Crazy in the evening!

[Gracie, Jade, & Barkley]

Gracie is not a calm sweet puppy. But, she is a very energetic ball of fur with teeth. Even though we would like her to be a lap pup - she's just not into that! We have really upped our own energy levels to keep up with her. When I say we, I mean me. I'm home with her all day and we work on training and manners continuously. I've come to the realization that this is who Gracie is. She has settled nicely into the schedule we have.
During the day she sleeps, eats, takes daily walks (10-15 min x 3), annoys her big brother, and trains with mom. After her 4 pm meal, she is a different puppy! Usually we have to crate her to get supper prepared and so that we can eat w/o worrying what she is doing. Afterwards, she goes out and comes back in a wild Tasmanian Devil (we are even considering changing her name!)

I feel bad for my husband and son (who is a young adult) that they don't get to see her at her best. I cannot do any training either in the evening because of how high strung she gets - when she becomes an alligator and will not stop biting no matter what. We've tried all sorts of things even letting her chew on us as long as it is not hurtful, but sometimes she just isn't calm enough to trust her to be nice.

She terrorizes Barkley more in the evening and he will give in and play with her a bit until he tires of her. Then he even becomes more agitated at her.
My husband would like to be able to interact with her, but she's so wound that it's no fun for anyone. We do a lot of treat trainig. (Using her dog food) and she's expecting treats because she seems to lunge towards my hand if I ask her to do something.

The evening is when we just want to wind down - but she is winding up! We would like to be able to spend a little time with her in the evenings without being attacked by a furry alligator Tazmanian Devil hybrid. ;)

[Leslie, Yogi & Maci Bear]

Sounds like she is definitely not getting enough exercise during the day. Can you take longer walks?

[Cindy and Olive (Ollie)]

I agree about exercise, however playing fetch, and even better - puppy play dates, are great ways for her to get exercise (and you will be less tired!) Also, are you enrolled in classes?

[Gracie, Jade, & Barkley]

We play fetch indoors. Once I get the longer lead, I will definitely be playing outdoors. She loves the snow, but our snow has been hit and miss this year. Today was icy rain - so our time outdoors was shorter today, but she isn't any worse than any other evening. ;)
I have not enrolled in classes yet, I'm going to wait a bit as I've read some conflicting thoughts on enrolling pups in structured classes too soon.
So, the older dog brother isn't the same as a puppy play date? Lol
We are pretty rural. I've found a few places for the puppy play dates, but it's going to be a drive. She just got over antibiotics last week so I pushed some things back.

[Cindy and Olive (Ollie)]

Classes for us were a great way to get support and questions answered (in addition to DK!) during my huge learning curve. Plus they tired out my pup! They were very well run and he was able to meet lots of other dogs. Now he is very good about seeing other dogs - he never barks at them or reacts aggressively. I attribute it to all the exposure. One brother doesn't equal exposure (according to experts) but if they play energetically, that is great! My hub snowblower a bowling alley type channel in the snow for us to play fetch in, lol! I know, crazy... In any case I wish you the best!

[Gracie, Jade, & Barkley]

Thanks! There are few options for us. I'm not a big fan of the cold, but I've mad big efforts getting Gracie outside to do daily exercise. We will keep on. Maybe on my next shopping trip I will drop her off at doggy daycare just for the exposure. I know she would love it. I guess I should call ahead to make sure there are other puppies to play with. ;)

[Gracie, Jade, & Barkley]

It depends on the weather.
I'm also leash training her and she likes to pull! So our walks are mostly training right now, but I give her play time outdoors too. However. We have no fence so I have to keep her on the leash. I just ordered a long lead so that she can have some real playtime outdoors.

[Gracie, Jade, & Barkley]

Thanks for the suggestions. She actually eats 3 times per day right now. 6:30 am, 11:30am, and 4 pm. We are going to be switching foods, but because of the suggestions on the food group. I wish we had a fenced in yard, but only for the dogs. Otherwise, I love my yard. It's a full acre surrounded by fields of corn or beans. :D
We have a schnoodle. He is 7 so his activity level is not what hers is. She doesn't sleep all day - just normal amounts and let me say that it's a well needed break for me throughout the day. ;) It's a great schedule and I love how she has adjusted to it. She whines to go to the living room every morning at the same time. She's learned that after my son leaves to go to school we transition to the living room.
I could try the leash. That might help. We also need to figure out a good time out for her.

[Veronica Z.]

Behold... THE DOODLE MONSTER!!! This is totally normal and at least for M.J. had absolutely nothing to do with lack of exercise. A good puppy is a tired puppy so you may be able to lessen this behavior but we were never able to eliminate it completely no matter how much activity we had her do during the day. People would look at me like I was crazy when I would explain that we were terrified of M.J. because in the evenings she would become a terror, attack us with her shark-like puppy teeth, lunge at us, growl at us like she wanted to kill us, etc.

They would look at my 5lb teddy bear and look at me and just say, "Seriously?"

To this day, she is 2 now, I still refer to her as Monster (lovingly of course). It will pass. The hardest part is keeping your patience and composure but I remember one evening we were sitting on the couch cuddling with her and we suddenly realized that it had passed. Nobody could even remember when it ended but it did.

Trainers told us to put her in a time out (not in her crate, you want that to be a safe/positive place for her) in a pen or in a room that is safe and she can't get into anything, you can use one of those baby gates to keep her there. Time-outs should be short. The idea is that when she behaves that way you don't want to reward her with your attention because that is ultimately what she wants. Good luck! I'm sure you'll get lots more advice and sympathy because you are definitely not the first to go through this. :)

[Gracie, Jade, & Barkley]

Thank you! I'm glad to hear it all works out! I need to figure a good time out for her for sure.
We have worked enough with her that she's doing more positive things - like sometimes giving kisses and not bites. It's just the evening times when she gets so wound that we wish we had a cuddle bug. ;) Generally, I like her independence. Except that she also likes to whine ... Sometimes a lot! That can drive me almost as crazy as the mouthing. ;)
Don't expect kisses from her in the evenings though. Lol! She is the sweetest thing when she first wakes up too! Nuzzles and kisses me after her potty break. It's the one thing I look forward to and I'm not a morning person. :D

[Gracie, Jade, & Barkley]

Awe. It's good to hear that I didn't get a defective one. ;) hehe!

[Kristin and Sophie]

Excuse me for laughing, but I am only laughing because I was in your shoes two years ago.  We had a fur baby alligator who was extremely hyper too.  I worked all day and would just want to cuddle with her at night but she was so wound up and pulled and chewed on my clothes.  She wanted nothing of being a cuddle buddy.  Sophie is now almost two and is a changed dog.   She is still full of energy, but in a good way.  She loves to go outside and run and play, but she is no longer the furry alligator that she was a puppy.  It's totally normal for a doodle puppy to be full of vim and vigor.  You may think it will never end - but it will.   Just try to have patience and not give up on her.  There is a cuddle buddy in there - she just needs to grow up a little bit in order to get to that point.  I promise you don't have a devil dog - we thought we had one - but now she is the most loving, cuddly, smart, and sweet dog!   Hang in there..... 

[Lynda Kamrath]

I agree totally.  Doodle puppies are just rather that way, at least mine have been.  My ALD was the worst, but he is delightful now.  Just give it some time.  I think it was about two years before Harpo calmed down.  He still loves to wrestle and play after his dinner at night, but he does that with his little dog, Zeppo.  They seem to love to have an audience and if we don't pay attention to them, it settles down quite rapidly.  Usually we take them outside for their last elimination while we are in the hot tub, and after that they are ready for bed.  You will get the schedule down that works for all of you.