Are you all ALWAYS happy with your dogs???

[Sandy]

I feel like such a loser right now. I love Toby, but some days I just want my pre-puppy life back. I am alone with him from about 7:30 a.m., when everyone else goes to work or school, until about 5 p.m. until they start coming home again. Toby is 11 weeks old, so I have to deal with being nipped, cleaning up pee on the floor (one or two accidents a day), playing, walking etc. I don't have any resemblance of my life before the puppy at all. When, oh when, might I have some light at the end of the tunnel? I have a crate and I do use it, but he certainly can't be in there all day. He behaves so much better for my husband than he does for me. I feel like bursting into tears. I have received such support from this board - can someone give me a glimmer of hope??

[Dori]

I have very limited experience, but remember similar struggles to yours. For the first month we were asking ourselves - what have we done? Then at about 4 months he was deep into our hearts. Getting over the housbreaking thing was the biggest hurdle. We had him crated at nighttime up until he got neutered and then couldn't fit in the crate with his cone - he has slept in the open in our room since and has been fine. There are times still (he is a year old) when he is in hyper phase and I am in my quiet time phase that I go a tad nuts too - but that usually passes pretty quickly! Good luck - for me - I can offer much more than a glimmer of hope - more like sunbeams!

[GBK]

It will Pass Sandy!!!! My mantra with Buddy was, he is just a puppy, he is just a puppy. At times I cursed the breeder thinking she gave me the monster of the litter. Remember you are laying the ground work for the rest of your lives together and it only gets better, really. I now have to remind hubby what a shark Buddy used to be and how he was so nonstop. One day it just all falls into place if you start good solid training and give Toby lot's and lot's of love. When I would get home from work after hubby, he would look like a truck ran over him and tell me it was more work than a human baby. LOL

I have to say the perfect dog emerged by two years, but it got better each month. We have such funny memories of the horror times though: snapping, chewing the stucco off the house, ripping the carpet, stealing anything he could get his teeth around, hole digging, dry wall holes in the house, and he did not want cuddling no way no how. I wouldn't trade him for the world and I bet you will think back the same way on Toby :) Vent away here, puppies are a lot of work and it can get soooo frustrating. We can all relate.....

[Lynne Fowler-Oodles of Doodles]

Sandy, it does get better. When I added my third, for about a month, there were times when I thought, OMG why did I do this. Three dogs really put me over the top. And he needed to be socialized and taught and watched all the time. But on days when I thought I just couldn't do this anymore, he would do something amazing or cute or be so good that I'd go another day. Then another, then another, until he learned the rules and how to behave. Things will get better. He will grow up and believe it or not, you will miss the puppy...someday.

[Sandy]

I wouldn't miss the puppy today.....just took him on a stomping walk around the block. I walked like I meant it, and I think he understands that I was not happy. I didn't pull him, but I didn't let him "stop to smell the roses" either. Now he is sleeping. And if he knows what is good for him he won't bite me again tonight either.

[Eva (Lilo and Rocky)]

There is hope! Your dog will grow and life will get back to somewhat normal. Having a puppy is like having a baby. Your puppy is totally dependent on you, and relies on you for all his basic needs. I suspect he sees your husband as more of a playmate rather than a mommy / pack leader figure.

I recommend hiring a dog walker/sitter if you can afford it. Maybe one of your neighbors has a teenager who loves dogs? Having someone else take your pup out will give you some much needed non-dog time where you can reload your batteries, and get things done around the house. Much like having your mother in law come over and take the baby for a walk in the stroller for an hour ;) The key to getting some peace and quiet is to tire out your dog; since he's still very young, you'll have to take him for short walks and gradually increase / adapt his exercise schedule to match your schedule and his physical needs. If he's high energy, he'll need more exercise. Right now, he probably has shorter and more frequent bursts of energy, so you'll need to "nap when he does", just like a real baby. When he gets bigger, he can go for longer walks and will sleep more in between his awake time. And, soon he'll be potty trained and you won't have to watch him every second!

Good luck - I hope you work things out, and don't get too frustrated. We've all been there, so I totally sympathize with you!

[Sandy]

He starts puppy classes November 7. Right now, while I was washing the floor, he peed on it. It's like he knows how to do it, and is determined to get on my last nerve. I need for it to be bedtime, or bathtime or something really, really, soon.

[Sandy]

He has been peeing on ceramic and linoleum (which I clean with Windex after a pee) - I don't currently allow him on carpet, except for in the evenings, when he's dozy. Then he comes down, heavily supervised, to the rec room. He's taken out for hourly pees then. We put him down at 11, when we go to bed, because his crate is in our room, and he's only 11 weeks old. If we put him down earlier he won't sleep all night. After his forced walk at 8 o'clock, he's been licking me all night, which is unusual for him. He usually comes in teeth first. Not viciously, but it's still not funny. If he showed me more love, it would be easy to deal with the naughtiness....

[Sandy]

Why didn't I think of that? I knew Windex smelled like Ammonia, and for some reason thought that would be a deterrent. Stupid. I'm in a puppy brain fog. It have something called Out! Stain and Odor Remover. I think I'll use that instead of Windex. And the Out! smells good too.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Nature's Miracle is what I have been using for 20 years. It is fool-proof. Even though you don't have to worry about carpeting, it will also get down into the grout of the tile floors. It is completely free of harmful chemicals and has no odor, and it will remove all traces of urine odor so that even the dog can't smell them!

[Deb, Connor & Simon]

Sandy, when you feel like you're gonna explode....take him out to pee, then put him in his crate and go to the mall for an hour. Just walk around, look at stuff, get a hot chocolate and a cookie, whatever helps you relax. If you have a porch or a deck that's enclosed, get a tennis ball or a squeaky toy and play catch/fetch with him. If he doesn't fetch it, it's okay...it will just give you some fun time with him. You can start working on things like "bring it" or "sit' using the toy as the reward. Be gentle and fun with him. He will respond positively. On his bad days, look for things that he has done right and tell him he's a good boy. Once he's finished his shots, get into a beginners/puppy class - it will be great for you both! Connor is a year old and we still have an occassional crazy day, but he is just a furry ray of sunshine most of the time. He is far from perfect, but oh so much better than his wild behavior when he came to live with us. I wouldn't trade him for the world. Things WILL get better, honest. :-)

[Sandy]

Thanks for those words. Your doodle was a handful? There's hope? I just need to "feel the love" from Toby. I do praise him, and he does do things right. It just gets overwhelming at times. This board is amazing, and truly a fabulous support.

[1qrgkdwnfqccb]

sandy,
we just got our second doodle several weeks ago, and with a new puppy and one that is a little over a year it does get crazy! they wrestle and romp and bite and growl...it gets to be an all out zoo here!!
we also have 3 kids (i too stay at home all day...only i have a 3 yr. old helper) a cat and a house bunny! but i have found that this breed of dog can sense your feelings...when i am sad izzy (the older or the 2) is there to comfort me with a doodle smile and a waggy tail, when i am happy she is by side enjoying my bliss and when i am stressed at all the chaos in my house she tends to go lay down. you will come to learn that this breed of dogs a phenomenal! they are sooo smart and i am sure toby is sensing the tension you are feeling! so take a deep breath and love him to death things will get better!! i promise : )

and i can't tell you many puddles & squishy piles of poo i have stepped or almost stepped in! i happens to all of us!! and the way i look at it is....it takes 3 seconds of my day to clean it up....and for me, it is better than changing diapers!! lol lol!!

love him, hug him, reward him and he will give it back to you!
and remember he is only a baby that is looking to you for guidance!!

and last of all HAVE FUN!!! they are a blast!!!