Will I ever relax again??

[Sharae & Winston]

Sometimes I wonder if I will ever be able to relax again after getting this doodle monster. Yes, there are times when he is cute, and does the sweetest things, but these are far and few between when he's being a little terror and testing me and my sanity (what is that again?). Seems like all he consists of is nipping, biting, whining, chewing, pulling the leash, trying to eat any inanimate object he can find on the ground, jumping on strangers while completely ignoring me, and chewing everything he's not supposed-all while turning down all the expensive Nylabone chews or whatever else expensive toys I get him. Add in the fact I'm constantly trying to correct all of these things while watching him like a hawk for fear he will decide to squat in the house is making me nuts! I can't catch a break...

I know he is not going to be a perfectly mannered, well behaved adult dog that i can simply enjoy for a long time but I thought when we got him at, a little less than 3 months, things would at least start getting easier at this age (5 months).
So, to all you people with older puppies or experienced doodle owners... Is there any hope for me and my tyrant of a doodle?? Like I said, I know it will be along time before I can completely relax, but what age will things at least start to improve and get a little easier than they are now?

[Sharae & Winston]

I agree, you hear every where that they are super smart (which they are), but it's almost a blessing in disguise. Sometimes I think he's training me! ;) I am working really hard on trying to stay calm mannered all the time; ESPECIALLY when he is testing me, but that's the hardest part. I have also been diligent the last week or so about saying commands in a stern voice and one time only- and it really helps! He knows when I mean business. We just need to work on it when there are other people/animals around. 

Thank you! :) He is pretty darn cute. Good luck with Lola, and what a cute name!

[Oliver & Elizabeth]

I can commiserate with you, I have a nine month old ALD and the last seven months have tested me in just about every way possible. Were do you start when everything is a disaster?! Thankfully, it gets better every month. A few life changing things we've found:

1. Get a Wonder Walker. It's a super amazing front connecting harness. Oliver stopped pulling on the leash on his first walk with it on.
2. Find a puppy day camp. When you come hom from work exhausted, it's so nice to be greeted by a tired puppy at least once a week. It's like having a night off!
3. Make Popsicles in an ice cube tray or inside of a Kong type toy. We use chicken broth, cheese, food, or whatever. Dogs seem to love ice and thankfully they take more time and energy than just the normal treat balls.
4. Get a "tether" for inside or a crate. We have a leash looped around the leg of a heavy piece of furniture. When Oliver gets too rowdy we tether him to the leash (which is next to his bed) to help him calm down and redirect his energy to a chew or a Popsicle.
5. Read Ian Dunbar's books he is a very practical, intelligent, and humorous dog trainer.

We're still working on a lot of other things, sometimes it feels like on step forward and two steps back. This is how we felt with potty training. It does seem to get better, after six months Oliver was totally house trained, I seriously almost threw a party. Good luck!

[Linda And Loo]

I love this web site! There is always someone who is going through or has been there with the same problems that you r experiencing and they r willing to share what worked and what didn't! I have 2 dogs, one doodle and they r both under 2. I have had very few problems but, when they do start acting up and start getting into things, I know they r telling me they need a change and some exercise! We walk a lot! The walk helps with their stress as well as mine! A tired dog listens much better than one that is fired up! Good luck!

[Vivian & Mojo]

My puppy had always gotten more than enough exercise and still would have a meltdown once or twice a day. Doodles are extremely smart dogs and along with physical activity they need enough mental stimulation. Food puzzles are great and along with a stuffed frozen kong there are plenty of other puzzles on the market or easy to make them at home. A cupcake pan and balls work great putting a treat in several of the cups covering with a ball and puppy has to find them. Also outdoors hiding treats in the grass to find. Here is a link to a video showing how to make a treat dispenser from an empty peanut-butter jar.

http://aaemonline.org/emf_rf_position.html

[Sharae & Winston]

Ok... I looked up the Wonder Walker, and it looks AMAZING. There are quite a few places in Portland that carry them so that's great too!

My only concern is: Is Oliver able to walk like a good boy now without the harness (just his collar and leash)? I've always been afraid that If I use a harness, he will never be able to walk like he's supposed to with just a collar on, and I don't want to depend on using a harness forever, you know?

[Oliver & Elizabeth]

Before the Wonder Walker Oliver would tug so hard my shoulder would ache (with a standard harness) or he would tug and cough (with just a collar). Walks were truly miserable. Now, we are able to use just his collar for short walks with very little tugging. We still use the Wonder Walker for long walks with other dogs or lots of distractions since it keeps him in line much better. I think this may get better with age.  You do still need to work on good leash behavior and correcting them if they pull, however, walks become so much easier. I can't say enough about this product, I am so thankful to our dog trainer who recommended it.

Also, if you're using a retractable leash you may want to stop using it for a while. It seemed to make Oliver's tugging a lot worse. Now we just use the retractable for late night potty runs. 

[Sharae & Winston]

It sounds like it would be well worth it then. Winston does the same thing, pulling so hard my wrist is in constant pain and I fear he is doing serious damage to his throat because he coughs almost the whole time. Miserable is the appropriate term. The only time he will walk like he's supposed to is when I am holding treats out by my leg and constantly praising which is ok when its training time, but I'd like to take him on long walks and actually enjoy it. I think he would end up getting a lot more exercise if I was more inclined to take him and have a productive walk. I will be trying out the Wonder Walker this weekend!

[Oliver & Elizabeth]

I hope it works as well for you as it did for us!

Premier also makes a body harness, it's really similar but it constricts around the front a little and costs a little less. I have both, but think the Wonder Walker brand is better quality and it also has a back leash attachment for the car. The Premier harness does get excellent reviews on Amazon.

Premier Easy Walk Harness

[Debb, Lucy & Oscar]

Sharae, I have 2 doodles, Oscar, who will be 5 mos. old on the 13th of this month, and a 3 yr old, Lucy. Your pup (did you mention his name?) sounds a lot like Lucy was at that age. She was very spirited and headstrong. I'd never had a dog/puppy before so I didn't know she was difficult. I thought all puppies must be like her and need lots and lots of consistent training, and that it was normal to have bloodied hands from biting (with wiping feet when coming indoors). It took a long time (a good year, really) to get her to where she is today. So many walks with corrections every single time to get her to walk correctly, a dozen commands throughout the day to get it through to her (not that she never learned them, she just was a willful girl). In other words, it all took a lot of time and effort. It got better. So much better. By 8 months most all the bad behavior was gone. Walking well took additional time, but there was no more biting, no more counter surfing, no more rug destroying...lol..

What I didn't know at the time, and came to learn much later, is that we had a willful, strong, spirited girl, and not all doodles are like her. Oscar taught us that. He is the polar opposite of Lucy in that he's extremely calm, mellow, easy going and LISTENS to commands and complies. He's not a biter, counter surfer or destroyer of any kind. A big part of that is due to Lucy's good influence (she's the model doodle today) and she keeps Oscar out of trouble just by her being here. He has a play buddy whenever he gets bored. Potty training took close to 2 months to complete, which was the hellish part for us.. but everything else has been cake. Oscar is now in puppy classes and he's like the star pupil. He sits during the entire class, in front of me totally focused, while other puppies are barking and straining at their leashes totally distracted. In other words he's EXTREMELY food motivated, and will do anything for a treat! lol..

Make the crate your friend. My doods get crate time at least twice a day for 1-1/2 to 2 hrs, after active times. They love their crates and know that they mean nap time. It really helps with keeping your sanity :) Don't be afraid to try different harnesses (head and body harnesses) to help with walking. Lucy needed a head harness (the Canny Collar), Oscar a body harness (the Gentle Leader). Find one that works for your dood.  Do try different trainers. One trainer will not have all the answers for your particular dog. I read lots of puppy training books (at least 6!) and had multiple trainers for Lucy. Maybe its my previous experience with Lucy, but Oscar almost seems not to need a trainer. He does currently have one, but he isn't learning much more than what I'm already teaching him. Oscar is so easy!

It will all get better, much sooner than you can imagine right now. Keep that puppy busy when its up and awake. Plan for it, whether its a new chew toy, a walk, a ride, training, a game of fetch, whatever. Oh, and one other thing.. when you train, always have your pup leashed, so you have control and can correct him and follow through to make him do what it is you're commanding. If he's still not completely potty trained, keep him leashed to you when he's out of his crate. Do not give him free reign of the house until he is potty trained. 5 months is still quite young and he's only been with you for 2 of those. Its so early yet. I know its hard, but be patient and consistent and stick to a routine with your pup.

How is your pup's socialization with other dogs? If you haven't already done so, look into puppy romps. Most will take pups up to 6 months of age. Let me know if you want more details on this. I'm in the Portland area and can give you some names of places.

Good luck and hang in there!

 

[Sharae & Winston]

Winston sounds just like Lucy. I wanted the "Oscar" one out of the bunch, but my boyfriend just had to have the "playful" one :-l That aside, I love him to death and I know he won't torture me forever, I just hope he makes it shorter than longer with diligent training...
He is going to get more crate time, with our schedules he will be in the crate for 4 hours some days and I've told my mom (who watches him sometimes) to put him in his crate for periods during the day even when she's there. I noticed when she was leaving him out all day he was putting up more of a fight and resistance to going in there when we did want him to. I will be trying out the Wonder Walker harness this weekend, I'm hoping this will encourage Winston, and myself to go on more walks in new places.
He is always tethered around us, now that he is getting over his bladder infection he has been almost 2 weeks
without an accident :) I am thinking about starting to baby gate the room we are in if he makes it to 3-4 weeks so we can see how he does with a little more freedom.
I would love to know about the puppy romps! He absolutely LOVES to play and loves every dog he's ever came in contact with. He is always trying to make new puppy friends. I've noticed there are quite a few people on DK in the Portland area or at least the PNW which is awesome!

[Debb, Lucy & Oscar]

Check out Puparazzi in Beaverton and Schroeder's Den in Hillsboro. We take Oscar to weekly puppy romps at Schroeder's Den (Sundays at 1pm). Also, I schedule monthly doodle romps at Fido's Indoor Dog Park. Here's a link to the schedule (posted on the Portland Area Doodles group, here on DK... please join!). I'll probably add a couple more (April and May) and will post updates.

http://www.doodlekisses.com/group/portlandareadoodles/forum/topics/...