puppy's day

[mel07]

just wondering how your puppy's days are occupied, in between training, playing and walks? do you crate at all?
i ask because despite all of the above, izzy still seems to be seeking stimuli - and this is when he gets into mischief. i am literally watching and correcting him all day long ... is this normal for a 5-month-old?
he sleeps, very lightly, at times, but mostly he is jumping on furniture and tearing into stuff and i am constantly correcting this behaviour, with limited results ...

[rottcrazed]

You need to teach him his boundries, and along with training, you do this with a crate.

He should be getting 'nap' times during the day. We play and train a little in the morning, afternoon, evenings, but after all feedings, if I cannot watch her (meaning showers, phone calls, etc...), she is crated.

With him having free run of the house and being constantly corrected (which I am guessing the corrections are not very effective if he is doing the same things over and over) - you are truly teaching him he can be a loon all day and mom will just chase me .... I also tether my puppies to me for periods during the day. I use a short leash. Then, where I go, my pup goes. You won't have to worry about what he is doing so much if he is stuck to you!

Boundries are the only way puppies learn manners. I crate my puppies until they show me they GET the rules of the house and can settle without my being right there. Most of my puppies have not been able to do this much before 6 months old. Considering your little one has not been given a lot of boundries and would need to learn about crate training, you can expect it to be a little while before he has much real freedom.

With some consistency, you will have some control in no time.

I have never raised a puppy without a crate - even my very first dog was in one since that was what I read was the easiest and fastest way to housebreak a pup.

Kristi

[mel07]

thanks so much kristi ...
you make a very good point about him being a loon and me running around after him ... i am clearly giving him the message he has the run of the house ... and it's really starting to wear me out!
how long do you crate for at a time? he shrieks like a banshee when i crate during the day (he's no problem at night) ...

[rottcrazed]

Well, if you have given in to his crying in his crate during the day, THAT is the reason he cries during the day. At 5 months, he can control his bladder and BMs, so if he has emptied himself outside, he can easily sleep for an hour or as long as you need to get stuff done in the house or give you enough time to run errands.

DON'T LET HIM OUT, ignore the whining (don't even talk to him when he is doing it, any feedback is enough for a puppy) and he will learn to enjoy it. Put a kong in it filled with yummy stuff for him to enjoy. Make crating during the day a good thing. Just don't cave for any reason; if you do, he wins.

He has you pretty trained right now - now you can turn the tables on him by doing a few simple things.

Kristi

[mel07]

i think maybe part of the problem with the crate is that it's in our bedroom ... it's too big to move around ... so he's pretty isolated up there (he's stamping his feet and crying right now).
where do you put your crate?

[rottcrazed]

I move mine - it is in the living room during the day and our room at night. That might be part of the problem, is there a more central place you can put it all the time if it is too big to move during the day?

Kristi

[mel07]

i will try dismantling it and moving it ... cheers

[mel07]

ok, it nearly killed me, but i moved the crate to the living room. i've left the doors open and he is running in and out of it ... fingers crossed!

[brunie's mom]

At 5 months of age he does not need to sleep in a crate in your room.
I would put the crate in your kitchen or family room ( where ever there is more action) and leave it there.

I think very young pups should sleep in a crate in a bedroom ( to get over being alone from their littermates for the first time, new home,etc). Once the pup has settled into the new home and gotten the hang of house training...I think he will be fine in a crate that is centrally located.

Try feeding him in his crate for every meal, and like Kristi said, give a very special treat or Kong filled with goodies...so that going and being in his crate is an enjoyable experience.

He may squack the first night or two that you move the crate...after that he should be fine. Put your pup in the crate during the day for short times..for 30-60 minutes or so...even if you are home. It teaches him that he must settle while you go about your business in the home. Good time to wash dishes, vacume, shower,etc...without a puppy hanging on your heals.

Gina

[mel07]

yes, i am going to try leaving the crate in the living room tonight (it's too hard to move around). and i will feed him in there too. i expect some tears tonight, but will persevere

[moondog]

You can also pick up an xpen instead of moving the crate around. Xpens are really easy to set up, take down, and move around. There are many ways an xpen can be used - very versatile.

I agree that your puppy needs a couple naptimes during the day...it's important for him to be comfortable with some "alone" time, especially if he is with you all day, every day.

My puppy had naptimes in her crate, in my bedroom. I always gave her a cookie going in, and I draped a dark sheet/blanket over the top/back/sides when she went in during the day. It helps remove stimuli, creates a more den-like environment, and she would conk out for an hour or two twice a day.

A typical day for my puppy at 5 months included 2 short walks, a few short training sessions during the day, playtime, 2 naps (one morning/one afternoon) late afternoon trips to the hills or the stores or the park or the beach for socialization and adventure......and of course, puppy class!

[mel07]

thanks moondog, that's most helpful ... i'm doing all that, bar the puppy class. we had izzy signed up for one and it was cancelled due to lack of numbers (we live in a small town). i'm now looking into one-on-one, if the trainer would ever return my phone calls ...

[EmmysMom]

We didn't have a crate when we got Emmy, just an expen and it worked quite well and as Moomdog said, it is easily moved from room to room. They aren't that expensive either! We now have TWO crates for Emmy that she only uses for traveling but I still use the expen quite often!

[AngelBunny]

You've posted about Izzy before.

How much physical exercise is the puppy getting? Running around the house doesn't count. Taking the puppy outside for a walk, to explore new places does.

[mel07]

he gets two 15 minute walks a day, sometimes 20, depending on whether he's tired or not. plus LOTS of fetching and playtime