.com Forum · Real Show Dogs

I love my puppy and he is the best thing that has happened to me this year, but I'm absolutely losing my mind because he keeps eating everything, biting me, destroying things, crying in the mornings, peeing everywhere...it's running me ragged and I want to curl up and sob. I know it'll be worth it when he is trained and adult but he is making me crazy. Can anyone offer advice of how I should handle him and train him better? How do you survive the destructive puppy stage???

Do you crate train him?

I like to think of puppies as unruly toddlers. They need 100% of your attention when they're out. You're busy either keeping them out of trouble or cleaning up after their messes.
Also, they go, go, go until they can't go any more. and then they still try! which results in a grumpy puppy who forgets all manners.

I use crates to help keep them contained when I can't give 100% of my attention and to give them a safe place to nap when they're tired and grumpy.

Crate train, crate train, crate train. All of our dogs are crate trained (or room trained when it comes to the IWs), it is their safe place, not a punishment.

Also, look up Say Yes dog training, there are some videos on youtube. We are doing that with our girls and their behavior is much different since starting that.

I'm trying to crate train him. I put him in there when I'm not home and when I can't watch him (say, if I'm in the shower). He likes it in there which is good...but I don't want to put him in there a lot because I don't want him to hate it.

Crate train! Depending on his age, a puppy will sleep up to 18 hours, and all his crate time doesn't have to be sleeping- find safe toys (kongs with peanut butter, compressed rawhide,nylabone etc) that you can leave in there with him.

My dogs love their crate and spent a good deal of time in there as puppies, my 9mo lab still spends her unsupervised time in the crate because she is not above chewing up a shoe still.

When you take them out, outside and then play time! and a cookie always for now when they go into the crate ( you can wean off this once you feel like he enjoys being in his "room"

"No bite" when he bites you, some people don't believe in it, but mine always got a pop on the nose when they bite- and that stage doesn't last very long around here.

I didn't address peeing everywhere- that will improve with crate training too!
Outside immediately after coming out of kennel, outside before going in kennel, outside right before someone new comes over, outside as soon as theyre done eating, outside 15-20 minutes after they've ate, outside about 15-20 minutes after they drink.... in other words-- outside all the times!

Love Kongs. We fill with peanut butter, canned food, plain yogurt, cottage cheese, etc and freeze them.

I also do a pop on the nose or push my hand back further into the dogs mouth when they bite-'it becomes uncomfortable for them when they bite. They then choose to take their mouth off the hand.

Using the crate for showers and when you're gone is great, but he needs naps too! He's just a baby and needs time to recover. Positive reinforcement with the crate along with a new bone or kong and he won't mind hanging out or sleeping for an hour or two.

Ours get special things in the crate that are not given otherwise. They get their kongs filled with something really yummy, or a bone that they wouldn't get normally, usually a hoof or a femur or something along those lines.

Ours don't go outside like Dead Until Dark described, but our girls are much different and each dog is individual.

Biting around here doesn't work and we are actually struggling a bit with our girls on this subject. We say "No Bite" followed by a pop on the nose if they do not stop. Now, they are allowed to 'mouth' which is just resting their mouth on us, but they are not allowed to put any pressure down.

On top of crate training and the already mentioned great suggestions, you might also try tethering him to you when he is out of the crate (as described in the book The Art of Raising a Puppy). That way, he is with you as you go about your household chores and if he does have an accident, it can be corrected immediately (i.e. pick up puppy and walk him outside to finish his business.) As you probably already know, puppy should never have freedom to explore the home as he pleases.

Consistency and patience are key. With patience and the investment of consistent training in the first few months, it will pay off later on.

Can't fault the advice given. I'd just like to add "Be Observant" - if you can't watch the pup 100% of the time he's out of his crate and awake he will get up to mischief! That's what puppies do. Watch him, watch him, watch him. Learn to recognise the signs (sniffing/circling/rushing from spot to spot) which signal the need for pee or poo. Use puppy pads or newspaper, confine to one room (the room you are in, don't let him wander the house at large). If you can't watch him (ie you are in the bathroom, on the phone, cooking, doing laundry, working, then give him a 'crate only' treat and put him away, failing a crate try and get a playpen or puppy run to pop him in.

I hear what you're saying about crate toys. I wonder if it will work because my pup tends to drag stuff out of the crate once I stick it in there for him.

The other dog we got who is 3 years old, won't go out in the backyard and pee or poo. He will only go when we walk him, which is obviously not always possible and it won't be possible for us to walk him in the winter...He doesn't do anything in the house which is remarkable because he's able to hold it for so long, but I honestly can't figure out how to get him to pee outside!

Crate toys are not allowed of the crate. You make the rules. The toy/treat goes in when he does and when he comes out, the toy is removed. Simple as that.

lol My youngest is 16 weeks, 8 weeks of hard work with him but I still don't dare take my eyes off him for a second. He will sleep in a crate at night but won't go in one during the day because annoyingly I managed to be very ill just after I got him, so he spent a lot of time with me and didn't get used to being left - this is the next thing to work on!

I also walk him, I don't follow the current fad for not exercising pups, since I've reared countless pups to old age and never had joint problems - so if he gets his run he is reasonable the rest of the day, if not, he is the puppy from hell.

However that is exactly what I expected so it doesn't bother me, I just pick up the pieces and try and find places to put things where he can't get at them - he's had the computer cables three times though - twice when I thought he was asleep - I think he chews in his sleep!

He does bite me like crazy but I don't take much notice really because I'm used to working pups that you want to bite - so I'm often walking about with a puppy attached to me like a frantic croc!

Just enjoy the puppy stage - in retrospect it is all too short and in ten years time you will give anything to have it back!

^^^ I have to agree on that last part. As stressful and hard as the puppy stage is (my girls are 18 months and still very puppy) it's a short part of their life, one you will miss dearly as their face turns gray and they start to walk a little slower. So as hard as it is and as crazy as it can turn you, take a step back and breathe. It will all be ok, have patience, and remember, it's a very small portion of their lives and yours.

I love puppies...I just wish he was less rowdy. Hr hasn't peed inside for a while though!! And he has been going to th door to scratch to go out

Make sure that you are giving him plenty of positive reinforcement for the things you do want him to do. You should be giving him way more positive reinforcement for good things, than negative reinforcement for the bad things. If he does something you don't like, redirect him to a good thing (either an appropriate chew toy, a behavior that you want instead, etc) and reinforce that instead of strictly punishing what you don't want. Most puppies really have no idea what is correct behavior, and being told "no" all the time can increase their frustration (and yours!)

exercising the pup-or at least giving him an opportunity to burn some energy in a safe location-will help. Give him time to be a puppy and encourage his exuberance when appropriate, then teach him how to be calm when that is appropriate. I like to teach puppies a bunch of active behaviors like spin, back up, go to a target, etc for those times when they can't sit still-I will cue several active behaviors, then ask for a short stay, and release to more active behaviors. Eventually the puppy can do longer stays in proportion to the active behaviors. Plus the more tricks you teach, the more the pup is using his brain which wears them out. If you can't teach tricks, use a puzzle feeder or treat ball to keep him busy in a crate or Xpen when you can't directly supervise.

Understand! We have a 12 week old here and she is so full of herself. Absolutely crate train and those special crate toys like kongs are just for the crate.

Also, to tire out a puppy, you need to exercise their brain. Sit, down, touch, leave it - all good basic puppy skills that they can learn and practice right away. They are like little sponges when it comes to learning. Check YouTube for some exceptional puppy training videos.

And make sure you're having fun... A new puppy in the house is amazing - take time to enjoy!

Kathy

I feel your pain. I just added an 8mo smooth fox puppy to my house full of 4 chihuahuas and 2 dachshund mixes.

I fully endorse the use of a crate. Puppies are heathens.