Calming my puppy down?

[Lucid]

Hi,

My pup is now over 6 months old and Im looking for advice on how to keep him settled in the living room in the evening while we are either having dinner or watching tv.

Today my partner took him out for 2 hours then once I came home from work we took him out for another hour walk then cooked dinner etc, but once we sat down he just wont settle, constantly jumping around trying to either bite, play chew, scare my guinea pig, chew the walls, run around like a loone basicaly..

So how do you guys keep your puppies/dogs entertained or calm, I eventually to get peace have to put him back in his cage which I hate doing but I cant eat without having to get up nearly every min to try settle him down.

Any idea?

xx

 

[bubbatd]

Ahhhhh the joys of puppy hood !!!

 

[Maxy24]

You could try feeding him at the same time as you, giving him a raw meaty bone (in your view), a kong, a buster cube etc. to keep him busy. Don't feel bad about crating, if it's the only thing that works, it keeps you, the pup, the guinea pig and all your possessions safe and sane.

 

[Angelique]

Aw, congratulations on being the proud owner of a little bugger. Mine just turned one year old. :yikes:

Some things to keep in mind which I have found helpful:

1. Remember with pups, like young kids, it's about learning boundaries and self control through the guidence and examples from their social group. Reminders are what this is about when it comes to pups understanding boundaries.

2. Be careful of inadvertant associative (classical) conditioning. Time, place, and who the dog is with can encourage a frame of mind and/or stimulate certain behaviors as a habit or daily ritual.

3. Don't ever reward (especially by giving them food) for hyper behavior while you're having a meal or snack.

4. Keep your "energy" calm and low-key when you want your dog to be calm and low-key. High pitched voices, rapid movements, too much sudden eye-contact with the dog, acting hyper or stressed...will all bring your dog's energy level up.

5. Part of the walk should be structured to where your dog is not allowed in front of you, to make you stop, or change direction by their behavior. This is a working exercise where the dog learns to keep a steady pace under your leadership while ignoring distractions. Depending on the dog and it's age, even starting with 10 minutes of the walk in this mode, can be helpful.

6. Puppies have "zoomies" where they vent excess energy. Remember this if your dog is not getting enough "challenging" exercise. With most dogs the zoomies will pass or lessen with age...he-he, but not always!

7. Mental stimulation and training games both teach commands in a fun way and drain more energy because the dog is having to think. My dogs love Hide & Seek, Find the Cookie, and Circus Dog (where they learn tricks).

 

[lizzybeth727]

I'd suggest crating during dinner, for a 6-month old puppy it's a LOT to ask for him to stay calm and entertained for the 30 minutes straight, especially while you're eating and he knows it'll take you a minute to get up. Besides at the dinner table, though, a lot of dogs just need to be taught to calm down. If you've exercised him for three hours (which, IMO, is not healthy for a growing puppy), he should be ready for a down-stay training session. You can practice this while you're watching tv or doing anything where you're just sitting, just treat him for staying in a down position. If you want you could give him a kong or other chew toy, and treat him for chewing on that since it's a calm behavior.

 

[Angelique]

Good advice, Lizzybeth.

I train to a tether and blanket too. My dogs go with me to work, so it's easier than hauling crates around.

When I use a tether, the dogs are never left alone.

I tell them to lay there and hold down the floor for me.

 

[bubbatd]

I do want to add this , my Chip was " re-homed " to me ( breeder ) as he had so much energy for them . It didn't take me long after re-meeting him and talking to them that they actually were over stimulating him rather than wearing him out . They got home from work and then did balls , Frisbees etc etc and then expected him to lay down and go to sleep . Heck no !!! Goldens want to please and if their people want to play , let's play ! Granted he was 3 years old by then . I've never liked HARD playtime with my dogs from day one . Amongst themselves , fine . I had a man who wanted a Golden , but I had all mine spoken for and he went elsewhere . He called me a year later for advise . His dog was too rough and kept biting at hands . Hmmm .....I had one question . Did he play tug of war with him as a puppy ? Yes, and he wore heavy gloves !!! Pretty d@mn dumb !

 

[Gena]

I'm going to agree with all the others on giving him a tasty chew to enjoy while you are eating. Be sure, though, to make it for that time only. I have what I call a "night night bone" for Pedro. His spaz time is right as we go to bed. He wants to bounce and be all hyper. He's learned that bed time is when he gets his bone and settles in for some chewing instead of being crazy dog.

Also, are you still feeding puppy food? I don't know if this has any basis in science, but I've been told by many people that the extra protein in it can cause pups to have too much energy. I noticed a small difference in Pedro's spaz-dog behavior when I switched him to adult food. I know a lot of people don't ever feed puppy food, especially those with bigger breeds.

When all else fails, remember he is in the middle of adolescence. That wonderful age where your sweet cuddly puppy turns into a raving beast for 6 to 12 months. This too shall pass.

 

[smkie]

I have been looking into t-touch massage and pressure point massage to be used as a calming effort and have been very pleased with the results. Lots to learn there that helps your dog through out the life and doesn't hurt to learn for people too. I looked on utube and searched t-touch for examples to watch and posted the pressure points in my gallery.

 

[ihartgonzo]

You've gotten lots of good advice. : )

You might also want to try out some calming exercises, to get him settled down and let him know when it's time to rest and when it's time to play. Here are some good articles:

http://www.animalfarmfoundation.org/item.php?id=1&topic=26&item=102

http://www.animalfarmfoundation.org/item.php?id=1&topic=26&item=192

http://www.openpaw.org/Pet_Basics/settledown.html

Also, good, long training sessions with plenty of self control exercises will help tire out your puppy mentally and help him wind down.

 

[Lucid]

Sooooo many good answers, thank you all for your help on this...

To lizzybeth, I wasnt aware that 3 hours was to much for a growing pup even though he had it at different times of the day, 2hours in the afternoon, and home to sleep them an hour with me before dinner, Im just working off the advice of helping your dog to keep his energy down at night to make sure he is ready for sleep.

Tonight I'll either crate him or get a rawhide bone, he loves to chew after a walk or to relax him, so I'll try that.

Thankx again
xx

 

[Maxy24]

There are a lot of good ideas here, things I didn't even think of...I think a long walk followed by some massage (long slow calming strokes) before dinner would work wonders, of course if you are cooking you might not be able to do that.

 

[lizzybeth727]

To lizzybeth, I wasnt aware that 3 hours was to much for a growing pup even though he had it at different times of the day, 2hours in the afternoon, and home to sleep them an hour with me before dinner, Im just working off the advice of helping your dog to keep his energy down at night to make sure he is ready for sleep.

I've heard it from many different sources, that you CAN over-exercise a growing puppy, one reason why I suggest to people who want a dog "to go running with" to get an adult dog. Most agility and other dog sport clubs won't let puppies train as long/hard as adult dogs because it could damage their bones and joints. Here's one website with an article about it:

Too Much Exercise May Harm Your Puppy
Forced exercise may not be good for your growing puppy.
Michael Abdella, DVM

Q. I have a 6-month-old female Golden Retriever puppy. My breeder said too much forced exercise, such as running alongside a bicycle, could hurt a puppy's growth plates. What does that mean and when is it safe to run her with a bike?

A. Your breeder is correct; forced exercise is not good. Large-breed puppies less than 1 year old grow rapidly, constantly remodeling bones and joints. To allow for all the changes, the bones and cartilage are soft and contain many blood vessels. This young tissue is resilient but prone to trauma and stress. Cartilage especially has limited regenerative capability and can be damaged by shock associated with excessive exercise. If the damage is not repaired, normal growth is disrupted.

Dogs with inherited conditions such as hip or elbow dysplasia are at higher risk. Their joints are already more unstable than other pups, and damage can accelerate dysplasia and increase its severity. Owners must be vigilant because pups cannot be trusted to limit their own activity and effects may not be seen for some time.

However, don't over-limit your pup's activity. Proper bone and joint development requires a certain amount of activity and stress on connective tissues. Moderation is best. Leash-walking and light jogging are excellent. Avoid heavy or extended activity on inclines and hills. Running with a bike and pulling an owner on in-line skates or a wagon filled with small children are not good ideas.

When your pup is 12 to 14 months old, you may slowlyover two-month periodsincrease activity levels until adult exercise levels are attained. Watch for signs of joint painlimping, abnormal gait or reluctance to exercise.

Found here.

 

[youbetcha1018]

Treats usually work. They will focus much better if they know food is the end result. You can start by teaching him to sit before mealtime. When he sees his foodbowl and realizes that he has to put his bum on the ground to get it, you can start using that to your advantage when trying to teach other things.Take her to obedience class where he can learn to behave and you will have the knowledge to make him obey and behave.