Puppy gone wild

[Wagthedog]

Wag is 12 weeks old, a cadoodle (just found that out with a DNA test from the no-kill shelter we adopted from). He is black and looks like a bear cub. My four sons (age 4-14) and I keep Wag plenty busy all day at the dog park, walking, playing fetch and tug-o-war. He takes these huge naps and pops up at 10 p.m. and again around 3 a.m. like he's spring-loaded.

Nipping, barking, running and bouncing (literally) off the walls. It seems no matter how much attention, walking, playing, running and even swimming in the nearby river he gets he still pops up like a daisy and begins herding us all.

I haven't slept in two weeks because I'm up and outside with him or chasing him around the house to save our shoes. He conks out around 4 a.m. and is up and running again at 6. I've had puppies before but nothing like the energy level of super puppy. HELP! You can see him at www.wagadog.com

[Ritz459]

Your puppy is adorable! I had to do a quick search to figure out what the heck a cadoodle was, but that would explain the energy!

There are only three things I can think off right off the top of my head that may help. A strict schedule, a crate, and mental stimulation.

So first, what type of schedule is he on? I have a Collie/Aussie mix and she was a nightmare when she was younger, but a strict schedule did wonders. I didn't conform to her schedule (waking up at odd hours for anything other than bodily functions), she conformed to mine. No ifs, ands, or buts about it. To this day she doesn't dare wake me up before I'm good and ready to get up and as soon as she is put to bed she settles down because she knows that it doesn't matter how noisy/hyper she is, she isn't getting up. She is the only dog I've had who I've taken this policy with and it is working wonders. She'll let me sleep in till eleven o'clock without even blinking. Course, as soon as I stretch or roll over to check the time she jumps on my bed and showers me with kisses, but she makes sure I'm definitally awake first. LOL
So if he isn't on a set schedule, get him on one. He needs to learn what "down time" means and he isn't going to learn if he doesn't get "down time" once and a while.

Second thing, is he crated at all? If not, start. That will at least keep him confined and out of trouble so even if he gets up at night, he can't take off and start geting into things keeping you awake. Give him a chewbone or two to keep him occupied should he wake up, but don't go to him if he is crying. At twelve weeks he should be able to hold it through the night, so having a potty accident in the crate shouldn't be a concern. A Lab we fostered liked to get up at 3 o'clock in the morning, but since she was crated she just chewed on a toy until she drifted off to sleep again.

Lastly, I'd start giving him some mental stimulation along with the physical. Do some training session with him, give him a kong filled with stuffing, give him a buster cube to roll around - anything to get him to focus and channel his energy by making his brain work. I can tire Chloe out by taking her on a two mile jog, but I can tire her out almost as good by taking 15 minutes of my time to run through obedience exercises. Couple those exercises in with a game of fetch and I have one pooped dog.


And good luck! It doesn't last forever, trust me. Chloe was HORRIBLE when she was younger, but once she hit about nine months she started maturing and is now "easy" to live with. Sort of.

[Doglover1988]

I agree! The crate was a lifesaver with my dog Lucy when she was a puppy. She drove me crazy. I also agree about the exercise and stimulation. Do a couple of training sessions a day, play fetch, tug, and go for a long walk.
With Lucy who is now 2 years old, she plays in the front yard with another dog in the mornings, then in the middle of the day I take her for a walk on my bike, then at night before bed she usually plays a long game of fetch. In between those are training sessions. She is also an aussie mix. When she was a puppy she drove me crazy getting into everything and bouncing off the walls but now she is a very well behaved dog.

[caitlyn8161]

i would have to suggest a crate. when he whines take him out to go potty, give him a little time, and if he doesnt go then put him back in and go back to sleep. this way he wont be running around the house when u need your rest. you could also put an old blanket over the crate the give a security feeling and make him feel comfortable and want to stay in his crate. put a blanket or pillow or dog bed in the crate and fill it with some of his favorite toys to keep him occupied. my puppy, ariat (also about 12 weeks old), loves her crate now and likes to lay in it when shes tired or nervous about something. even our 2 year old boxer, chauncy, likes to sleep in his crate sometimes during the day. when your pup gets older and can control himself better, settles down, and sleeps thru the night you can start letting him sleep outside the crate but leave it open so he can sleep there if he still wants.

kudos to you for all the effort put into your dog! its nice to know that your actually taking care of him and playing with him and his energy is because of his own personality and breeding, not because he isnt getting the attention and exercise he needs. good luck with ur adorable new puppy!

[Wagthedog]

Hi All and thanks!
He has been on a strict feeding schedule, but I admit to falling into the trap of going by his play schedule. We have four sons (ages 4, 9, 13 & 14) who adore spending time with Wag and me doing our training sessions. But, again, I admit these have not been at set times of day. This was mainly due to it being so darn blisteringly hot here in Norfolk, Va. and Wag being a black fluffer-nutter. He was just miserable outdoors until well after sunset.

Maybe that's a factor in his late night activity. His body clock is a bit wacked?

I have hesitated to crate Wag since, having the luck to be in touch with the owners of his siblings, I learned they went bonkers with anxiety attacks when crated. The pups got very high-strung about it, pooing all over themselvs in the crates! Must be the poodle? They also stopped feeding when crated. So we have been gutting it out. He has housebroken amazingly well once I learned his achillies is isolation in the bathroom with his mess for 20-min. (After the first 10-min I go in and remind why he's in there).

I also appreciste the toy/treat suggestions. He's been blissful with the chunky, meaty bones I get (small rounds) at the supermarket. Pack of 6 fresh-cut bones for $2!

Now, how do I stop him from barking like a maniac when it is feeding time. He loves yogurt and if anyone he sees a white container he goes SPLAAA!!!

[Doglover1988]

A good thing to teach is "leave it" and sit. At mealtimes I make all my dogs sit politely and leave it until I say it's ok to eat. This teaches them manners.

[Wagthedog]

Got sit. Working on leave it. Only had puppy for 3 weeks and it's sort of a crash course. www.wagadog.com

[Ritz459]

Maybe that's a factor in his late night activity. His body clock is a bit wacked?

That would be my first guess. He also isn't being confined, which is like putting a toddler in a "big boy" bed with a room full of inticing toys. The toddler can just clamer out of the bed and start playing at any hours of the night.

If you don't feel comfortable crating him, you could try a puppy proof room or an ex-pen. Although I would tell you that it would be wonderful if he was crate trained. If he ever needs to stay overnight at a vet's office, he will be in a crate. And if he is groomed perfessionally, he will be crated there as well. If he flips out, cries, and poops while in the crate, neither one of those experiences will be good for either him or the person in charge of him. So even if you won't crate him as part of day to day life it would be wonderful if you could get him used to being crated.

Now, how do I stop him from barking like a maniac when it is feeding time. He loves yogurt and if anyone he sees a white container he goes SPLAAA!!!

Before I let any of my dogs eat they must sit and stay calmly. It takes a while to get a meal on the floor at times, but it works wonders! They will actually all sit/stay by default now if they REALLY want their food and they won't run to their bowls to chow down until I tell them "okay".

Have the dog "sit" and then tell him to stay. Start placing the food dish down on the ground. As soon as the dog breaks the sit, pull the dish back up and start over. It usually only takes a couple of tries before the dog realizes that standing up causes the dish to go up as well. If you can place the dish on the floor without the dog breaking the sit, release with a command and let the dog eat. Eventually you can up the duration of the stay and when you want the dog to begin sitting calmly. Sadie, that lab we fostered, would actually sit and stay even if we left the room.

If he starts barking, the most effective thing I've done with Chloe is I turn my back on her and stop moving. This was mainly during training exercises or when she wanted me to throw her toy and I wasn't doing it fast enough. She'd bark, I'd turn my back on her and wait until she had shut up for a couple of seconds. Once she was quite I'd turn right around and pick up where I had left off. If she started barking again, I'd turn around and ignore her.

[Flutterby]

I would strongly recommend you attend obedience classes with Wag. Also, he would benefit from a nice long walk every day, and also a good dose of daily vigorous outdoor play. I'm a strong advocate of the crate - it will keep both Wag and your house safe. Make sure he has some things to do while he's in there (kongs, treat balls - anything that will keep him stimulated and help prevent boredom).

[RedPowerLady]

I'm new to dog owning so I don't have any recommendations. But I did want to say your dog is super duper cute!

[Carrie]

How to Train a "Crazy" Dog! | Karen Pryor Clickertraining

I love this article...How to Train a Crazy Dog. You might enjoy it too. Terrific advice in there!

Welcome to the world of crazy dogs. They're actually a dream come true when it comes to training, believe it or not. I've had a few myself.

[Karen23]

My 4-month-old pup and I just completed puppy kindergarten. It has made a big difference! I would recommend it to anyone. The trainer had lots of good tips to give me. We're going to do basic obedience next.

I would also recommend an X-pen. It's been a godsend for potty training too.