Crazy Bob - Is there an end in sight? When did your's calm down?

[Abby Christos]

Hey everyone,

I'm sure there are a million posts about this, but here's another. Bob is a crazy man 95% of the time. He. will. just. not. sit. down. ever. The only time he lays down for more than 30 seconds is when I'm cooking in the kitchen and he's waiting for food to fall or if he has a rawhide/bully stick. And it's not just the activity. He occasionally darts down the driveway and out to the street. He will not stop for anything. I worry he's going to get hit by a car when he does this! Also, when he gets zoomy, he gets a little aggressive and snarly if I try to put him in his pen to calm down. 

So, I guess I'm looking for a little encouragement here. I'm much more patient with him, but my husband brought up re-homing today. Now, I'll never let him give my baby-dog away but I wish it wouldn't get to that point. I keep telling him to be patient and it's just a rebellious phase. BTW, Bob is a little over 9 months. 

How old was your doodle when he/she finally settled down?

[Rosemary (Ro) and Enzo]

Enzo has just turned 10 months. I guess we are extremely lucky, as she is very laid back. Don't get me wrong, she has her whack-a-doodle moments, but for the most part, she settled down months ago.
The part about him darting down the driveway and out into the street, would certainly scare me. Have you considered some training classes?

[Trevor]

Sepp is 10 months old and very high-energy. We actually like this and picked him because of this trait, as we are very active and take him along all the time. The flip side of this is the occasional craziness :). Age is a big factor, too, of course. We have noticed that exercise (both structured leashed walks and off-leash running around) really makes such a huge difference. Do you have the possibility to have him try daycare? Or take him to a safe off-leash area for an hour at least every day where he can run with other dogs and you can play fun recall games, fetch etc.? Finally, mental games are great, too. I found so many great ideas just by searching online.

Between structured walks, off-leash exercise, mental stimulation (including short obedience sessions), there is not much time left for craziness ;) I heard that even the crazy ones calm down a little by the time they turn 2. Bob is adorable.

[Abby Christos]

Those are great suggestions. I just looked into dog parks near me. Unfortunately they are all 15 minutes away and cost $100 for the year, but I think it might be worth it for him to get some energy out. It just seems like there isn't enough time in the day. Doggy daycare is also a good suggestion. Maybe lll look into some around my work a couple days a week.

[Trevor]

It will be worth it, I am sure! Maybe in the beginning you can go at times when there are not too many dogs around, to get Bob used to the experience.

Others have suggested tennis and baseball courts, which is a great idea.

Is Bob toy- or prey-driven? Sepp is, and when we only have limited time and need to get him tired fast, this is our secret weapon:

http://www.amazon.com/Squishy-Face-Studio-Exercise-36-Inch/dp/B00HF...

It's like a fishing pole with a toy tied to it. We move it around and Sepp chases the toy. It's also excellent to practice "drop", and have him wait before we release him to go after the toy. So, it's really great to get active dogs tired physically and mentally fast.

As others have suggested, another training class might be a good idea, too. Those classes are like a job for active dogs. Plus, they can be a great bonding experience for you guys.

[Laurie, Wally & Charlotte]

Just an FYI about tennis courts -- the surface can abrade their paws.  Grassy areas are much safer for running around.  

[Abby Christos]

We've done training classes with him that ended in December. Maybe we should look into another round.

[Rosemary (Ro) and Enzo]

Have you continued his training since December? I know it is extremely hard to work in everything...but training and structure is very important . More training classes probably couldn't hurt.
Dog parks that charge a fee? Really? Wow! Never heard of that. Is there a DK Group anywhere near you? Maybe you can meet up for some Doodle Romps. Enzo is always exhausted after our meet-ups :)

[Linda, Charlie Brown and Beau]

I didn't see this Abby.  I really think they need a puppy class and then a CGC obedience class if there is one in your area.  Bob is still very young do not give up on him.  Rosemary had a good idea - trying to find other doodle owners in your area.  I hope you can find a solution soon, so that you and your husband can enjoy that boy.  Does your husband have any interest in jogging or just walking Bob too?? 

[Linda, Charlie Brown and Beau]

Hi Abby ~ You did not mention whether you and Bob have attended a training course.  If not, I would certainly start in a beginning obedience asap.  He looks like a smart boy and will learn very quickly given the chance. He is so cute. If he is that active, he needs to be going for a walk twice a day and possible a dog park to play with other dogs.  Is that possible?  Puppy take a lot of work the first year or two, and then it all pays off. 

[Bonnie and Kona]

Doodles require a great deal of exercise. I have seen the adage "a tired doodle is a good doodle". At nine months Bob still canot go running with you, but you need to take him places where he can run until he is ready to stop. When our dogs were young we were fortunate to find a park in our area that was fully fenced. We took the dogs at 6:30 in the morning when it was nearly empty, and the dogs could run and run. Others have mentioned going to a tennis court and having the dog fetch, but one worry is wearing their paws raw with running and stopping on the surface of the court. I really hope you can get your pup lots of exercise. I also highly recommend more training classes. They have to think during class and that is tiring as well as reinforcing what is expected of them. Have you taught him to fetch? If you have any yard at all, fetching can be fun and tiring. I'm sorry you are facing such a difficult time that your DH is considering re-homing. That is so hard. I hope you find a good answer for exercise and training. Best of luck to you. We have one laid-back doodle and one wild and crazy guy. 

[Judy, Meg & Polly Wolly Doodle]

Another spot to consider is a baseball diamond that is fenced in.  Our local one has two openings that the players go through that we have to stand in and block. Even though we have a pretty large yard for our girls when they get there they run like the devil is chasing them.  It only takes them a few minutes of that type of running and they come home and have a good nap.  BTW...remember to take your poop bags, that kind of running makes Polly go potty every time.

[Lucy & AnnaBelle's Mom]

You really need to not let him off leash outside until you get a 100% recall.  I know that is hard, but you don't want him hit.  Someone I know recently had this happen with the Fed Ex truck.  It is a very sad situation.  I have to agree with everyone here.  The more work you put into him, the sooner you are going to see the results you and your DH are looking for.  If he isn't getting a lot of daily off leash exercise, he is never going to calm down.  I'm surprised that he isn't destroying your house.  Here, when they didn't get exercise is when they would get in trouble in the house.  You've got some great ideas here, just put them to use and I think you will see big results quickly.  Also, just a car ride can tire him out.  Take him with you when you run errands.