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The doghouse

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Original poster

When could you relax more in the house with puppy/young dog

29 replies

Yamyam13 · 18/04/2022 11:45

My Lab puppy is now nearly 6 months old.

She's amazing, a really sweet good girl, training going well, and it's all getting easier, but teething hard now and suddenly has more energy and is sleeping less.

I only feel really Comfortable taking my eye off her for longer periods around the house when she is either asleep or has a chew/kong keeping her occupied. We do have a baby gate so we can contain her in the kitchen when we need to.

What age do you reach the point when you dont have to watch &/ entertain them all the time when they aren't otherwise occupied with a chew, or sleeping? And what do they do exactly? 😂

OP posts:

RedHelenB · 18/04/2022 12:27

I never watched them that intensely from 8 weeks when I first got my puppy. Relax a bit.

EdithStourton · 18/04/2022 12:30

It depends on the breed and the puppy. Last puppy, working lines, 8-ish months and certainly by a year. Current one, same breed, working lines again, still a bit of a pain at coming up to 2.

It's as if the younger one's Destructo setting was turned up to 11.

Original poster

Yamyam13 · 18/04/2022 12:36

@RedHelenB

I never watched them that intensely from 8 weeks when I first got my puppy. Relax a bit.

Hehe I suspected this might be the response from some as I know I am definitely being a little overly conscientious.

I think it partly Got like this as we never used puppy pads when housetraining. We went down the route of preventing any accidents happening by keeping a close eye on her at all times, taking her out very often, which did work and she house trained very quickly with hardly any accidents. But it does mean keeping a constant close eye. Also, DD is 8 so we wanted to make sure they werent left unsupervised together in the early days.

But I do overthink and over egg these things! So I will take on your advice for sure!

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Organictangerine · 18/04/2022 12:37

Our pup is 3m and I’m wondering the same thing!

Original poster

Yamyam13 · 18/04/2022 12:39

As I typed my last response consciously trying not to watch her... have come into the hallway to find she has shredded some post that came through the door 😂

Nothing important, just junk mail thankfullly but perhaps I need to just let these things go a bit more as long as its not dangerous to her?

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Sunnytwobridges · 18/04/2022 12:46

It depends on the dog/breed.

One of my dogs I had to watch her for about the first year. My other dog I stopped watching him around 4 months old, he was a quick learner and wasn’t a chewer like my other dog.

Original poster

Yamyam13 · 18/04/2022 13:30

Yeah I think it comes down to the chew factor of the breed really.

Have puppy proofed as much as possible but there's always some things she will manage to get hold off or can't be moved etc.

Ok, so those with chewers, when did it ease off?

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NorthernPlights · 18/04/2022 13:33

Our Goldie is 19 weeks and we've been able to leave him to his own devices for a little while now.

No chewing or otherwise unwanted behaviours - we just need to make sure there is nothing on the floor as he will put anything and everything in his mouth. But we know we are very lucky and that there is plenty of time for things to go backwards!

PollyRoulllson · 18/04/2022 13:34

I dont think you are being over cautious at all. Lab puppies can be a danger to themselves if not supervised closely. (as you lovely pup has shown this morning!). I think people who suggest otherwise have not had an active inquisitive working dog

I do think it makes life easier for you to have an area where they can be left that is safe and there is nothing they can chew or investigate.

I have a lab at the moment who is 10 months old and he can now safely be trusted to be ok for periods of the day eg after walking and training. He can now be awake and not chewing sometimes.

A previous lab was fine from about 12 weeks. So it does depend on the dog but I do not think you are being over conscientious - this time will soon pass......

Whattodo121 · 18/04/2022 14:09

We have an 11 month old border collie. She’s not a chewer or an eater (someone accidentally left an open Easter egg on the sofa yesterday and she didn’t touch it) but I just control access to where she’s allowed by closing doors. So she doesn’t go upstairs during the day unless invited up there. I keep living room, playroom and garage doors closed unless we’re there with her so she can only go in the dining room/kitchen which are dog proofed. We have a dog flap in the kitchen which we can lock and she loves being in the garden watching the chickens so spends a lot of time out there whilst we are pottering around downstairs.

Girliefriendlikespuppies · 18/04/2022 14:18

I can't really remember tbh, I think once he'd been reliably toilet trained I felt more relaxed so from 6 months onwards.

goodthinking99 · 18/04/2022 14:31

I asked the same thing 5 months ago when our working cocker spaniel was 10months old, and I'm happy to report that things seemed to settle down a bit when she turned 1. Or maybe I've just got better at having a dog around. I know where not to leave things, still have a stair gate to cordon off rooms when needed, and time our walks well, but it doesn't feel like I'm on constant look out. Still full on, but ordinary life has resumed...mostly!

XelaM · 18/04/2022 16:36

Depends on the breed. We have a pug and he has never chewed anything and is too small to counter-surf. He just sleeps when he's not following us from room to room.

fairylightsandwaxmelts · 18/04/2022 16:36

It depends entirely on the dog.

I was leaving mine while I showered (so for 15-20 minutes) at 3-4 months of age and he was fine, but he's never been a destructive dog and he's only ever chewed his own chews. It would have been very different if he'd been destructive or a chewer, I'm sure!

He's only ever left in the living room though, so access to trouble is restricted. He's allowed upstairs when we're home and is never given free reign of the kitchen ever as he can't be trusted around food, lol.

hellcatspangle · 18/04/2022 16:42

By about 5 months I was more relaxed as they weren't having accidents by then, and I did plenty with them to tire them out so once I was sat down with a cuppa they would be napping!

muddyford · 18/04/2022 17:36

My puppy is nearly five months old, but if I have to leave him for longer than a couple of minutes I pop him in his crate. With the last puppy it was about six months when he started to become trustworthy about chewing and general faffing about.

Original poster

Yamyam13 · 18/04/2022 18:12

@hellcatspangle

By about 5 months I was more relaxed as they weren't having accidents by then, and I did plenty with them to tire them out so once I was sat down with a cuppa they would be napping!

I can to do this and do do this, as I said, as long as she is very tired out after a walk, has had some training, enrichment and some play etc or has a chew, I can leave her to it. I used to leave her in the crate even for 5 mins if I had to go upstairs, but now I feel confident leaving her in the kitchen with gate closed. And if she's asleep, I don't necessarily bother.

I was more just wondering about when it gets to a point where you don't feel the need to have ticked all those boxes and they are just mooching about doing their own thing majority of the time.

As a poster said, I think it's down to the dog's breed, personality and also down to us becoming more relaxed dog owners too? And basically whether they are a chewer/greedy fiend?? And size!

Lots of great feedback here, thanks all! X

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BiteyShark · 18/04/2022 18:19

It's a long time ago now so my memory is hazy.

But it tended to be a slow change where at first you might suddenly realise they aren't in sight and it's quiet and you find they are up to no good. It then slowly changes to be its quiet and you find them settled somewhere comfy. Eventually you stop worrying when you can't hear them and get a bit miffed that they don't want to be with you all the time as they would prefer a snooze.

Original poster

Yamyam13 · 18/04/2022 18:30

@BiteyShark

Haha I have been thinking how careful I must be to not wish these attention demanding enagaged days away!

I am actually loving them and cherishing them, but just sometimes feeling a bit guilty as to how much of my attention she's taking up when the laundry is building up and the floors havent been cleaned for... (I'm too embarrassed to say)

Like you described - I guess it's a bit like kids... phases come and go without difinitive time frames and auddenly something that had consumed you is just a distant memory

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colderandeatsmincepiesalot · 18/04/2022 18:48

My lab girl is now 14 months. Me and DH are always at home (retired and I WFH), so she has never really been left alone. I always watch her, as I think prevention is key and we have not had issues with chewing , barking or unwanted behaviour (although she is obsessed with socks...sigh). I would say she mooches around the house but prefers to be near us, I don't let her see me watching her IYSWIM if I can help it and I can see she is generally more relaxed. saying that, it took months to get her to this stage. 1 year?? I would say she is a chilled girl really

PugInTheHouse · 18/04/2022 18:53

We have just got a large breed puppy and he is definitely a chewer, he chew through my laptop charger this morning, I didn't realise it was on the floor, I thought he was sat there chewing his toy nicely! He can reach a lot more than our small dog and I am now getting a bit worried.

He doesn't seem to mind being left and hasn't destroyed anything then, it seems to be the short periods when he first gets up then early evening. He just gets completely crazy! I feel like we are just going to have to move everything soon into another room.

userxx · 18/04/2022 19:11

Mine is 13+ and I still need eyes in the back of my head at times, if he's not eating my plants he's scratching the wall in protest at something.

tabulahrasa · 18/04/2022 20:49

“but just sometimes feeling a bit guilty as to how much of my attention she's taking up when the laundry is building up and the floors havent been cleaned for”

Um... I just do the things I need to do with a dog following me.

Though, if you’ve a chewer - do not teach them to empty the washing machine, you’re just teaching them where the socks live

Scaredypup · 18/04/2022 22:03

@tabulahrasa I long for the days I can do the things I need to do with my dog around. She’ll literally jump in the air and fight me for my washing. If I mop the floors I have to do one room at a time whilst containing her in another. If I’m doing anything in the bedrooms or living room I either need to put her in the kitchen where she’ll whine or have her with me and have to stop what I’m doing every 30 seconds to stop her chewing or doing something destructive. She’s 8 months. My house hasn’t been properly clean since I got her.

Original poster

Yamyam13 · 18/04/2022 22:26

[quote Scaredypup]@tabulahrasa I long for the days I can do the things I need to do with my dog around. She’ll literally jump in the air and fight me for my washing. If I mop the floors I have to do one room at a time whilst containing her in another. If I’m doing anything in the bedrooms or living room I either need to put her in the kitchen where she’ll whine or have her with me and have to stop what I’m doing every 30 seconds to stop her chewing or doing something destructive. She’s 8 months. My house hasn’t been properly clean since I got her.[/quote]
Thank you @Scaredypup

That all sounds very familiar! Nice to know I'm not alone with the grubby house situation.

Not as simple as just having them follow you about... that sounds prettt cute tbh!

Was prepped for all this knowing the breed and what puppies are like, and wasnt expecting any less but again, just good to know what to expect going forward xx

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