This puppy...help

[PossumintheHouse]

We rescued a six-month old Boxer puppy four weeks ago from a charity and bloody hell... he's a challenge.
Both of us have had boxers in the past, but this guy is something else.
Leave him alone for even half an hour? He barks and smashes anything smash-worthy within his path. He knows how to open all doors and has already toppled the TV and destroyed a kitchen cabinet.
He follows basic commands so far - sit, lie down, dinner - but is selectively deaf beyond that.
Does anyone have any advice about how to calm him down?

I'm glad it helped!

I'm sure he'll be absolutely fine. I've looked after lots of adults rescues with tons of energy and no training and they've all settled down to be fantastic dogs. I'm sure yours will be the same :)

I find with taking on older puppies that you have to basically treat them like tiny puppies in a bigger body…it doesn’t last as long as with an actual tiny puppy, but they do kind of revert to being clingy and super destructive.

People are suggesting crate training btw because it’s quicker than training them to be left loose - crate training usually only takes a few weeks (there are exceptions, I’ve one here who could really do with a safe space but we’re 3 years in and he loves the crate… as long as I’m there 😂so pretty pointless)

You don’t just stick them in a crate and hope for the best, you spend a few weeks making it a nice place for him to be and gradually building up to shutting the door and then leaving him for a minute, 2, 4 etc…

once he gets older the option is always there to extend him being ok alone in a room and getting rid of the crate, but it can be quicker to start with the crate.