Regressed puppy blues

[FernieB]

I'm after some reassurance that it gets better. Our just turned 1 setter has stopped sleeping through the night. Up to a week ago he settled from 9pm through to 7am in the kitchen and did this from day one with us. Now he barks, whines and scratches at the kitchen door. I'm getting no sleep and am exhausted as I'm having to get up 2 - 3 times a night.

He's also still occasionally mouthing and will get growly if asked to do something he doesn't want to. Recall is slightly improving but he is obsessed with other dogs and will try to follow them.

He gets a couple of nice walks a day with off lead time and a few short training sessions throughout the day. If he has more exercise he is hyper and doesn't settle at all.

Please tell me this is normal and will pass.

Adolescence? Ours went through a ignoring us stage, disturbed sleeping, being a little git - too many hormones sloshing round.

Ours is a bitch, and also had her first season, spaying calmed her down a bit.

We also used to use a snuffle mat -still do sometimes or treats hidden in newspaper in a cardboard box - seemed to mentally tire her out.

Hi, as someone else said, welcome to adolescence. The good news is that this phase will pass and there are things you can do to make it easier to deal with, see some good advice here www.bluecross.org.uk/pet-advice/adolescence-in-dogs

He is likely to need more exercise/stimulation than he previously did. It may be that off-lead running around makes him more hyper and over-stimluated (much like a child when they get over-tired and silly). Try calmer things that will use lots of brain energy to tire him out, enrichment like snuffle mats are great, reward-based training where they really have to think is brilliant for tiring them out, think about stretching his abilities and teaching him new things in your training sessions, even if it's silly tricks, learning new things or even to apply what they already know to knew settings is tiring. Also, being a setter, scent games and scatter feeding will probably be right up his street, if he's fed kibble and you have a secure garden you can scatter it outside, or ask him to sit and wait whilst he watches you hide piles around the room before he can go hunt for them, you can make this harder once he gets the idea and hide the food under stuff or on shelves so he really uses his nose. Also, let him take you for on-lead sniff walks or a "sniffari" where he leads the way and you let him stop and sniff things for as long as he wants, using their noses knackers them out because they are processing so much information but it also keeps them calm.

I cant offer any help but massivley sympathise because im in the same situation. Got 8 month old collie and hes just gone mental, pulling like a train, chasing cars, barks at all people and dogs. In fact i could have burst into tears this morning when he was up at 4.30am, im just exhausted and not sure i can carry on like this for the next 6 months or so. I just keep thinking what if this is whats hes going to be like all his life.

Honestly it gets better. Our little adolescent git is now a very calm dog …apart from the barking like a loon whenever we leave the house. Must work on that.

Ah op I feel for you I really do . I was in your shoes a few months back . I was a depressed mess walking around . No sleep and my life was turned up side down . I promise you it does get better ❤️ I never thought it would and regretted getting him . Now he's my life and I can't imagine my life with out him x

Thank you so much for your responses. I feel much more positive now. He is a lovely boy but very hard work and demanding at the moment. It's good to know that it passes

I was greatly cheered during a particularly down moment with the puppy when someone on here posted what a nightmare their puppy had been. She said that now it was 2, lying beside her snoring quietly in its bed while she was working away, and was calm, well behaved and she didn't regret him one bit anymore..

@JustJam4Tea

I was greatly cheered during a particularly down moment with the puppy when someone on here posted what a nightmare their puppy had been. She said that now it was 2, lying beside her snoring quietly in its bed while she was working away, and was calm, well behaved and she didn't regret him one bit anymore..

I think I've learnt more on here about puppies than any book or YouTube video or website. It's been very reassuring

Maybe try some retrieving with him, and then when he gets the bringing stuff back idea make him sit and wait when you throw it out until you give him a release word. Fenrir training has a good video online- most dogs find the self control element exhausting