my new pup is driving me nuts
Moderators: emmabeth, BoardHost
my new pup is driving me nuts
im a first time dog owner and ive had my new cockapoo puppy for about a week...n hes actually very good..hes learnt to poo outside already n im crating him so hes slowly learning to pee outside as well, but i want to know is it normal for new puppy owners to feel so worn out??n once he gets older will h e calm down a little bit?like if i get him neutered will he calm down a lil n not go so berserk on me??hes got so much energy that even after i walk him for a hour hes jumping all over the place..i didnt wanna crate him too long but all the trainers i spoke to said i should till he learns to pee outside n i shud just go about my usual business n play with him for 10-15 mins at my convenience..apart from his walks twice a day...but i feel so guilty abt leaving him alone in his crate...n im so tired if i spend too much time with him..yesterday i even thot i should give him away..but i love him n dont want to... if his hyperactivity is gonna last more than a few months ill go mad!!!!!! i would like to just let him stay with me while i go about my work but if i do that hes gonna pee all over my carpet...i want to be able to let him have free run of the house but i dont know how...im tired all the time as hes wearing me out!!please help!!!!!!
YESSSS to all your questions 
Puppies are babies - and every bit as demanding and time-consuming. The good thing is they grow up faster than human babies.
I have a puppy too. She is nearly six months old (I bred her) and a bit less frantic and a lot more independent as she is about to enter adolescence, and oh boy! Is THAT a journey!
Enjoy your puppy. They are hard work, they are exhausting, they are demanding, they are wonderful. You can't rush the growing-up, so it's best to give in and enjoy it.
Puppies are babies - and every bit as demanding and time-consuming. The good thing is they grow up faster than human babies.
I have a puppy too. She is nearly six months old (I bred her) and a bit less frantic and a lot more independent as she is about to enter adolescence, and oh boy! Is THAT a journey!
Enjoy your puppy. They are hard work, they are exhausting, they are demanding, they are wonderful. You can't rush the growing-up, so it's best to give in and enjoy it.
A dog is never bad or naughty - it is simply being a dog
SET YOURSELF UP FOR SUCCESS
SET YOURSELF UP FOR SUCCESS
And to add (because we have no edit facility) don't neuter too early and don't excpect neutering to change his liveliness - he has to grow up in his own time, and neutering too early will just fix him in the puppy stage - and that you don't want.
A dog is never bad or naughty - it is simply being a dog
SET YOURSELF UP FOR SUCCESS
SET YOURSELF UP FOR SUCCESS
Thanks for the response 
i soo didnt expect it to be so exhausting...so is it ok to crate him?i take him out every 2 hours to eliminate and play with him for some time before putting him back in...he whines for some time and then settles down but if i let him run about in the room even for 5 mins he somehow manages to pee on the carpet!! does the hyperactivity kind of go down when hes 6 months old?..also my vet says i should get him neutered at 6 months, is that too early?
i soo didnt expect it to be so exhausting...so is it ok to crate him?i take him out every 2 hours to eliminate and play with him for some time before putting him back in...he whines for some time and then settles down but if i let him run about in the room even for 5 mins he somehow manages to pee on the carpet!! does the hyperactivity kind of go down when hes 6 months old?..also my vet says i should get him neutered at 6 months, is that too early?-
muddyfloors
- Posts: 23
- Joined: Wed Apr 01, 2009 9:17 am
How old is your puppy? Two hours might be longer than he can hold it. I would take him out as often as possible -- especially right after meals and right after naps -- and throw a happy dance party whenever he goes potty in the right spot. Are you crating him while you're home? Maybe you could leash him to you instead, so you can keep an eye on his body language and anticipate when he has to go out. You might only get 3 seconds of warning but better than getting pee smell on the floors, which will encourage him to go there again.
but better than getting pee smell on the floors, which will encourage him to go there again.hes 15 weeks old...and he can hold it all night. he goes to be at around 10pm and i take him out again at about 6:30 in the morning and he holds it in till then...and yes i do crate him even while im home as i dont want to let him have the run of the house till hes fully housetrained...so i sometimes let him out in just one room and play with him there. but he yelps a lott even though i play with him and take him out every couple of hours and he gets 2 walks everyday. and the yelping is very very distracting...im scared the neighbors will complain!!
i just want him to grow out of the hyperactive phase
...hopefully it wont be too long!!
i just want him to grow out of the hyperactive phase
...hopefully it wont be too long!!A pup that age shld go out every hour, & after naps/play. Also leashing him to you is another good idea, so you can closely watch and learn his signals, sniffing, circling, etc. Are you giving him plenty of chew toys, & a stuffed Kong to occupy himself when you are busy? Pups are alot of hard work. When I got my boy last Jun the thing that surprised me most was how much my neck hurt from always looking down at him. He just turned One and he still has tons of energy. Do not expect energy to decrease in 6 mo or even a year. You will get used to it. It's all so new now. Don't neuter too soon, or too late, 6 mo sounds about right. Some people say neutering too early will keep pup immature, others say its bunk.
Are there other family members who can play with him, or some neighbors/anybody? Taking pup on errands tires them out too. Socialization is very important, take him where ever you go when possible. They must get used to being around people, different sounds, smells, etc.
Its one day at a time, but it will go fast. Animals come into our lives for a reason. Embrace and enjoy!
Are there other family members who can play with him, or some neighbors/anybody? Taking pup on errands tires them out too. Socialization is very important, take him where ever you go when possible. They must get used to being around people, different sounds, smells, etc.
Its one day at a time, but it will go fast. Animals come into our lives for a reason. Embrace and enjoy!
-
DannyboyStephjoy's OES
- Posts: 13
- Joined: Fri Mar 06, 2009 7:23 pm
- Location: Virginia USA
OMG! 
YES! A puppy is EXHAUSTING!!!!!! 
I was shocked as all get out as well! I had NO idea that a puppy would be soooooooooo different then kittens! My puppy is now five months old and I'm finally relaxing a bit. The potty training is mostly done (I say while holding my breath) and the biting has eased off a bit. She's learned sit, stay, down, off, give me five, let's go, back up and this week relax. I have to say it was grueling doing all the training (not that I'm near done 
) but now that she has some commands under her belt it is easier.
My suggestions: Do puppy class. Buy A LOT of kongs and appropriate puppy/chew toys. Make sure the puppy gets enough sleep and exercise. A tired puppy is good puppy (within reason).
Repeat after me: "I will survive!"
YES! A puppy is EXHAUSTING!!!!!! I was shocked as all get out as well! I had NO idea that a puppy would be soooooooooo different then kittens!
My puppy is now five months old and I'm finally relaxing a bit. The potty training is mostly done (I say while holding my breath) and the biting has eased off a bit. She's learned sit, stay, down, off, give me five, let's go, back up and this week relax. I have to say it was grueling doing all the training (not that I'm near done ) but now that she has some commands under her belt it is easier. My suggestions: Do puppy class. Buy A LOT of kongs and appropriate puppy/chew toys. Make sure the puppy gets enough sleep and exercise. A tired puppy is good puppy (within reason).
Repeat after me: "I will survive!"
We have one puppy OES named Chiquita and two cats!
Totally normal - as are the feelings of 'omg what HAVE i done' and 'i cant cope with this....' etc etc.
I actually wouldnt crate him ALL that time, but do try to make sure hes in the same room as you when he isnt crated so you can see whats going on.
Crate when you are too busy to have at least one eye on him (so cooking, in the shower, asleep) - the rest of the time be ready to drop everything and whisk him outside to toilet, distract him from eating something that isnt food with an appropriate toy etc.
Crating for too long will likely cause problems, puppies need to be busy and learning as they learn best right now. If they spend this crucial time, learning that being crated is boring and that shredding things and yelling their heads off works.... its a very difficult thing to eradicate later.
For the next few months you WILL feel like you need eyes in the back of your head, like every other word you say is something like 'nooooooo' or 'arrrrrrgh' but that goes away in the end, I promise! Then you get to look back and marvel at how you coped and didnt turn the puppy into a furry rug!
Can you tell.... I have got a puppy at the moment! Mines 5 months old now and hes a super smart little devil! Into everything and with buckets of confidence, and he is losing his baby teeth so he is chewing everything in sight!
Puppies need little in the way of organised 'walkies' type physical exercise and this can be counter productive, resulting in an overactive mind but a tired body.
Instead, tire out his mind (and a cockapoo might be a small cute lil thing but believe me, both parent breeds are sharp, smart, clever little dogs with incredibly quick minds! Do not underestimate him just because hes small and fluffy!)....
Take him out three or four times a day just for ten minutes at a time, a little bit of walking on the lead nicely, and a whole lot of seeing the sights, learning that traffic, a whole range of people, pushchairs, prams, scooters, kids on skateboards, rattley trashcans, people in funny hats, bicycles..... everything a dog could possibly meet in this world ... all these things need to be encountered and associated with pleasant times and plenty of rewards.
At home, start training him to sit, come, down, wait..... now! On top of teaching him that biting peoples skin hard is not a rewarding thing to do, and that toiletting outside is incredibly rewarding, he is MORE than capable of learning most of the obedience things right now. (Not retrieves over jumps or really looooooooong complicated routines, but sit, stay, wait, recall, down, off, fetch, leave, give....)
Thats plenty to pack out his day done in little 3 minute (or less) sessions with a clicker and some tasty treats.
For further puppy occupying things, plenty of toys of varying textures and materials, and food that requires actual work - big raw meaty bones, large whole vegetables that he can rip into and shred up, kong toys filled with some of his meal rations...
So with all that added in - he shouldnt be spending much time in the crate at all and that time he DOES spend in the crate he will be flat out asleep!
I actually wouldnt crate him ALL that time, but do try to make sure hes in the same room as you when he isnt crated so you can see whats going on.
Crate when you are too busy to have at least one eye on him (so cooking, in the shower, asleep) - the rest of the time be ready to drop everything and whisk him outside to toilet, distract him from eating something that isnt food with an appropriate toy etc.
Crating for too long will likely cause problems, puppies need to be busy and learning as they learn best right now. If they spend this crucial time, learning that being crated is boring and that shredding things and yelling their heads off works.... its a very difficult thing to eradicate later.
For the next few months you WILL feel like you need eyes in the back of your head, like every other word you say is something like 'nooooooo' or 'arrrrrrgh' but that goes away in the end, I promise! Then you get to look back and marvel at how you coped and didnt turn the puppy into a furry rug!
Can you tell.... I have got a puppy at the moment! Mines 5 months old now and hes a super smart little devil! Into everything and with buckets of confidence, and he is losing his baby teeth so he is chewing everything in sight!
Puppies need little in the way of organised 'walkies' type physical exercise and this can be counter productive, resulting in an overactive mind but a tired body.
Instead, tire out his mind (and a cockapoo might be a small cute lil thing but believe me, both parent breeds are sharp, smart, clever little dogs with incredibly quick minds! Do not underestimate him just because hes small and fluffy!)....
Take him out three or four times a day just for ten minutes at a time, a little bit of walking on the lead nicely, and a whole lot of seeing the sights, learning that traffic, a whole range of people, pushchairs, prams, scooters, kids on skateboards, rattley trashcans, people in funny hats, bicycles..... everything a dog could possibly meet in this world ... all these things need to be encountered and associated with pleasant times and plenty of rewards.
At home, start training him to sit, come, down, wait..... now! On top of teaching him that biting peoples skin hard is not a rewarding thing to do, and that toiletting outside is incredibly rewarding, he is MORE than capable of learning most of the obedience things right now. (Not retrieves over jumps or really looooooooong complicated routines, but sit, stay, wait, recall, down, off, fetch, leave, give....)
Thats plenty to pack out his day done in little 3 minute (or less) sessions with a clicker and some tasty treats.
For further puppy occupying things, plenty of toys of varying textures and materials, and food that requires actual work - big raw meaty bones, large whole vegetables that he can rip into and shred up, kong toys filled with some of his meal rations...
So with all that added in - he shouldnt be spending much time in the crate at all and that time he DOES spend in the crate he will be flat out asleep!
Re: my new pup is driving me nuts
Puppies are busy. They also need more than 10-15 minutes of play. I would take him out of his crate and outside immediately. (go with him) If he pees he then gets playtime. If not, pop him back in the crate for five minutes and try again. You can tether him to you so he is not out of your sight (clip his leash to your belt-loop) Keep a journal of his potty habits, to help you know when he needs out and what his progress is. As he gets older, you can give him more freedom, but I'd still close bedroom doors and use baby gates to keep him close. You don't say how old he is, but as soon as he's safely vaccinated, I'd be looking for a good positive puppy class. Mental exercise and learning self control are your best friends.shravya wrote:im a first time dog owner and ive had my new cockapoo puppy for about a week...n hes actually very good..hes learnt to poo outside already n im crating him so hes slowly learning to pee outside as well, but i want to know is it normal for new puppy owners to feel so worn out??n once he gets older will h e calm down a little bit?like if i get him neutered will he calm down a lil n not go so berserk on me??hes got so much energy that even after i walk him for a hour hes jumping all over the place..i didnt wanna crate him too long but all the trainers i spoke to said i should till he learns to pee outside n i shud just go about my usual business n play with him for 10-15 mins at my convenience..apart from his walks twice a day...but i feel so guilty abt leaving him alone in his crate...n im so tired if i spend too much time with him..yesterday i even thot i should give him away..but i love him n dont want to... if his hyperactivity is gonna last more than a few months ill go mad!!!!!! i would like to just let him stay with me while i go about my work but if i do that hes gonna pee all over my carpet...i want to be able to let him have free run of the house but i dont know how...im tired all the time as hes wearing me out!!please help!!!!!!
Sandy in OK
www.positivelycanine.com
www.positivelycanine.com
Puppies like children need the right type of exercise for their bones and muscles to develop properly, they can't do that if they are in a crate, he needs to spend a lot more time out of the crate so he can run and play. You can keep him in the same room as you to watch him. This running and playing will help tire him out so he can then go in his crate to sleep were he is safe and you can get things done.
At 15 weeks old he isn't developed enough for long walks, several very short walks to teach him how to walk and behave on a lead is enough at his age. It will also help him see new things which is important at this age.
There are lots of things you can do in the house with him, make them fun especially recall, get it now and it will stay with him.
At 15 weeks old he isn't developed enough for long walks, several very short walks to teach him how to walk and behave on a lead is enough at his age. It will also help him see new things which is important at this age.
There are lots of things you can do in the house with him, make them fun especially recall, get it now and it will stay with him.
[url=http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v312/Nethertumbleweed/PIXIE.jpg][img]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v312/Nethertumbleweed/th_PIXIE.jpg[/img][/url]
-
Nipper's Mum
- Posts: 6
- Joined: Wed Apr 15, 2009 9:39 pm
I know I'm relatively new but I also have a 12 week old pup and like you, at first I wondered what I had done. It was and still can be exhausting. Nipper has been with us just over 3 weeks and it's amazing how muc he has changed since then. As someone said earlier, they are like babies but grow up a lot faster. Nipper is so much more confident than when he first arrived. I never crated Nipper at all and now I only do so at night and other times when I am just too busy to watch him. However, his house training is coming on fine and he's learned 'come, stay, leave' and I play with him throughout the day when I am able to. The rest of the time when I can keep an eye on him, I leave him to explore. This has been great because he's expanded his experience of the world and his confidence has grown. He's just so lovely and I'm lucky he does not bark at strangers or the door bell, is now quiet at night too. He's just a lovely inquisitive young pup and I am sure with time you will notice the same thing happening with your pup. Good luck!