Harder than we thought!

[Amy & Cosmo]

This is day 6 with our new labradoodle, Cosmo, and we are exhausted. We picked him up last Friday and by Sunday were thinking we made a mistake. We have had 2 puppies before- but none as crazy as this little boy. He chews everything. We are having to stay with him at all times. I'm not sure how potty training is going bc we are relentless with taking him out. After several accidents the first couple of days I swoop him up anytime he sniffs.
I must say he is super cute and very sweet when he is tired and therefore not biting us. We are trying to be very patient, but sometimes we get frustrated ( like when he repeatedly goes through the fence to try and get in the koi pond- over, and over, and over)- well, you get the point.
I am hoping and praying his behavior improves so he becomes that awesome addition to our family we were dreaming of!

[Maxwell & Lilly's Page]

Can you use a baby gate or other method to section off a safe area for him to play with his toys in? This way, we won't be able to chew on things that are "off limits." And when he bites, make sure that you have a chew toy to hand him instead, so that he gets the idea that your hands aren't toys.

[Chelsea and Bailey]

I had 3-4 weeks off when Bailey was brought home, and trust me, I felt the EXACT same way, to the point that I was so exhausted I sat in the hallway and cried after she had pee'd in the house for the 11th time that day (She had already gone outside 20x that day, I counted).  There is TONS of info on this site, including that on biting. Search it in the search engine and many many many results will come up. The one that worked for us was to stick your hand in their mouth and hold on the lower jaw for couple seconds. They hate it, I think by the 3rd time Bailey stopped biting, but she didnt start the nipping till about 12-13 weeks so learning might be a bit easier then ( not sure how old your pup is).

 

I just want to give you hope that it DOES get better. Tuff out those first couple months, and it will be so worth it. Right around 8 months our girl completely mellowed out and is the best dog. Good luck, dont feel alone in this, I would say 9/10 people have the same issues as you with a new pup!

[Erin & Maizey]

Cosmo is super cute.  I felt exactly the same way!  By day 6 I was in tears wondering what I had gotten myself into.  It's been three weeks now and things are 1000% better.  Hang in there - things do in fact improve and they get better pretty quickly.  Try to get Cosmo into a routine and crate train if possible.  Let me know if you want any specific advice about anything.  I've tried pretty much everything people have recommended here.  Oh - bully sticks are my best friend.  She will sit and chew on one of those for a decent amount of time (i.e. 10-15 minutes and sometimes more). 

Just keep telling yourself that it will all pay off and Cosmo will be a happy well adjusted adult doodle.  At least that's what I keep telling myself.... 

[Amy & Cosmo]

Thanks for all the encouragement! Cosmo is 8 1/2 weeks old, just a baby. We are crate training, and on a positive note- he is doing really well. The first night he cried all night long, but sleeped through the night last night! He doesn't like going in the crate, but does well once he is there.
We have started partitioning off areas, but are considering a pen to make the area even smaller. Any suggestions on good pens?
Also, what age can obedience classes begin? I know he is too young now. What age is good to start.

[Linda, Charlie Brown and Beau]

Generally after they have had their puppy shots.  But certainly, you can start with the basics at home.  Teaching them to come right off the bat helps a lot and you can do that, just by calling Cosmo, and we he comes make it a party and give him a little treat.  Coming to you should always be a happy thing, especially if it is after he does something he should not do.  Praise the good, try to ignore the bad and just redirect his behavoir to something positive.  Looking forward to seeing your Cosmo develop.

Good luck,

L.

[Erin & Maizey]

Maizey is actually enrolled right now - we started last week (she had just turned 10 weeks).  It's a small 'puppy manners' class where they limit it to 6 puppies and everyone is up to date on vaccinnations and they keep the place scrubbed.  So far Maizey has learned sit, come, and lay down.  They are crazy smart....  It's good too because it gives her a chance to run around with the other puppies.  A portion of the class is just puppy playtime, which frankly, I like since it tires her out and it's really good for her socialization development.  I think she will likely need another refresher class when she's a bit older, but so far it's been great.

[Bonnie and Kona]

We had Owen blocked into an area about 7X7 feet. Once we tried to expand that area and it was too soon! The chewing and pee resumed immediately. We shrunk his space back down to a manageable size. We crated him several times a day for naps. If we didn't crate him for a nap he would get overly stimulated and harder to handle. He wasn't the kind of puppy that would just go to sleep easily on his own. 

I hope you will be enjoying him soon. I can honestly say we felt the same way with Owen for a time. 

[Tricia]

Hang in there! I felt similar when we got our Bridget at 9 weeks old Their cuteness is the only thing that saves us from clobbering them or returning them. Ha!. She is 6 months and soooooooooo much better. I think the worst of it lasted the first 1-2 months and then consistently got better. I look forward to a "chillin" adult doodle ;-)

[Laurie, Fudge, and Vern]

What you are going through is so normal. Nothing can prepare you for the changes a puppy brings into your life, but soon, you will not know how you got along without your puppy. It gets better and before long, you might even want another one...LOL. This discussion I wrote talking about how tired I felt might give you a laugh. It gets better!

http://www.doodlekisses.com/forum/topics/puppy-fever

[shelly]

Oh boy, does this post bring back memories and make me shudder!  There were MANY times I thought about just giving up and get rid of Tori!  The only thing keeping me from doing that was my two kids.  It was SUPER tough!  She was a grabber and would grab everything and run and then growl when we tried to get it from her.  She has been me badly and my mother in law.  I really dd NOT like her!  Then I tightened the leash literally.  Potty training went well, so that was actually the only thing that was not a problem.  But we did set up bells which he trained very quickly on, and we always walked her on a leash and still do.  I went back to keeping her tethered to me whenever she was loose in the house and it was always her crate whenever we could not watch her or we went out.  What we didn't know about then, but now would definitely recommend is an es-pen - it's a like a large gated playpen area if you don't use a crate.  Also, make Cosmo wait and sit for everything - food water, waling inside or outside the door.  When he bites yelp very loudly and grab the skin behind his head - the back of his neck to replicate the mom's grip, and yell NO firmly and loudly.  Lastly try and exercise him a lot... even if it's just running him on a leash in the yard with you for now.  Remember, we have ALL been there... we have ALL shed many a tear those first few months, and we are ALL hear for you when times get tough!  Hang in there he will become the dog you were dreaming of ..... soon.  Just make sure he knows YOU are boss!  Good luck!

[Bobbi Park]

thanks for giving me strength, Shelly!   I have sat down and cried, too, wondering if I made a mistake.   I hadn't seen the tip on grabbing the neck skin....I'll try that for sure, next biting episode (which won't be long, I suppose - he's asleep right now...hahaha)   

[Bobbi Park]

I understand COMPLETELY what you're goin' thru....my "Coco" was born 1-1-12 and I thought this would be much easier.....I DO know that he is just a puppy.....but, sweet Jesus, won't he ever calm down...??? hahahaha   I've heard, now, that there's an herbal remedy, Valaria (in oil form) that you can rub on their necks (like where you put flea meds) and it's help calms and reduces anxiety....I'm about to try anything...my dog is a sweetheart but if he doesn't calm down some, as he develops, I'm not sure how much I can handle...I love him so, so I'm tryin' REAL hard to FIND the patience to deal with him.....does anybody else have this anxiety????