Is this too much confinement?

[Lucy & Ellie]

Puppies are so draining!  Who knew?  Not I.

I can so relate to "Lauren and Kona's" post about feeling frustrated, and I have expressed it a few times here already.  I LOVE these boards.  Such great support!

So Lucy is about 15 weeks old and such a puppy.  Not 100% housebroken at all.  Nippy.  Crazy and zoomie.  Thankfully, she's also adorable :)  

So because she is all of the above, I feel like everything is a double edged sword.  She needs to burn energy big time, but when the kids take her out in the backyard, ALL she does is nip at them.  So back into her ex-pen she goes.  I try to have her free in the gated kitchen when we are all in there, but then she has an accident on the floor.  This makes me want her out of her ex-pen even less.  In the evening she used to lay with us on the couch while we watched TV and now she whines and is so wiggly.  Well we are tired at this point, so back to the pen. I don't want her just free in the living room because she will chew on stuff.  Or wander off to the next room where we can't see her and goodness knows what she'd do.

And I'm wondering how she's going to learn good behavior.  I mean, we have training sessions with her for things like sit, stay, come, etc.  She does well and likes that kind of attention.  But what about just everyday life behavior?  

[Brittney & Cally]

IMHO, I think it to much confinement. It does not seem like she has enough time being with the family to know what is expected of her. She cannot learn if she does not have the opportunities to make some mistakes. She is a puppy and this is normal. You need to also work with your kids on how to play with her so they do not get nipped. I do not have kids but I have been a nanny to many families that have new puppies that I was basically responsible for training. The nipping and accidents are hard, but this too shall pass as they say! :)

[Gabby]

Hi there!  I can totally relate.. as we adopted our Duke at 8 weeks old and we have two young boys that were 2 and 6 at the time.  I can tell you that IT DOES GET BETTER!  It's hard to believe when you are going through it, but it really, really does!  Duke will be 1 year old March 16th and its hard to believe we are where we are.. Let me tell you, it is night and day!!! He stopped nipping (we nipped that in the bud quick), he's house trained, he listens to sit, come, stay, roll over, LEAVE IT, Outside, go potty, and a whole bunch of other commands that I can't remember off the top of my head.. It's heaven now BUT, it was work. 

Having children myself, I have to say that stopping the nipping is really, really key to alleviating the stress of having a puppy.  Our trainer showed our kids to stand "still like trees" with their arms crossed and looking away from the puppy, the MINUTE he jumped or nipped.  That way he doesn't associate getting attention with these unwanted behaviors.  I reprimanded the nipping and jumping with a SHARP NO.  Another choice you can add to this is put the dog in a "time-out" for just a bit when she does this.  But make sure its NOT in her crate or she will have a negative association with it. We had a pen outside and whenever Duke jumped and nipped he would get a sharp NO and in he would go.. BUT, it was only for a few minutes (maybe 5 tops).  After a while he "got it".  The more chances you have to correct the behavior, the more opportunities she has to learn. Make sure she never gets away with nipping or jumping because it will confuse him.. Consistency is the key!  I'm not sure if you are crate training, but I have to say that for us..this was HEAVEN!  When Duke was awake during the day, he went outside for lots of attention, play and training with me and the kids and when it was time for nap he went in the crate.  He was in for naps and in for the night.  He only had ONE accident in the crate EVER.  In the house, whenever he had an accident we would say a firm NO (as he went) and IMMEDIATELY took him outside to the spot where we wanted him to go.  Make sure you have a pocketful of treats with you as you will want to reward when he goes in his designated spot.  ITS ABSOLUTELY AMAZING how smart doodles are and she WILL get it.. It just takes LOTS of time and patience.  Send me a private message if you want more specifics about other things.. but I do hope this helps.  I like you, was at my wits end too and I found lots of training advice online and supplemented that training with what our trainer taught us.  It has helped tremendously!

[Deb's Yarrow and Schatzi]

Yarrow is 6 months old tomorrow and I am so amazed at how far we've come.  We picked her up at 8 weeks in mid November and since then she's had me shed (literally) blood, sweat and tears - some tears of pain and frustration and many of laughter.  I can't exactly remember when she stopped putting her teeth on me and my clothing, but she has indeed stopped.  But today I put on a pair of mukluks which have a fur trim which Yarrow used to love to attack.  I haven't worn those boots for a long time because she attacks them. 

Guess what she did today.  She attacked them.  I said, 'NO' and stood completely still and calmly looked away - except, instead of folding my arms, I put my hands on my hips (like Wonder Woman) because I feel it gives off an air of authority.  Yarrow stopped biting and stood wondering what was going on.  As soon as I tried to take another step Yarrow went for my boots again.  I stood still again.  I only wanted to walk around the house from one side to the kitchen door, about 50 ft.  It took me about 5 minutes because I had to keep stopping. 

Yarrow learned that, when it comes to that game, I am no fun!  What's my point?  We have to have the patience to let them participate in situations where they can keep making mistakes so that we can correct them, and set up opportunities for them to hear those magic words, 'Good puppy!'  I should've had treats with me so that I could give her a strong, 'Good girl' message when she was leaving the boots alone.  Maybe tomorrow.

P.S.  I am still exhausted after 4 months of Yarrow.  But I can now see in her eyes a glimpse of the dog she's becoming, and I wouldn't trade her for all the world.

[Tracey & Spike]

From what I've learned so far your puppy needs to learn her place in your "pack". If she's being overly nippy with your kids it could be because she thinks they are beneath her. Have you tried getting your kids to yip like a wounded puppy when your actual puppy nips at them? They should then cross their arms and ignore her till the puppy's calmer. She's probably not intending to harm them puppy's mouth. That's what I've learned. Another thing to try is to have them carry around nylon ropes or other chews. When she comes at you give her an acceptable alternative toy. Then praise the heck out of her. My last thought would be to have your kids give her treats in their closed fists. Let your puppy know the treats are there but only open hands and offer up the treats when she is calm or licks. Food motivations. Works for humans. Works for dogs. I don't know if any of this will help you at all. It's just things I've picked up on here and in my first week of puppy school.

[Linda, Charlie Brown and Beau]

Are you taking her for little walks a couple of times a day.  It does not have to be long - even 10 minutes.  Take her for a quick walk before you sit down to watch tv (just you and her) it is great for bonding and also teaches her that you ar the leader of the pack.  When you get back she will probably lay by your feet ant fall to sleep.  The stimulation will tire her out. Puppies take a lot of time and commitment from day one in order to become good members of the family and it can be frustrating!  Hang in there.  Lucy is still so young and just learning the ropes. 

[Cathy, Fozzie & Shaggy]

I highly recommend the book -

Puppy Problems?  No Problem! by Brenda Aloff 

It is a wonderful resource for puppy owners dealing with difficult puppy issues!

Good Luck!

[Julie, Eloise & Beasley]

Hi Lucy Rose - my Eloise is now 2, but I still remember puppyhood VIVIDLY.  :)  One of the things I did to keep her near me during the evenings (after play, walks, etc) was to tether her to a piece of furniture with a leash.  I tethered her to me in the house quite often as I moved about, but when it was time for me to rest (!) I slipped the leash around the foot of the ottoman so she was still within my sight.  A table leg, chair leg - anything like that would work as long as she can't pull it over.  And I kept the bitter apple spray within reach, because invariably she'd try to "explore" the furniture with her mouth, as all puppies do.  She learned very quickly NOT to mouth the furniture legs! 

I also let her drag the leash around with her when she wasn't tethered.  That was a bonus because I could quickly step on the leash and stop her if I needed to, rather than trying to chase the zippy little puppy.  I just got a cheapie leash at Target, actually for small dogs so it was thinner and didn't have a metal hook on the person-handle (all nylon)...I didn't want her regular leash dragging on the hardwood floor (it had a metal ring on it).  Of course, it was lightweight and she chewed it, so I had to replace it once - but it was worth a few bucks.

I think it's good for her to have limited freedom like that, as that's how she'll learn appropriate behaviors and how to interact with the family.  As for the nipping, I think others probably have better advice here than me...as I have all the ripped clothing to prove how effective my methods were not!  (And the hands that looked like I put them through glass for a couple months!)  I do remember, though, that it pretty much stopped when her adult teeth came in.  So for the most part, I think Ellie's issue really was that she was "exploring" and using her mouth for things, rather than biting me - but those darn teeth just shredded everything.  (IDK if that's the case with your puppy, just wanted to throw that out there.)

I totally can relate, puppies ARE draining!  I didn't know either.  :)  They're so teeny - how can they be THAT much work?!  But as everyone has said, it will get better and she's still learning.  Good luck! 

[Gem's Jewel]

This does work and with total supervision you can also tether Lucy to your oldest child at least an hour a day (twice if possible) so you have a helper with training. This tells Lucy that this child is above her in "pack ranking" because she is having to go where the child goes, not where she wants. Make sure the child turns away and gives no attention to her after saying a strong no when nipping or jumping occurs. And silly as it sounds, feed your kids before feeding Lucy. Fill her bowl, set it on the table and let her watch all of you eat before she gets fed. She is not human and may not understand what you want. She will understand she is lowest on the totem pole so to speak. Many hugs!! It may seem never ending and all consuming for the moment, but it will pass and you will have an amazing family dog that will be your children's best friend, baby sitter and protector before you know it...promise!

[Gem's Jewel]

Like you, I have Jewel, a 15 1/2 week old Doodle who is full of excitement also...which leads to zoomies and nipping because that's what puppies do. Try to put her in confinement as little as possible. Like small children she will have accidents while potty training, clean up and move on no fussing, just praise and lots of love when she goes outside and she will get it. There is lots of good advice here! Try a dog park or two, find one you like and take her often.

[Itims]

What everyone says below makes a lot of sense. The other issue with confinement is that it leads to more pent-up energy that comes out as bad behavior. 

Maybe you could take her to puppy play dates or a puppy socialization/training session. That is also where they learn that nipping is painful to other puppies and that they shouldn't do it. I would suggest daycare or a dog park but she might not be done with her shots. Puppy play dates and puppy school helped us (though only for 1 or 2 days a week). 

[Michele & Kallie]

My daughter would tire out our puppy by playing with a soccer ball with her.fetch is also a good game for the kids if th hey are old enough and a good way to teach drop it or leave if you have kibble in your pocket.We too kept a light leash on our pup to keep track of her and let her be with the family. The nipping will be over for the most part in a month or so...

[Bev and Tess]

I also think this is way too much confinement. It sounds like it's backfiring as well. I used a crate at night and an X pen during the day, when I couldn't watch our Tess......like jumping in the shower, or bringing in groceries etc. Mostly to make sure she was safe and to keep her attention on her own toys instead of finding something else to chew on. Tess loved following me around the house, and if I started something like dinner she would lay down and keep me company. Dogs want to be with you. Let her be part of the family, she will catch on to your routines, activities and your rules. Good luck!