Feeling discouraged

[Lauren and Kona]

Hey guys, I recently posted about something similar to this so forgive me for repeating some things.

I brought Kona home on Saturday and when I went to pick her up, I had seven puppies to choose from. Kona appeared to be one of the calmer ones - and I held her for a good little while and she seemed to be a good fit.

I researched for months before bringing Kona home and was well prepared for all that would come along with a new puppy.

Kona is just so crazy. She doesn't stop for one second, it is constant running, biting, chewing, jumping, barking, you get the idea. When I try to approach her, she bites me everywhere she can get ahold of - my toes, my legs, the sleeves of my sweatshirt, my bracelet, my hair, etc. She doesn't even stop for a nap unless I put her in her crate (and that is a challenge).

I know that around this age is when puppies form their initial bond with their owners, and Kona seems to have no interest in me. It is really breaking my heart. I know she is still very young and has a lot of maturing to do, but at this moment, I'm just discouraged. Don't get me wrong, I love her and plan on doing everything possible to train her and give her the best life possible.

I will be starting her in obedience classes as soon as she's had all of her shots. I hope that helps a bit. Outside of how rambunctious she is, I'm concerned that she just doesn't like me/want to be near me.

I'm just not sure what to do right now, to help both Kona and myself get through this rough patch.

[Janice Jones]

Tethering her to you is a great suggestion. Even when I sat down to relax/ read/watch tv I had my guy tethered to me, for about the first three weeks. I also started hand feeding to bond, but didn't do that every meal in case that was the only way I could get him to eat. He is my shadow now, but the "zoomies" go on for a while. Good luck. Just remember to tell yourself every day that this little girl is depending on you to have a good life. Set boundaries, but look for the silver lining in every cloud. Please post and let us know how you are doing.

[Lauren and Kona]

Definitely! Am going to start the tethering right away. I hope it will help us both a little bit. Kona definitely has the zoomies and gets crazier by the day! I know she is depending on me and regardless of how rough things might get, I won't let her down. Thank you for your advice - it means a lot. I will update again soon :)

[Julie and Max]

I know you don't want to take Kona out because of the shots, but the fact that she is not getting solid exercise on a regular basis is going to make this very very difficult for you. Most of these problems can be pretty much eliminated with good exercise. The biting, jumping, zoomies, but it isn't just that, walking with your dog forms a bond between you and the puppy. Puppies need exercise, and I know from reading your posts you live in an apartment but if you can find anywhere to take her, a friend who would let you borrow their yard, anything would make a world of difference. She has too much energy, which turns into frustration for both you and Kona. I hope things get better for you soon, and like everyone else has said, things will get better, sending doodle hugs your way. 

[Lauren and Kona]

I took Kona to the vet today for a check up (all good!) and she also recommended finding some way for Kona to release her energy. The downside is, I'm fairly new to this area and don't know anyone here. However, I do know of a few Doodle owners in the area - maybe one of them would be willing to let Kona come and play in their yard for a little while. I think it would make the world of difference as well. She just runs around in our living room and I can tell she is going a little stir crazy. I feel so bad and have begun looking for a house just so that she can have more room and a backyard. Thank you for your advice, I'm going to explore all of my options to see how I can get her out and exercising.

[Julie and Max]

Finding a doodle owner would probably be great. If you can find a dog that's already had all their shots and all that, and she can play there, and especially play with another dog would probably be awesome, and probably make a world of difference. I have to say I feel very lucky to have the big back yard I do, it's helped a lot with Max that he can go out and play and run and release his energy. I cannot wait till winter is over finally though, so tired of walking in the freezing cold!

[Marie and Hoka]

Hoka turned 14 weeks this week and I am seeing flashes of the great boy he will be some day.  Just like with kids, the behavior changes come in little bursts and flashes.  Did you every notice kids are impossible and whiney when making a big developmental change?  I swear dogs are the same.

1) Just like with raising children (babies, teens, whatever), I find my biggest discouragement comes from me being tired. Find a way to get enough sleep, even if that is taking turns sleeping somewhere else.  You need to find non-vigilent time.  Give him something delicious (kong with peanut butter or full of plain yogurt and frozen), put him in the crate, walk away, and get some rest.

2) Tethering works!  I have done this with the last several puppies. It is hard at first, then they get it.

3) I slather my own hands with peanut butter to teach kisses on command.  When he is nuts, I spray my hands with lemon juice to teach to keep the mouth off and discourage biting.  I am trying to teach him I get to say when he does and does not put his mouth on me.  We only needed this for about a week or 2 and he got it.

4)  Hand feed him.  I gave him about 1/4-1/2 of his feeding in the bowl in his crate, need this to crate train him. I was then hand-feeding the rest.  He learned very quickly I was the source of all goodness.  If I put peanut butter on my hands he took it more gently with his tongue.  I always reserve some food for hand-feeding through the day.

5)  Puppy playmate:  If there is any way to play with another dog, they are more effective in teaching them to play nice and to get out the appropriate puppy-energy.  We are lucky to have our fun-loving little terrier mix... she is tough and loves to play/snuggle with him.  (Are you by any chance in the Chicago area???)

It is the tough times now; it will get better for sure!  Best of luck!  Marie, Hoka and Moxie

[Lauren and Kona]

Hi Marie, thank you for your wonderful advice. Hoka is so cute!!

I never even thought of tethering until you all recommended it. It seems like a good solution for right now. I also need to purchase some type of gate to keep Kona restricted to a certain area. She roams around the kitchen/living room so fast, it's hard to keep up!

Hand feeding also seems like a good idea. Kona eats SO fast (she clears her bowl in under a minute) so hopefully she doesn't try to bite my hand off, lol!

Unfortunately not in Chicago, we're in Nashville :( And I don't know anyone here, so that's a real bummer. Not sure if there are many Doodle owners on here that live in Nashville. I would love for Kona to have someone to play with!

Thanks again and good luck with Hoka!

[Judi Kilpatrick]

Hi Lauren, I'm quite new to the DK site and have not read thru all of the blogs/discussions but so far have found a wealth of information. That said I will apologize up front for likely repeating what others have already said. We have 2 doodle pups, they are 3 was apart in age and are half brothers.. When our first one came home in December it was nearly overwhelming as we had not had puppies for nearly 20 years (The last of our elderly bichons passed away about 18 months ago at the age of 18). The biting was constant, we were advised to 'yelp', 'bark' or what ever it took to let him know it hurt, much like when they played with siblings, also follow it up with a 'no bite' command, if it persisted then a time out was needed. We didn't want to constantly use the crate for time outs, was afraid he would hate his crate after a while so we invested in a very sturdy baby playpen that could be placed in the living room where most of the biting took place. This worked great and allowed me some freedom to put him in there if someone came to the door, I needed to put a load of laundry in, etc. he had toys, lots of chewey things (our vet recommended vibrac dental chews), the play pen was small enough that he would not use it as a bathroom as well. We did much the same when our second pup arrived 3 weeks later, they got along very well so were fine with the play pen to play together when I could not watch them every second. They have now out grown the pen and with multiples I have other issues but every day it gets just a little easier. I've also learned that these guys need a LOT of exercise, the more they get, the better they behave. I do have a trainer that comes to my home and that helps but they are both getting their second teeth so chew and eat everything in sight, I know this will get better but until then it is an exercise in patience and I know in a few months they will be awesome! Long story short, don't give up hope, it will take a while but little Kona will be the best dog ever!

[Lauren and Kona]

Hi Judi, no worries! Welcome to DK!

I was actually planning on purchasing a play pen today. I think it would really benefit Kona right now, as it's hard for me to keep an eye on her every second and I hate to just put her in her crate.

I think Kona would be doing much better if she was getting the appropriate amount of exercise (we live in an apartment). I'm exhausting all of my options to try and find a safe place for her to exercise. Easier said than done!

Thank you for your advice, I really appreciate it!!

[Malenie Piscetelli]

Why everyone recommend of tethering? Is that a chains?

[Marie and Hoka]

We had a behaviorist recommend "tethering" to us for a dog in the past.  It is essentially putting a leash on the dog and going about your own business.  I hook the leash to my belt loop so it is hands-free.  The dog learns to pay attention to you, follow what you are doing/where you are going. The dogs cannot get out of your sight too fast.  It was helpful both for housebreaking and to get the dog to pay attention to you- follow you. 

[Gem's Jewel]

First, am sending you hugs! She will calm down & melt in your arms very soon. There are few other things that will help make sure she knows you are leader of the pack & let her know to listen to you and depend on you. Always eat before she does & make sure she sees & hears you eating (say a cracker like it is out of her bowl) - she should sit calm & watch until you feed her. Always take her outside to potty on a leash you where you want her to go and if she doesn't go in 8-10 minutes, come back in, tie the leash to you & go about your business for about 10 minutes then keep trying until she goes and as hard as it is...until she comes around do not let her sit in a chair with you, on the couch with you or in bed with you. The ruler of the pack always gets the highest ground. Also roll her over, hold her gently down & rub her tummy & scratch her neck then let her up. She will understand you love her & will care for her.