When do puppies stop trying to mess with/get into everything and relax a bit??

[Doodlez]

Hello everyone!

I have a 4.5 month puppy and my biggest issue since I got him at 9 weeks is that its almost impossible for him to just settle in the evenings.  He has been confined to the living room/dining room since I got him but without failure every single night he consistently tries to get into the same things every day - I feel like I'm living in my own personal groundhog day!  Everyday he tries to mess with the blinds, get into the plants, grab stuff on the table, etc.  I always tell him no and redirect him.  He has plenty of fun toys and things to chew on.  Also this behavior persists no matter how much exercise he's had. He was at doggy daycare all day yesterday and still came home and tried to get into everything! The only remedy I've found is to put him in his pen.  Once in his pen he will settle down and chew on his toys or take a nap.  I wonder if he's just not great at self soothing and getting himself to relax when not confined?  Anyways when did your puppy learn to relax?? and tips or advice??

I also provided pics of my little devil boy :)

[Kim P.]

I have an almost 5 mo old puppy and have similar issues with her always exploring. My trainer introduced 'claiming" to me and that has worked really well. If she begins to chew on shoes or door mats I stand over them and say "Mine" and push her back with my feet if she tries to go near it again. She tends to leave most of those things alone in my house that I have "claimed" as my own.

[Doodlez]

Thanks for the advice!  I do something similar when he gets into things he shouldn't.  He backs off for a couple minutes then tries his luck again!  I think its about consistency and hopefully he'll grow out of it.

[Laura and Angus]

What an adorable little faaace! We have one of those types of pups too...I think he finally settled down naturally by 6-8 months (a little bit), but what made a big difference was doing lots of training with him and getting him into daycare a few days a week to tire him out. Our trainer taught us to put a leash on our pup and step on the leash about 6 in from the collar - this kinda forces the pup to lay down to be comfortable. Then when they are laying calmly and relaxing, you give yummy treats. Doing this regularly helped to teach our pup that when we were sitting, he should also be sitting. You don't have to make him sit forever, but it's a good way to teach your pup the expected behaviors. Otherwise, they think they get to choose when you play with them and when you relax - which isn't really how it works :) Doodles are so smart, if you have a high-energy and stubborn pup like we do, they can be really tricky...we had to do a lot of other leadership activities with our pup to help him understand the rules.

He's made great strides with his behavior and energy and is now (at 3 years old) a fun, cuddly, goofy, wonderful pup..though he's maybe 20% naughty - esp when bored. Consistency and positive reinforcement will work over time...just keep up the training/exercise!

[Doodlez]

 And don't let that face fool you, he's a menace :) I'm definitely going to work in stepping on the leash while we are on the couch for a couple minutes each night just so he gets used to the idea of relaxing when we are.  I think I should also maybe up the amount of days he goes to daycare (at least until he's a little bit older) just to tire him out.  And I agree that its all about consistency! thanks for the great tip

[Kate and Murphy]

Murphy will be 5 months on Thursday and she is just now starting to settle in a bit. She is now tall enough to attempt table surfing which is my biggest issue with her right now. She has slowed down with the puppy biting/attack mode but she has a witching hour in the evenings in which she still gets the crazies. It does help if we completely tire her out. She will still have evenings where she doesn't sit down a minute - constantly playing - insisting we play with her - or actively seeking out something to get into. It has gotten better and we were stunned the other night when she curled up at my husband's feet and relaxed. 

[Doodlez]

thank you for giving me some hope of light at the end of the tunnel!  Here's to hoping my pup learns to settle down at least a little bit in the next couple of weeks.  I think you're right about tiring them out though - maybe I will up the number of days he's in daycare until he's a little bit older.

[Missy]

Oh what a cutie!!  hard to not love that face!! 

You are doing the right thing by redirecting. Could it be that him getting into things makes you interact with him? Like negative behavior gives me mommy time...:)  

It could be a stubborn thing-likened to to 2yr old. I am going to see if tonight she lets me in the plants!  Maybe tonight is the night I can have stuff off the table.  Stay strong!  He is learning right from wrong.  You want this stuff trained early as I am sure you eventually want to give him free roam to the house.  I can tell you it is so worth it to be able to take your pup into someone else's home and not have to fret about all their things getting into. 

Our night time routine was to play and work on a few commands,(like Leave, Drop) then it was time to brush the hair, brush the teeth, give a chew toy (antler or nyla bone) and then relax on the couch. If ours couldn't settle down, then he was confined too.  It trains them on how life should be. 

A little mind exercise, physical training, and the brushing is like a massage. 

Stay on top of it- these are smart pups and they know what is right or wrong-but many test to see if you are going to do anything about it!  Give an inch-take a mile theory!! 

Other things to consider is maybe he is over tired.  We had a crate set up in the living room and pup learned to just get in the crate to rest. 

Things to get calmer!  I never thought there would be a day where I could sit and relax, but here I am on the computer as pup takes a nap beside me.  Stay consistent with the rules, and as he ages, he will calm down.  

[Doodlez]

Puppies (especially doodles) are lucky they are so cute otherwise I don't know how anyone would put up with them :) 

Thank you for the great response! Sometimes it's just helpful to get on here vent and hear everyone else went through the same thing. 

I think you are right that he's probably testing boundaries and looking for the 1 time I'm too tired to care what he's doing.  I will keep on him as usual and stay consistent. And I will try a little more mental exercise in the evening as well.  thanks for giving me hope, I can't wait for the day he can peacefully nap beside me!!

[Diane, Hurley and Sidney]

Hurley had the zoomies every evening.   As Missy did I turned that night time into playing with him, brushing him and working on commands.   Hurley turns 6 today and still looks forward to those brushings as it is our time.  Sydney, our newest doodle, will turn 2 next June.   He now is the zoomy one.  But with two of them they entertain each other playing every evening.  But they also come to me for that mom type attention, a treat and a little brushing every evening.  Both doodles know what PLACE means so when they get to rambunctious they get a time out in PLACE and they each go to their doggie bed to calm down.