Struggling with energy level/behavior issue - need support

[Gabriele Gardner]

Hi Everyone,

 

I am writing this to all of you who may be in the same space as me and can identify with how I feel.  Also I am writing this to all of you who went through this with your doodle puppy and saw things improve at a certain age - to give me hope that it gets better.

 

My husband and I are really struggling with our goldendoodle, Bentley.  He is 5 months old and is a pretty pushy dog.  He is always jumping up on people (including my 6-yr-old twin girls), counter surfing and pulling off not only food but anything else he can find, barks while crated, goes around the house getting into things like my girls' toys, books, clothes, and decorations, humps my leg, gnaws on my hands and clothes.  Now this week, he has started guarding his food/chews and has bit my daughter twice (once breaking the skin).

 

He has completed a combo puppy/manners training where I learned clicker training.  He is very quick at learning and very food motivated.  He does great with the click/treats.  I have also consulted with trainers on the phone and read a lot of material concerning the behavior issues I listed above.  So I am working very hard with him and hoping it will pay off some day.  I also walk him every morning, play fetch a few times a day, pet/brush him a lot, talk to him, take him for rides in the car.  He gets a lot of attention.  The trainers say goldendoodle puppies are very high energy and need a lot of physical and mental stimulation and that puppy behavior can last a long time.  How much more can I do?  Our family is really starting to feel the stress of all of this and it is even affecting my marriage.  I just wonder if anyone else has or is currently going through this and if it is worth sticking it out.  I have wondered if it would be better to rehome him.  We all love him though and think he will eventually be a great dog so that would be a very difficult choice.  Any words of wisdom would be much appreciated!

[Allyson, Peri & Taquito]

Gabrielle, how are things now?

 

And for all you other folks with puppies that are feeling overwhelmed, it is normal as everyone says.

I techinically shouldn't be in the group anymore, but I check in because I remember how it was. HARD.  Puppies are HARD.  Especially doodles. My boss has a lab puppy right now and he is facing the exact same issues.

Training, exercise, and PATIENCE helps tremendously.  I cried off and on for the first few months with Peri. It was hard.  Now she is about 2 1/2 and my hard work has paid off. I have a well-behaved, hilarious, wonderful, beautiful companion that I would not trade for the world.  But keep in mind I put in hours of training, which included two puppy sessions, advanced obedience and training for her CGC which she passed at Age 2. 

[Sharon & Levi]

My doodle will not settle down. He is constantly mouthing, jumping, humping, wants 24/7 attention HELP