Crazy Puppy Energy
 ))Frothy is 10 weeks now, we have her for 2 weeks already. She is sweet and mellow most of the time, but still having our pants pulled during her "puppy energy flashes". It happens during those flashes of energy moments. She plays with the toy (no tug wars), then gets overexcited and starts jumping and pulling. Stepping aside and not playing doesn't really work, she jumps from the back, pulling clothing and pinching skin at the same time. Not aggressive, but quite unpleasant. My 10 year old is starting to be afraid of the puppy  Adults in our house are consistently trying to divert Frothy's attention to something chewy, or throwing a toy to play fetch, but she seems like she is on the mission -- jumping, pulling. Scratching and nipping is a byproduct of the process. In 10-15 minutes of this craziness, all exhausted Frothy falls asleep. Nothing seems to work to lessen this behavior. Or... it's timing issue? Oh, she is quite gentle with hands in he mouth, usually no hard pressure. We are working on soft touch. Any suggestions? Especially, how to teach to be gentle with kids? Also, please, teach me what to do with kongs!!!!!! I put cookies inside, but she doesn't care. I have small blue one like that: http://www.amazon.com/KONG-Genius-Large ... 64&sr=8-20 Frothy also doesn't care much about rawhide or deer antler chews. Any super yummy healthy chews would you recommend? Thank you very much!!!! |
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| I found when my Teddy was at that age and the deflecting with a toy quit working, he was getting over tired and it was time for a nap. When that would happen, he didn't have enough sense to know he was in need of a nap so I'd put him in the crate and within a few minutes he'd be asleep. When he would wake up an hour or two later he would be a different puppy. Good luck with you baby! Cindy |
| Cindy, thank you! Actually, it seems to happen quite often in the morning, after a good night sleep and yummy breakfast. It's like energy that flows over the board, happiness that everybody is awake and can give attention to a baby. |
| Teddy was quite a handful the first month I had him. I got him at 9 weeks old. He would get over tired so quickly and just not know when it was nap time. My last puppy would fall asleep anywhere he got tired. At first I thought I had a devil dog but after about a week I finally figured out he needed my help to say it's nap time. Stick with it and you'll know when it's time to say enough and put them down for a nap. Just like an overtired toddler! Cindy |
| I have no clothing "destroyed" yet but I have a lot of items with tooth holes in!! Actually, he did half destroy the blanket I used to use to cover his crate... he managed to pull sections through the bars and I assume scratch it in frustration! George jumps up, claws, humps, bites, nips, mouths, barks... he just goes absolutely mad. I just can't wait to take him to training  He LOVES to bite flesh and giving him a toy just won't do. I clearly have no advice but yes, you aren't alone. When he gets frenzied and starts jumping six foot in the air and biting on my hair, I leave the room to calm him down. then he gets frenzied by himself and bounces off the walls (and the matress propped up against the wall) |
Luckily we didn't have anything destroyed - but any loose clothing became the best fun ever for our first sheepie  . I found redirecting with a toy, and then leaving the room/yard/wherever so they can't get to you worked best for us. Stops the biting immediately with the toy and prevents it continuing if you take yourself out of the situation - puppy should quickly figure out pulling clothes = humans go away = no fun. It probably only took a few iterations of that for it to sink in with Inca.. but I also absolutely agree with nap time.. naps became pretty regimented here and worked so well for preventing the craziest of puppy behaviour. Good luck  |
| As Cindy mentioned, a nap seems like it is in order. Dahlia was the same way, and we quickly realized that we needed to "put her into nap time." We would put her in her crate and she was forced to settle down and she would fall asleep almost right away for an hour or 2. As for the Kong, you might want to try a little peanut butter or even a little cheese whiz. Something to get her excited to sit and lick it. Don't over-due it.... just a little smear inside. Bully sticks are great for a chew treat. They are worth every penny in my book! We even put them in the freezer for an extra special frozen chew.... I've never seen a dog turn their nose up to a bully stick! She is only 10 weeks old, so you need to know that the nipping and lobster/razor sharp vampire teeth are going to be around for awhile. It actually will get worse and just know that by 4-5 months, she will lose those teeth so it isn't forever! We always had a stuffed animal or tennis ball in our hands to throw in dahlia's mouth when she was getting obnoxious. We kept these things in our pockets and by all the doors in the house. |
| We have a puppy the same age as yours and I agree with the others. It is an overtired puppy. I think Gracie wakes up in the morning just to eat, poop, and pee, then she is ready for a snooze again. If we miss the golden moment to put her in her crate to sleep, she goes completely crackerdog. I think that they need more sleep than we often realize. Congratulations on your puppy! |
Mady wrote: I think Gracie wakes up in the morning just to eat, poop, and pee, then she is ready for a snooze again. Yeah, my mum gets up, lets george out and gives him breakfast, goes to work an hour later and a couple of hours later I get up and George is happy to sleep or hang around or whatever until I get up. |
| Thank you so so much everybody!!!! |
| during her "puppy energy flashes". It happens during those flashes of energy moments. She plays with the toy (no tug wars), then gets overexcited and starts jumping and pulling. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Can you see when this is getting close to happening? If you to catch this JUST BEFORE it starts (not JUST AFTER it starts) and step in to prevent the puppy from coming unglued and going full speed into her "puppy energy flashes" then this behavior should slowly begin to fade away. What you have is basically a puppy on crack. There is so much self stimulation that the puppy is "losing it" and not in a good way. That leads to the total loss of self-inhibition and thus the biting. The puppy isn't doing it to hurt anyone or frighten your son but that is the end result. Frothy doesn't know any better and as you work to head off this behavior, prevention as well as teaching the puppy that teeth on flesh is just not acceptable. From experience, I can tell you the sooner this addressed, the better off your family and the puppy will be. The longer it continues, the harder it is to extinguish. I have used the technique of "yelping" like a litter mate would if anything... like biting... that the puppy does actually hurts. If you watch litter mates playing, they play rough but the other puppies use this technique to communicate when one of them has gone over the line and been too rough. My yelp is quick and loud and then it's over with. I don't get angry or frustrated. I am trying to get their attention in order to teach them something valuable. If dogs bite humans later on in life, they may be put to sleep. This is a very important lesson you must teach your puppy now. Kudos for asking for help at this point. Others have suggested different things to try. I hope one of them will work for you. If not, keep asking. Folks may have other things to try and eventually you'll get this solved. Cheers, Linda Z |
Thanks to this thread, I just put george in his crate for a nap. He was getting major bitey-pully AND I was just about to take him to the park, but decided after this thread he needed a nap. He must've gone to sleep cos otherwise he'd be making a racket  I daren't go to check... |
| I'm lucky now with my puppy Bond - he puts himself to sleep/nap when he needs it. Wherever he is, he just crashes and takes a nice nap. A really nice family trait that Chewie had as well. He literally lays down and naps when he needs to, no matter where he is or what is going on. But if your pup doesn't, it is a skill you can help them learn...to nap when they get in a certain mode. And apparently we are a nap oriented family - my human kids did the exact same thing! |
| The nap thing really works with Cloud as does the swapping a toy for the clothing he is chewing! Sometimes the toy suffers (see my earlier post ). Not sure if anyone else has had this, but we have noticed that he doesn't deliberately bite skin. We have only been nipped through clothes. I think they see our clothes as fur so yelping like a littermate works with him. Congrats on your puppy I am sure you will have a lovely life together. Debs x |
Monster Celyn wrote: Not sure if anyone else has had this, but we have noticed that he doesn't deliberately bite skin. George deliberately bites skin  lol, he seeks out the fleshiest parts too.He does like to bite my knees through jeans when he gets frenzied, strange, wonder what it is about knees |
| George deliberately bites skin lol, he seeks out the fleshiest parts too. He does like to bite my knees through jeans when he gets frenzied, strange, wonder what it is about knees -------------- IMO - You are "playing with fire" here. Unless you address this issue now, it will get worse. It is truly not a laughing matter. Your dog has a right to know this is not acceptable behavior. I hope you get the advice you need to help your dog learn how to be a good citizen. I apologize if this sounds too "bossy" to you but I think it is VERY important. Linda Zimmerman |
oes wrote: George deliberately bites skin lol, he seeks out the fleshiest parts too.He does like to bite my knees through jeans when he gets frenzied, strange, wonder what it is about knees -------------- IMO - You are "playing with fire" here. Unless you address this issue now, it will get worse. It is truly not a laughing matter. Your dog has a right to know this is not acceptable behavior. I hope you get the advice you need to help your dog learn how to be a good citizen. I apologize if this sounds too "bossy" to you but I think it is VERY important. Linda Zimmerman Not at all. It's certainly not pleasant as it is so there's no joking around when it happens. the frenzied biting I've learned from here is overtiredness so I've started crating him for a nap. |
| thought I should add that George is only 13 weeks so still very much in the process of working out what is and isn't acceptable. |
| Do what his mother would do. Bite his neck holding him down on the ground while growling at him then release. It can be your hands simulating a mouth or even your own teeth. I am not advocating a full on vampire bite and ripping the neck out but just firm enough to hold the loose skin. I await the public execution now  It will connect with his instincts. He'll know he has done something wrong eventually with repetition somethging will click, not to say that they won't cheekily give you the odd nip in future to test you. You have to be top dog before they get big and they have to respect you. They need to know when you are not pleased. Don't forget dogs play rough, and their mouth is probably an equivilent of a human hand, think of small babies how they grab everything with their hands that always pleasant experience where they gouge your gums out with their tiny nails, by repetition of you removing the hand they eventually stop doing it. Puppies need consistent and repetetive corrections, the world is exciting and fun and needs exploring  , we just try to mould them into behaviour that we can tolerate, we are actually restrictiing their natrual instincts, and OES are herding dogs and part of their breeding is the nipping instinct that would control stock animals.Not something that is desirable in a none working dog. This is obviously not to be taking as some sage advice but this is how I approached bringing my pup up. It seems to have worked. |
| Ahhh... well that does make a difference. I should have asked first. I did not know. I guess I assumed that George was a 6 mo. puppy or so -- not sure what I made that assumption??? It will be solved easier now that later, though. Linda Zimmerman |
| Hello again, Thank you for all your advises. We continue politics either ignoring or chewy substitute. I'm not putting puppy for crate to rest since she may consider it's punishment, she is not yet happy to be crated, I'm still in process of crate training with her. At this point she is comfortable in it only for the night sleep. So far, I'm teaching my family members not to rough play with Frothy, stopping my daughter from wild games. |
| Sounds like you are on the right track to me. You do not want Frothy to equate being put into the crate with being punished. Perhaps confine Frothy to a smaller area such as a smaller room or close off half a room with an ex-pen to facilitate a calmer tone for a bit? And for sure assisting other family members in knowing when to tone it down a notch will help as well. Linda Zimmerman |
oes wrote: Sounds like you are on the right track to me. Linda Zimmerman Hi Linda, thank you for your kind and supportive words. We may be on the right track, but our approach fails consistently. Still those rough and crazy moments 2-3 times a day after food time and before and after, pardon me for intimate details, pooping. |
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