Luna is home!

[Melissa Hazlip]

So on Sunday we brought Luna home! The breeder had warned us that she has a lot of energy and quite the attitude. But she asked us to trust her and that in two-three months she would calm down and we would end up with the perfect dog.

I DO trust our breeder. She is fantastic and I know she wouldn't give us a dog she didnt think would fit with our family. However, Luna's energy is really overwhelming at times. She is just turning 9 weeks old. Can anyone give me an idea of how many days/weeks/months it takes to start seeing even a little bit of change? I am all in and totally trust my breeder, I just need a little encouragement and maybe tips/tricks and timelines... soo... lots of help :)

I wasnt sure how to post this directly to the "puppy madness" group! So sorry!

[Adrianne Matzkin]

I don't understand where a breeder would get that kind of info. My 3 doodles are at 3 and 4 years old the same as they were when they came home. 

Sounds like Luna needs lots of exercise, try teaching her to play ball and definitely sign her up for Puppy Classes. Chew toys like Kongs that you stuff with some kibble mixed with yogurt should keep her busy when she is in her crate for some quiet time. 

[Julie and Charlie]

Uh, yeah, don't mean to bust the bubble, but Charlie is a 6 month old hell on wheels. No signs of slowing down!

[Thuy & Hops]

Expect MORE energy in the next 3-4 months, instead of less.

[Julie and Charlie]

I don't mean to sound like it's not rewarding, and that he doesn't have his wonderful traits (which far outweigh the bad!!!), it's just that he has a lot of energy, and most likely always will. I now know why he came to my house instead of one with children- he probably would have overwhelmed such a family.

[Maryann,Roo and Tigger]

High energy dogs can really be a handful, but they can also be absolutely wonderful dogs as they grow up.  Will always be energetic though, but very responsive.

Here are a few tips:

Lots of toys all over the house, if you have to get up to reach a toy, you don't have enough.  Slight exageration, but this is a dog who will need something "to do" and needs to learn what is hers and what is MINE.  Good word instead of no -say Mine  with firm no nonsense voice and hand Luna something of hers.

Buy 45-50 feet of rope and three leash end snaps at the hardware store.  Turn this into three long leashes and tie Luna to you or very near you if she is not crated.  Do this for at least the next two months, some do it for six months - take your cue from how well she learns that she must listen to you when you use your "Mom Voice"

Play actively with her if she is awake every hour for five minutes and for five minutes every time before you crate her - ten minutes if you are going to be gone long.

Crate her, crate her, crate her.  Really, I mean it, crate her.  She needs the rest even if she doesn't know it.  If you cannot watch her with her tied to or near you or pen her with you in the bathroom as you get ready, then she needs to be crated.  If she fusses crate her in a room with the door closed or throw a sheet over the crate like you would a parrot. 

Start now on mind games, that is sit, down, come, work the mind in little bits during every playtime.  Working a puppy's mind is very tiring for them.  Teach her fetch, find a toy, find you.

Sign up for lots of classes and practice at least twice a day for 10-15 minutes.

All this is saying make her a part of your new life with a dog.  When you need a break, crate her.  It's more than okay, it's good for both of you.

Sit on the floor to watch tv and play, rub, pet her.  Teach her to relax when she is near you, after she has played.  By this I mean you control the activity.  Just like a child if she starts to get too wound up, settle her, withdraw active play and invite gentle play, then quiet.  If she doesn't get it - you guessed it Crate her.  It won't be long at all until she catches on to settling by you instead of crating if you are consistent.

Your life has changed, you will learn to love it.  It will not be days or weeks or months, it will be for the life of Luna which will be way too short. 

 

 

[BG and Gavin]

This info from Mary Ann is the perfect advice IMO and I agree 100% that this is exactly what you should do.  It works - it really does!

[Jane, Guinness and Murphy]

This is perfect advice!  I found that once they got through the "teenage phase" things got better, but we were doing pretty heavy duty training all throughout this time.  My younger Dood is still high energy but it's manageable with regular training sessions, a long daily hike, a good game of "fetch" and about 45 minutes a day on the treadmill.

[Amy, Cubbie & Ollie]

Congrats on bringing home your puppy, but I would like to warn you that there is NO such thing as a perfect dog.  She is going to probably pee and poop on your floors at some point and I would bet that something other than a dog toy/bone will end up getting chewed.  The only way you are going to get anything close to a "perfect" dog is through LOTS and LOTS of hard work and dedication on your part.  I don't know how old your daughters are, but they will need to be taught how to properly interact with the puppy (especially if your girls are young).  I'm not trying to be a dark cloud of doom and gloom but there is no way any breeder can or should promise someone the perfect dog cuz it just isn't gonna happen like magic.  So my main tip/trick would be to have extreme patience and realize that there is a lot of hard work ahead of you to turn that adorable little pup into the perfect dog for your family.  The puppy madness group will definitely help you get through all the hurdles that you face getting there.

[Ricki and Tara (doodle)]

My breeder said that at 1 1/2 years old Tara would calm down and be the perfect pet. And I have to say it happened almost exactly to the day! She changed so much so quickly that I thought something was wrong with her. Visitors said she behaved like a totally different dog.  But my little girl just grew up!  I'm afraid at 2-3 months old she was still what a referred to as "my coyote puppy" though.  REALLY wild!  During her wild time I kept her on a leash in the house so I could quickly get control of her when she started getting over stimulated. I had an ex-pen with a crate in it where she would go for time outs to calm down before being allowed to rejoin the family. I taught her what "settle" meant-that she was to calm down and relax.

If she has "an attitude" at 9 weeks you will really need to stay on top of training in order to convince her that you are the boss. She may not agree! LOL!  Training and exercise will really contribute to her becoming the dog that you want her to be!  Congratulations on your new family member she is beautiful!!

[Ginny Nightingale]

HaHaHaHa!!!! 2-3 months? Is she kidding??? As you can see from the replies, that is really funny--in 2-3 months she will be just starting her teenage "years" and you will need to be extra attentive to the training!! But, really, it will be fine--you will adjust to her and she will learn from you. The best part is that she is probably as smart as a whip--and once you learn some training techniques, the two of you will make a wonderful team. Just remember to be the one who decides EVERYTHING--she should wait and let you go out the door first, she should work for every treat and her dinner by sitting or shaking "hands" or whatever it is you are teaching her at the moment, etc. She will love to learn!

I had an energetic pup once and learned a lot about how to keep a doodle busy, but now she is almost 6 and she lays around a lot-- luckily I have 2 other doodles and they are younger ;) But I do get sad thinking about how she is getting older and their lives are way too short--I absolutely adore her and hate to think of her slowing down--so enjoy puppy hood!! 

[Stephanie and Jellybean]

Our doodle turned 2 at the beginning of September and is still very high energy. She has had a LOT of training and so have we. It is an ongoing, daily process and I see no end in sight. It is just how it is.  Your puppy will need lots of training, patience and endurance on your part.....and all your love!

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

OMD, guys! We didn't get another Springer Spaniel because he is just too high-energy for our current family situation - BTW he is 9, Melissa, and still excitable.  Now I am afraid to get another doodle for the same reason.  MaryAnn's advice is perfect.

Ned was just what you might think as a puppy - mouthy, tore things up, etc.  He never needed tons of exercise, didn't need to be tethered to anything.  We did crate him when we left and at night, but he took his naps wherever and whenever he wanted. Even being calm, Ned is not perfect. He is a trash digger, counter surfs, and barks.