I FEEL SO BAD!

[Chels*Claud*Midas]

Hey everyone! i have a question.. so it has been kind of rainy around here lately..and so sometimes i cant take my goldendoodle out for a walk..he goes out in the back yard all time time..but when it rains we make it quick or else he will be soaked... i usually take him for at least 2 walks a day.. but on these rainy days i feel bad that hes bored or something.. also sometimes when i come home from a long day at work.. i let him out of the crate to go to the bathroom and then i want to go on the internet for a little bit or just relax and then he goes and lays down on the floor.. and i feel so bad because he was just crated and then i sometimes dont feel like playing right away and i want to relax a bit... is he happy being out of the crate and just relaxing on the couch with me for a while or does he hate being bored? he is 21 weeks and i dont know i feel bad like i have to entertain him EVERY second of the day that im home.. but my mom keeps telling me not to worry because he is supposed to entertain me lol .. what do u guys think?

[Vivian & Mojo]

Chelsea Mojo is 21 weeks old and like Claudio jumps and nips me, so bad some bites make me bleed and also he tears my clothing. I stop the behavior by telling him calmly to sit than do the list of commands were working on and start a training session.  This stops the wild frenzy. Mostly he is calm and well behaved but has several meltdowns a day. I'm retired and spend most of my day with him and keep him active. I also train him but am going to get more serious about it and sign up for a basic obedience class.

[Barbara B., Sasha & Oliver]

I totally hear you !!!  I feel bad for my doodles too but then I tell myself that I am humanizing them too much which I know I can do.  I live alone, work all day, both my doodles are not crated anymore and have the whole house (I live in a small house) but they have each other for company as well.  When I get home from work I immediately let them out for how ever long they want to stay outside.  Then Oliver "knocks" on the door so I can let him in, then I just talk to them and give them lots of hugs and attention while I relax and get changed, watch a bit of the news etc. but I am constantly talking to them and if I am not talking to them I will be petting etc.  After I relax and it is nice I take each dog for a individual walk, some one-on-one time with Mommy :) and while I am walking them I am also saying "good boy/girl", etc. etc.  When we get back after a 1/2 hour walk w/each dog I play a game of fetch or frizzbe then we eat and settle in.  This is not every night but most nights, if it is raining I will play fetch in the house with them or give them a toy that keeps them busy.  I just feel so guilty when I am not entertaining them, so I do the best I can and they know that Mommy needs her quiet time too - LOL.

[Sara & Trix]

Trix is 18 months and is FINALLY starting to calm down a bit - she is high energy.  My husband and I both work 9 to 5.  She is still crated during the day (and goes to doggy day care 1 or 2 days per week).  I take her for a 3 mile run or walk before work on the days she is crated, and play fetch and take her for a long walk or to the dog park immediately after I get home from work.  I make sure I am giving her all the exercise, love, training and grooming she needs before we sit down to relax (at around 9pm).  I even train her while I clean, make supper, do the dishes, do laundry....it's easy when you incorporate it in your daily chores.  This has taught her (by happy accident) that when we sit down to relax, it's her time to relax too (or entertain herself with her toys). It's worked great for us - we only give her attention/affection after 9pm if she's laying down and calm.  I find that on the rare day, she'll still be bugging us once we sit down - in that case, I just take her for another quick walk (even if it's just 15 minutes) and that is usually enough for her to settle down for the day.  And honestly - an extra 15 minute walk is nothing when you are rewarded with a couple of hours to yourself to relax :)

[Jennifer]

I don't think you have anything to worry/feel bad about. It sounds to me like he is happy you are home and happy to be near you. I think if he was bored he'd be wreaking havoc somewhere, getting in the trash, shredding paper, being destructive. :-) :-) He sounds perfectly content to me. ;-)

I can always tell when mine needs to release some energy... he gets into everything. I'm constantly removing things from his mouth that he shouldn't have. When he's content to lay in a comfy place near me, I know he's good. :-)

 

I know what you mean about those sad eyes though... and it's not just when they're a puppy. You'll stare into those big brown sad eyes for years to come. :-) :-) :-)

[Chels*Claud*Midas]

thank you to all the kind people who are commenting and understand what im saying when i need a minute to myself.. i play with my puppy ALL the time he goes to classes and all..i just didnt know if i was being mean by not playing EVERY single second im home..i mean i have a life and a husband which means i have to cook..clean..do laundry and things lol..so when i have a second to sit on the couch and watch a show or sit on doodlekisses for a few minutes..i wanted to know if Midas laying down next to me meant he was bored..or content with relaxing a bit with me.. so thanks everyone :) xoxo