A bit upset

[Lucid]

Hi guys,

Im really pretty upset at the moment, my partner isnt getting along with our puppy as much as I or he would like to.

He cant stand his barking when he isnt happy about being in his cage or if he is getting hyer around us in the living room and when he wont settle down while he's with us either.

Ive tried to explain to him that its a puppy thing but they just havent managed to bond, so I now feel guilty about having him here because as much as he drives me up the wall at times I really get alot of joy from him as well.

I just dont know where to go with this and was wondering if anyone had any advise?

Thankx
x

 

[bubbatd]

Maybe your pup senses something he doesn't like .

 

[TheGoldenRetriever]

He cant stand his barking when he isnt happy about being in his cage

So who's in the cage, your partner or the puppy? (Sorry ...couldn't resist, just a little levity.) Seriously though ...

a.) When puppy's in his crate is it in an area where he can see and hear you? That usually helps them settle down, they feel less isolated.
b.) Have you tried covering the crate with a blanket? Some puppies settle down better when the crate is darkened.
c.) Have you been taking him out of his crate when he cries .... because it upsets your partner? If so, you have actually been training your puppy that crying gets him out whenever he wants. Instead, your partner needs to do what he can to tune it out ... an MP3 player and headphones works wonders.

or if he is getting hyer around us in the living room and when he wont settle down while he's with us either.

a.) Is puppy getting sufficient exercise so that he's tired when you are ready to settle down? A tired puppy is a behaved puppy.
b.) Again, don't inadvertantly reward for behavior you don't want. If you are jumping up to calm him because your partner is upset then puppy learns that "zoomies" get him special attention.
c.) Most puppies are going to get the "zoomies" from time to time, regardless of what you do. He will calm down as he gets older.

they just havent managed to bond, so I now feel guilty about having him here because as much as he drives me up the wall at times I really get alot of joy from him as well.

They haven't bonded? Did your partner even want a puppy? If so, it sounds like he has unrealistic expectations of puppy-raising .. manyk of these things will pass. Or was it just you that wanted a puppy? Even that was the case .... well, he (your partner) obviously agreed to it at some point so he needs to be more flexible. You're being flexible and reasonable in your expectations ... he can stand to do some of that as well.

Honestly, he (your partner) sounds like he's more the problem than your puppy. His expectations are too rigid, he needs to more realistic that a puppy is a baby ... it's just a baby dog! Puppies grow fast though.

If he can't handle normal puppy behavior for the short time it lasts thend he doesn't ever want to be around human children :yikes: They do annoying and noisy things too. Plus, they grow much slower and they're much harder to train.

 

[bubbatd]

^^^ I agree ! I think that your pup picks up your anxiety .... you're trying to please your BF too much . Is he a live in ??? Which came first , pup or BF ??

 

[grab01]

Hi guys,
I now feel guilty about having him here because as much as he drives me up the wall at times I really get alot of joy from him as well.

Is this a remark about the bf or the puppy?

As others have said, this is a puppy. An infant, really. They aren't born knowing what humans expect of them, and they aren't mind readers. We have to gently and patiently teach them skills we want of them.

Tire the pup out before bedtime and any time you're going to expect him to settle down. Puppies have endless energy.

Keep the crate in a common area, puppies generally don't like to be isolated.

Has your bf had dogs before? Perhaps he could take your puppy to a puppy class. Seeing that these behaviors aren't just specific to YOUR puppy, and that all pups go through some variation of this at some point.

Maybe he could do some of the responsibilities..feeding, walking, etc if he isn't already. Sometimes taking on more responsibility helps the bond.