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If it makes you feel better I have admitted here before that when Jazz was a puppy there were times I really did not like her and days I was not in a hurry to get home from work to see what she had accomplished while I was gone. She was a devil puppy,and was on the go all day.The only time she slept was at night but during the day it was non stop energy. IF I took her out and exercised her for long periods in hopes of her sleeping it never worked as we would get home and she would look at me " what now? Maybe 5 hours of non-stop fetch?" She had a lot of issues and was way too smart so she was the most difficult puppy I had ever met ( good thing she was so darn cute!) She did grow up and she is known as the queen. Despite the horrible puppy years she is my all time favorite dog and a dog I consider a once in a life time dog as she is very special I would not trade her for a million dollars. She and I have a very close bond as she can read me so well. She is 14 now and I find myself thinking where did all those years go, how can my devil puppy be 14?
So it will get better then your complaint will be that the years have passed too fast. So as hard as it may be at times try to enjoy these puppy days as they go too fast then are gone forever.
I remember calling my MIL and asking her how people survive having kids.
Bear and Angel was always up to something.
Then they got so they would come and "tell" on each other.
Now that they are grown, they are great to be around.
Last fall I was vacuum packing some venison when the neighbor call crying she thought a water pipe broke under her house.
I ran out the door and the meat was still sitting on the floor in tubs.
When I came back in about an hour, it was still there. Just as I left it.
Wow, that is impressive. Venison is a huge temptation for dogs. Mine would try to eat the deer before I got it off the back of the vehicle! That venison smell always brought out the primitive dog in them.
Back to the OP. You have a puppy with lots of energy. It will pass easier with lots of exercise and some basic obedience instruction. Look at the challenging times as an opportunity to teach your pup the behavior you prefer.
This puppy phase will definitely pass. Jett, who is about 5 1/2 months, is busy trying to chew everything that isn't his toy. Frustrates the heck out of us too. I agree with trying to tire them out as much as possible.
Thus the phrase "let sleeping dogs lie"... I love it when my puppy (well, she's around 1 year old) sleeps. When she's revved up, she can be a real pain in the..... But she is calming down, and I do what I can to wear her out. The best thing for that is playing with other dogs.
I think most people who have raised a puppy have felt the way you feel at times....puppies have so much energy it can be exasperating. And for you it's like having a little toddler around. Hang in there, you can do it!
I guess a lot of it has to do with the fact that I wasn't expecting to have a puppy. I feel like we're both going through the "learning curve". LOL At the end of the day, he truly is a light in my life. It just gets me when I get mad at him, and he goes under the bed, turns around, and peeks out with that cute little puppy face.
I mean, how do you resist a face like this? (He's a bit bigger now, this was taken several weeks ago, but the cute little face is just the same )
yes indeed that is a cute face!! IMHO puppies are cute for a reason. Like Dash said, when Bella was a puppy, wait, she still is a puppy. OK when she was a little puppy there were times that I didn't like her much either. I even thought about calling the breeder to take her back. Then I would remind myself that she was just a baby/toddler and it would get better.
My kids pick on me because when they visit I always say, "See, she is getting better". She is now 11 months and truely IS getting better.
Puppies take a lot of time and patience but it will get better. LOL
I don't know any dog owner who hasn't gone through periods of frustration. You don't love them any less, there's nothing to feel guilty about and you aren't hurting that dog in any way. So take it easy on yourself. I have several dogs and one I have a nickname for I can't type here and he'll look at me and I'll say, 'Keep it up mister and it's back to the pound for you.' I would never take him back - are you kidding me. But we all go through things from time to time. I do heartiily agree with the poster who stated not to use the crate as punishment. That is the one thing I would change.
Again, to be clear, I do not use the crate as punishment. When this bed escapade the other night didn't work out, I put him into the crate with the same kind tones and peanut butter Kong that I do every night.
When he gets to the point that I can't deal with him, I do put him in the crate, but it's never a question of forcing him in, or yelling.
Anyway, just wanted to clear that one up.
ETA: Like, just now, he was getting crazy going after the cats. After about 25 minutes of chasing him around and correcting him, I decided that it was "crate time" (as it's too soon for his evening walk at the moment). Happy puppy in the crate with his Kong.
Jazz loves her crate and it has always been her safe place. She will go get in it anytime she sees me getting ready to leave as the door is off it so she can come and go as she wants. Like you during her puppy years when she got too wild and crazy I would toss treats or her stuffed cone in the crate and tell her time out and put her in the crate for an hour or two and even if she did not sleep she was quiet and came out much more relaxed.
When we visited my parent's house and she and their dog Henry then young too got too wild and barked alot I would say " Party time!". Then lead them to the bathroom and close them both in it for 10-15 minutes then let them out and they would be so much more relaxed. It got to where all one had to say was " Party time!" and they both would stop and March to the bathroom on their own and go in and hang out until they were released, despite the door being open and no one following them to make sure they went! When I got Dash, never one to miss a party as I am sure he thought Party's have food, anytime I said Party time he too would race into the bathroom and wait for the other two despite the fact I had never had to put him in there. He just did not want to be left out of a party
I myself think that time out or rest periods in a crate teaches a dog to relax and is necessary with most of the herding dogs. So many people try to keep them on the go and try to tire them out but never teach them it is oK to relax. They then get upset because as adults they are always bothering them wanting acitivity, they just can not settle down so teaching them to take a time out is a very good thing.
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