because he's not being watched, do you think?

MrsPnut · 02/03/2021 18:49

Join this group, read all the help units especially the puppy ones and if you are still having problems then you can ask the trainers for help.
www.facebook.com/groups/374160792599484

endlesswicker · 02/03/2021 18:50

What breed is he and where did you get him from?

DoubleTweenQueen · 02/03/2021 18:53

What is his quiet time/nap schedule like during the day? Is he over-stimulated and over tired? Our 22 week Springer has three naps a day, often enforced, as in 'no, you're not going out to play again, you need a nap'.

OnlyToWin · 02/03/2021 18:54

We used a puppy pen to keep our puppy safe/out of trouble when we could not directly supervise him. He was basically “man marked” for the first six weeks we had him. He did once get on the table and eat some chicken though when we took our eye off him once!! Do you have a pen? We also only let him in certain puppy proofed rooms until he was better trained/older.

sunflowersandbuttercups · 02/03/2021 18:54

He is now 24 weeks, he's walked for a good amount of time daily, fed a good diet, played with , cuddled, kept busy with challenges but things are getting worse.

Firstly, puppies need about 18 hours of good sleep each day. About 8-9 hours a night, and the rest in good chunks throughout the day. Is he getting that amount? Too much stimulation is not the right way to go - you need to find the balance between exercise, training, feeding, sleep and play. At that age, I would be doing 2 x 30 minute walks per day to include a mixture of off-lead time (if possible, or on a long-line if not), training and slow sniffing. Puppies shouldn't be playing rough, so avoid things like throwing balls and tuggy if possible.

He climbs all over the table, skirting board and now tonight jumped in the counters and eaten all the meat for dinner.

What are you doing to prevent it? I would be using baby gates, a pen and a crate to limit where he's got access to - and you shouldn't be leaving him in any room alone at that age, really - more for his own safety than anything else. You don't want him to bite/chew something like a wire.

Mine is three and we still use a baby gate to keep him out of the kitchen!

He's ripping carpets up, eaten dining chairs , dug huge holes in the garden , scratched the sofas to death.

Where are you when all this is happening? Can you not crate him when you need to leave him alone?

I do feel for you because the puppy months can be really hard, but I feel like a lot of this could be prevented if you put the right measures in place.

NoSquirrels · 02/03/2021 18:54

What sort of dog is he, OP?

he's walked for a good amount of time daily, fed a good diet, played with , cuddled, kept busy with challenges

When you say challenges, what sort of training are you doing with him? Are you starting to train "calm" yet? I would certainly start there. Do you use a clicker? Use his food for training and not "meals"?

As previous posters say, you need to physically prevent him from doing behaviour that you don't want but that is rewarding to him. So you'll need to either be physically present in the same room as him correcting his behaviour and rewarding good behaviours (calm) or you will need to physically separate him somewhere safe if you can't supervise (crate or gated area).

DoubleTweenQueen · 02/03/2021 19:03

I would also agree with limiting access to rooms and things until he can learn to be calm in the house. We were limited to the kitchen until recently as pup would go nuts in other rooms - just too exciting. She has learned that she may be in other rooms when we'll behaved, and is removed to the kitchen if unruly.

DoubleTweenQueen · 02/03/2021 19:05

I also feel huge sympathy, and empathy for that matter, with your struggles x

cannotfathom · 02/03/2021 19:11

The examples you gave are all things, at that age, I would expect to physical prevent

Agreed. Puppies need constant supervision at this age. Does he have a crate?

StillMedusa · 02/03/2021 19:15

Prevent prevent prevent! Stair gates on every room.. he can't get to meat if he can't get into the kitchen unsupervised. We gradually took down our stairgates as pup matured but still have a couple up and our dog is nearly two. Unsupervised puppies = trouble!

Also..is he maybe getting too much stimulation? Puppies need a LOT of sleep and maybe he's actually getting too much play/kids/walks. We found ours was hyper in the evenings and we ended up being deliberately boring so she learned to settle with a chew.

OnlyToWin · 02/03/2021 19:19

I used to sit mine on my knee and cuddle him to sleep when he needed it! Otherwise he was a real pain when he was overtired and if the kids got him excited he just used to run about nipping and picking stuff up in his mouth - calm with the puppy was the rule!!

TimeToCloseTheDoor · 02/03/2021 19:20

Mine had very limited access to the rooms downstairs and wasn’t allowed upstairs where the carpet and woodwork was at all. At 8 months I now let them sleep on the hall carpet during the day but I still check on them and bring them down stairs once awake and keep all the doors shut to bedrooms.

Do you have a crate for nighttime and enforced naps. I can easily tell when mine haven’t had a decent nap because they become over bitey and turn in to twats.

I really don’t leave them unsupervised and crate them if I need to pop out. Exercise and food is all well and good but damage limitation needs to play a big part to!

Come over to the puppy survival thread, lots of support over there Flowers

DinosaurDiana · 02/03/2021 19:23

Do not allow him access to the stuff he is chewing.
I assume he’s losing his teeth so give him things to chew like Kongs.
Are you happy to give him previously frozen raw bones ? Not everyone is.

lorisparkle · 02/03/2021 19:30

I remember the 'puppy blues' it was such a tricky time. I completely agree with a pp who said to join the Facebook group 'dog training advice and support'. Best thing we ever did!!!
My advice would also be 'prevention' is key. I would also say Enforced naps and opportunities for peace and quiet. We found our puppy was often over tired and/or over excited which led to what some would say 'naughty' behaviour.

We also loved watching YouTube videos - kikopup and Zak George were our favourite.

MiniCooperLover · 02/03/2021 20:38

He's being a typical 6 month old puppy OP, you say you've had puppies before so I'm surprised that you're shocked by it? What breed is it? Puppies need constant interaction and watching while awake

blowinahoolie · 02/03/2021 21:03

We have rooms gated off so puppy has restricted access to certain areas of the home. Depending on what is going on, she may be gated in one room. We made sure it was like this from day one. Everyone in the home was aware of what is acceptable, when she can and can't go into an area etc.

Firm boundaries are needed with puppies.

She is supervised at all times. Crated overnight. And I have a St Bernard puppy and left unattended has the potential to cause huge amounts of damage to a property😬

Thisislifefornow · 02/03/2021 21:12

@cannotfathom

The examples you gave are all things, at that age, I would expect to physical prevent

Agreed. Puppies need constant supervision at this age. Does he have a crate?

Yes he is crate trained and in this area , does extremely well, sleeps all night , no issues. Takes regular naps through the day. I don't have a huge house so we are close to the dog at the any one time. If I was to put in his crate for every time he ripped or chewed he would be in there the majority of time.
OP posts:
Thisislifefornow · 02/03/2021 21:13

@DoubleTweenQueen

I also feel huge sympathy, and empathy for that matter, with your struggles x
Thank you
OP posts:
sunflowersandbuttercups · 02/03/2021 21:16

If I was to put in his crate for every time he ripped or chewed he would be in there the majority of time.

Have you tried a house line or tether? Or a pen for him to be securely left to play in? I wouldn't be allowing a puppy to get to the point of ripping and tearing things before stepping in, though. If he's not engaged in play, training or sleep I would pop him on a lead or in his pen/crate.

Management is key when they're young.

Thisislifefornow · 02/03/2021 21:17

@MiniCooperLover

He's being a typical 6 month old puppy OP, you say you've had puppies before so I'm surprised that you're shocked by it? What breed is it? Puppies need constant interaction and watching while awake
He is a beagle so the upper end of energetic, I previously had a Yorkshire terrier and westie who we had no issues with at all so maybe I was extremely lucky on those occasions.
OP posts:
Thisislifefornow · 02/03/2021 21:19

@sunflowersandbuttercups

If I was to put in his crate for every time he ripped or chewed he would be in there the majority of time.

Have you tried a house line or tether? Or a pen for him to be securely left to play in? I wouldn't be allowing a puppy to get to the point of ripping and tearing things before stepping in, though. If he's not engaged in play, training or sleep I would pop him on a lead or in his pen/crate.

Management is key when they're young.

Can I ask more about the house line? I'm not familiar with these things. I intervene immediately. The meat gotten eaten today when I was putting the Hoover away under the stairs. Just a simple 1 minute task.
OP posts:
blowinahoolie · 02/03/2021 21:27

Ours often lies lounging around on the decking in the garden. Do you have access to something similar whilst you get on with tasks around the home so meat doesn't get snaffled?

Thisislifefornow · 02/03/2021 21:29

@blowinahoolie

Ours often lies lounging around on the decking in the garden. Do you have access to something similar whilst you get on with tasks around the home so meat doesn't get snaffled?
Unfortunately his hobby is ripping up the garden but we are in the process of changing it to all paved so he won't be able to. Then yes, good idea he can relax/play outside more.
OP posts:
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