5 months and crazy

[Shianne Mack]

My puppy is now 5 months old and for some reason he is starting to be extra crazy when left alone. I leave him in my backyard and when I come home (even after only an hour) the whole backyard is a mess. The cushions are off the outside couches, the pillows are everywhere, and since I leave my trash bins in the back he has even gotten into those and shredded up all the garbage. Today I left him inside as I ran to the supermarket real fast (15 minutes gone) and he tore through my couch cushion inside! I am very frustrated and tell him it's not okay, but somehow I feel like he does not take me seriously. He sits in the corner and when I put him in time out he just wags his tail as I scold him. What should I do to let him know this behavior is not acceptable. I exercise him 2 times, sometimes even 3 times a day.

[Susan & Randy's Kate]

Another thing and I have mentioned this before.  Kate had stopped mouthing and jumping until we got the pup.  She thinks she deserves all the attention.  Now we are trying to stop the behaviors again.  Kate and Zoey get along great.  Kate is so patient.  The mouthing I hold her tongue down or push gently back.  The jumping is often from behind.  That seems harder to break.  Anyway, like kids, it takes awhile.  

[Shianne Mack]

Thank you all for the responses! I use to crate him and since he was acting so well I thought maybe it was time to let him out. When I am home he is the sweetest, most well behaved puppy. That is why I thought maybe he was ready for a little freedom. I have 2 other pups, so he is never alone in that sense. But I totally get what everyone is saying. I really should try the crate again. When I sleep I have a baby gate that blocks the whole hallway so he only is confined in a small space. He does very good with that too. I am going to enroll him in some puppy classes so that he gets some more experiences. I do forget that he is still very young, so everyone's responses really made me realize. Thank you everyone again!

[Laura and Angus]

Totally understandable! I felt the same way...and we gave Angus a little freedom and were immediately like, "NOPE!" Haha

[Jessica, Loki and Moose]

It's hard to remember they are so young when they get big so quickly! At least for me it is and they seem so smart so I always forget they are actually little babies

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

  Does he only do things when you leave him alone? I had a dog that did damaging things ONLY when we left him.  He ruined  2 couches and a chair, cushion by cushion, ate molding off walls, scratched doors, ate corners off rugs, etc.  It went beyond puppy destructiveness.  It turned out to be separation anxiety.  He outgrew the damage escapades but not the anxiety.

My other dogs have done damage as puppies, but not as severe and they would do it anytime they could get into things and not in desperation from looking for his human family.  This is typical of puppies.

I would suggest you crate the pup when you have to leave him.