Does anyone else’s dog drive them nuts?

[Butterfly1728]

So I’ve got a needy Frenchie. She wants to go in the garden, I let her in the garden and shut the door, whines to come back in, let her back in, wants to go back out. She whines to go out for a walk, attention, anything.

Drives. Me. Mad.

I work from home with 2 dogs and as much as I love them sometimes they drive me potty, messing around and being noisy the minute I get on a call for instance.

Anyone else have similar issues?

In good weather my back doors are always open - dog goes in and out all the time.

I normally can do this but my husband works nights and the dogs play fight in the garden loudly and our bedroom is above the garden.

My dogs will be fast asleep, but as soon as someone phones me, they wake up and start playfighting practically on my lap.
Do the dogs playing in the garden wake your husband up? Can you leave the back door open and get him some earplugs?

Get your husband some earplugs and give your dogs the free range they need.

I would also look at the amount of exercise and enrichment they get in general - they sound a bit under-stimulated and as though they’re not quite sure what to do with themselves.

I feel your pain, my dog used to pester me all day long to go in, then out, then bring me a toy, then whine for food. And she was getting plenty of exercise!

It turns out, we had created our own monster. As annoying as it is, you’re reinforcing the behaviour by giving in. And some dogs just won’t choose to settle, you have to teach them. Routine is everything and it will be really hard to begin with because you’re undoing years of behaviour but it’s worth it.

Try setting a routine for your work from home days. Just an example, mine is 7am walk for about 45 mins then back home and breakfast. 9am I start work and she goes to her bed for a nap. 10am she goes into the garden for a wee and a sniff about. Back on her bed. 10:30-11am ish I give her a lick mat or chew (on her bed). 12pm lunchtime walk and training session - use their brain! It tires them out. 1pm back on her bed for a nap. 3pm out in the garden. Toilet and a quick game of tug if I don’t have meetings. 5pm finish work, out for an hour walk.

I absolutely don’t stick to this on weekends or days off. She has learnt this is the deal when I am working from home and she’s happy. There is a balance between meeting their needs with exercise and mental enrichment but also them going away and self settling. She now chooses to go and chill on her bed. If they don’t have a good ‘bed’ queue, use a crate.

But you’re not going to fix the issue by just giving in everytime they whine to go out.