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My husband and I adopted a shelter puppy, Maggie, in late November. She is some where between 6-8 months now. She is part Border Terrier and part we don't know (legs and coat look like a Golden) - about 22 lbs. This is not our first dog. We had a border terrier from 12 weeks until we lost her in December 2015. While our first dog was active when she was a puppy - she did tire out and rest. Maggie never stops. She is getting plenty of exercise, play, and brain stimulation, but from the moment we get up in the morning (4:45 am - she wakes me up licking me), until I leave for work (9:15 am), she does not stop. Then from the time we get home (4 pm) until bed (9:30 pm), she does not stop - like literally does not stop. Here is our routine:
4:45 - 4:50 - pee/poop
4:50- 5:30 - walk
5:30 - 6:00 - play (tug, fetch etc)
6:00 - 6:15 - train (she has been to and passed with flying colors beginner obedience school)
6:15 - 7 am - she eats using dog puzzles
7 am - 7:30 - humans try to eat - but difficult because Maggie is engaging in pulling rugs, and other assorted things she shouldn't. She occasionally will chew on her bone while we eat
7:30 - 8:00 - more play
8 - 9:00 - I attempt to get dressed - more often than not she has to go in the crate so she won't destroy my house
9:00 - pee
9:15 - crate (no separation anxiety at all - goes willingly into crate, and is asleep when we get home) If we are going to get home later than 4:15, I have a neighbor let her at midday for a potty break.
4:15 pm - I get home and take her to pee and poop
4:30 - 5:00 - another walk
5 - 5:45 - play
5:45 - 6 pm - train (we are working on longer stay and leave it. She will start intermediate training in March)
6 - 6:45 - she eats using dog puzzles
7 pm - 7:30 - Humans eat - Maggie gets a kong
7:30 - 9 pm - humans attempting to get Maggie to settle down. If we put her on the leash, she usually crashes around 8:45 pm
9 pm - bed - Maggie sleeps in the room with us. She starts on the bed, but can never settle down for a long time and moves to under the bed, back up on the bed, back under the bed about every hour ALL night long!
On the weekends, same routine, but we are home - but she usually settles down and sleeps from about 9 am - until noon. We take her out then, and she usually rests until about 3 pm. Then its full steam until bedtime - without stopping.
We are in this for the long haul, but we have to figure out how to help her settle down. Please do not say she needs more exercise or brain stimulation or that's she bored. She has our attention every.single.moment that we are awake and at home. We can't keep this pace up. Another detail - she is very easily distracted. We can be playing and she just runs under a chair to tear it up or grabs a rug. I am really at my wits end and hope that someone has a great solution other than waiting 3/4 years!
Don't worry, she will settle down a little bit when she gets to be two years old. Right now, that sounds perfectly normal for a 6-8 month old puppy.
She is old enough to be trained to lay down in the corner and be still while you eat. Never ever feed her off of your plate or she will never stop bugging you at mealtimes.
My older dog was like that, and she was 3 years old at the time. She has calmed down significantly now at 6 going to 7 years old. The key was adopting a second dog. Mushu isn't as hyper but she will wrestle with her and keep her occupied. They spent a lot of time watching each other, playing and even chase each other. Pebbles learn very quickly that she gets more rewards when calm by watching Mushu.
Same idea applies to my cats. I adopted a 4 month old when I had my hyper 1 year old cat. They would spend hours chasing, wrestling and investigating the house together every day so my 1 year old was either distracted or tired by the time I get home from work.
I have to agree that in due time she'll settle down. I have a Cattle Dog/Border Collie mix who will be two in May. We had to put our 11 year old down in October and WOW I never realized how much my older dog wore the youngster out!!
It's practically a full time job wearing him down physically and mentally each day. Add to that mix that more or less I am working full time at work, should scale back to PT in a few weeks which will help.
Thought about adding another youngster into the home, but with nearly 3 feet of snow, that's not something I want to try right now.
There is a reason terriers are sometimes called terrorists. But yeah, it takes a while for high energy breeds to settle down into adulthood. My kelpie is just starting to chill out at nearly 3, and the Catahoula has only mellowed at 4.
Crate her at night. And yeah, getting another dog may help with that situation too. My Catahoula became a happier, calmer dog when I got the kelpie. Either that or regular playdates with other dogs or daycare could fix the situation.
Thank you for the feedback. There is no way I could talk my husband into another dog right now. I am going to work on regular play dates with other dog friends. We've actually had a way better 2/3 days. We've scaled it back a little with her and she's been calmer. I'm actually able to have a cup of coffee right now while she is chewing on her bone. This feels like a breakthrough - lol!!!
You leave her in her crate for 7 hours when you go to work? That's just really wrong.
This is a puppy. Puppies behave this way. Jeez. If you wanted a mellow, perfectly trained dog, you should have adopted an older, perfectly trained dog.
Either way, you need to drop this dog off at doggie daycare, where the dog will have exercise and interaction with other dogs and a trainer. No dog, no matter what age, should be stuck in a crate for 7 hours.
Puppies, dogs, children - aren't going to just give you entertainment and comfort on your schedule and whim.
You just really shouldn't have gotten a dog at all, if you expect it to just behave before and after work.
The very best solution for you and the dog, is to take the dog to doggie daycare every day, and pay extra for some training. They should wear the dog out enough so that the dog is mellower in the evening.
And, then take some classes on how to deal with the dog in the mornings.
Or rehome the dog and realize that you guys are just way too busy to have a dog, and give the dog a good life in a home where people have more time for it.
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