Creating a calm puppy

[WeLoveHaribo]

I have a Labrador puppy 7 month.
She is crated with door open to a large pen.
She’s left for short periods and is happy shut in crate/pen.
When we’re home I open door to pen she always comes straight out but has never entered back into pen until I’ve sent her there.
She has a bed in the kitchen but rarely if ever lies on it. Only settles with her toy (for few mins) or a natural chew (possibly up to an hour) but otherwise never sits or lies down.
Is this a puppy thing or am I doing something wrong!

Of course she hasn't why would she want to be in a pen?

The pen is in the house 8ft by 2ft, her bed, blankets and toys are in there it’s her safe place. My question was settling out of the pen.

If she's been in the Ken she won't want to settle though, a 7 month old lab is not going to be particularly calm!

She's a 7 month old lab... Have you done any training with her, settle training in particular? You have to teach them how to behave, you can't expect them just to know automatically.

There is a lot online about encouraging your dog to relax , and be able to "chill"

I think having clear periods of play and then letting them switch off to rest is important - puppies need a huge amount of sleep .

A lot of people overstimulate puppies !

Pen long term =not knowing how to behave in her own home...
She isn't a hamster!!
Ime a roaming ddog is a happy ddog. One of mine particularly likes being wherever I am. Be that the loo or just tidying upstairs!!
She is a loyal companion and is welcome next to me as she chooses! In nearly 8 years she hasn't caused any damage or mischief either!..

She is only in the pen when I’m not home. I work 4 hrs a week and have school runs daily so it’s overnight for a long period and a few short spells daily.
We are open plan so has a puppy proofed room to herself, otherwise would chew.
We’ve done puppy training, sit stay recall etc
I’m thinking it’s a puppy lab ‘thing’ but I’ve visited two friends with new puppies who literally are just chilling whilst we chat. They are young haven’t been taught that but seem chilled.
She’s not overtired as i enforce sleep when is.

Teaching calm is very easy to do and dogs tend to pick it up pretty quickly.

For want of preventing an argument you can train in a pen, crate bed or mat it doesnt matter which

The idea is to make the bed the best area ever - the dog needs to imagine it is a beautiful tropical island!

Put the bed between you and the puppy, when they show any interest in the bed put a treat into the bed.

Do this a couple of times.

Then wait - most puppies/dogs at this stage will move into the bed to get another treat. The minute the dog goes into the bed treat. Put the treat on the far end of the bed so all the dogs body is on the bed.

This is the important bit _ Throw a treat away from the bed with a release command (I use "Ok") . The dog moves off the bed to get the treat

98.9% of dogs will then turn and return to the bed to get another treat, so reward them when they go back to the bed. If the dont go back to the bed pop a treat onto the bed and they will do so.

As they get used to going onto the bed - slightly withhold the treat and they will probably sit and eventually go into a down start to only reward the down position.

Do remember to reset at intervals by throwing a treat off the bed and release with marker word.

Basically that is the principal. Over time you can increase the distance from the bed and the length of time between rewarding or being on the bed.

No stealth boast but I have an 11 week old lab puppy who will now happily stay in his bed for the duration of our supper time. He is rewarded at random intervals but he is extremely happy to stay in the bed waiting for the treats.

With your lab I bet he gets it in days. You can then transfer the behaviour to quiet times in the evening when he is lying on his mat, or if you go out to meals in pubs etc. Wellworth putting in the effort to teach this behaviour.

Use one of his meals to teach this behaviour and in a week you will have it sorted

Thanks polly this is the exact nether were taught she goes to the bed sits on it, takes treats but when I built it up if I move she moves!
I’ll give this another go!
Her sibling is next door she’ll literally sleep at feet!! No training needed-non given!
Well done with yours!

As others said, you do need to train calm/settle behaviour. I have no idea why it's not mentioned more in puppy books to be honest, it was a game changer for us when our trainer introduced it after two weeks with our pup.

What we did was start out with pup on a lightweight lead. Encourage her onto her mat/blanket/bed and into a down position, then periodically drop treats. You might need to do it quite often at first, and don't use a super high value treat or you'll just get them excited. We've used the same treat for settling which we rarely use in our situations, but out of coincidence more than anything. Lead is on and under your foot so they can't run off and play. Eventually add in a cue to settle.

And also eventually start moving around. At first just stand up then sit down, reward if they don't move. Gradually start moving, just a couple of steps to start with. Reward onto the mat/settle area rather than in their mouths.

In addition, reward all moments of calm behavior. E.g if they lie down, toss a small treat. Quiet verbal praise if they are calm when you walk past etc.

We found ours was calmer without the pen but she did climb it before she was 9 weeks old...

How much sleep is your pup getting during the day? Doesn't sound like they are necessarily getting enough.

She sleeps around 10pm til 7am then in day if has has been awake for around an hour of mooch/sniff/play etc we will enforce a sleep in pen
She has 2 off lead long Ish walk/run around and sleeps after these.
I’m in and out all day…

My lab puppy settles better when I'm settled. So if I sit at my desk to work she'll settle quite quickly near me.

If I'm pottering about/cleaning etc she just doesn't settle at all but follows me around.

Posh maybe that’s my issue then I don’t sit down all day until late eve 👎🏼

Absolute dogs
Reward calm/nothing
I have a year old retriever
Doesn’t need a pen or crate - has one but has never needed locked in.
Calm, sleeps down stairs doesn’t chew/bark
We rewarded gently when he was lying settled with a quiet long niiice sometimes a treat (kibble or nicer) or a long stroke. Taught him boundaries.
He’s an excellent dog but it takes work, lots and lots of work and consistency. He had no access to ‘stuff’ he could chew (except furniture) he’s never tried or if he looked like he might I had a spray with vinegar and water (for the item not the dog) steered him to something he could have. You as a family need to be calm too and it’s good for them to have a bed out of the way. He has a bed in the kitchen and a blanket we put down elsewhere.

@WeLoveHaribo

Thanks polly this is the exact nether were taught she goes to the bed sits on it, takes treats but when I built it up if I move she moves! I’ll give this another go! Her sibling is next door she’ll literally sleep at feet!! No training needed-non given! Well done with yours!

Try to get a down and reward that rather than a sit.

Are you really giving the release command - I would up that so there is more opportunity to reward going back to the bed.

When she pops off on her own without being given the release command then slightly restrain her (which builds up the desire to go back to the bed) then reward when she goes back. DOnt just let her wonder off.

Timing is really important.

@Tinkerbellfluffyboots79

Absolute dogs Reward calm/nothing I have a year old retriever Doesn’t need a pen or crate - has one but has never needed locked in. Calm, sleeps down stairs doesn’t chew/bark We rewarded gently when he was lying settled with a quiet long niiice sometimes a treat (kibble or nicer) or a long stroke. Taught him boundaries. He’s an excellent dog but it takes work, lots and lots of work and consistency. He had no access to ‘stuff’ he could chew (except furniture) he’s never tried or if he looked like he might I had a spray with vinegar and water (for the item not the dog) steered him to something he could have. You as a family need to be calm too and it’s good for them to have a bed out of the way. He has a bed in the kitchen and a blanket we put down elsewhere.

Re Absolute Dogs - Bouindary Games will teach you a good settle on a bed

We also have a comfy cushion/blanket in every room for her to settle on.

Right now though she has settled directly behind my feet as I stand at the hob which is unhelpful.