Mason is 12.5 was went for first walk outside yesterday. Went fairly well but was so hyped up when we got home why? Since 8wks been walking around garden and paddock on lead and fine just comes in and has drink/sleep but this has changed. Am I doing something wrong? Plus last night he was on the go for hours getting into mischief which is out of character any ideas gratefully received
He was probably mega excited by all the new sights, smells and sounds. I had to structure my puppy’s evenings at that age as she was on the go all the time. I had to teach her to relax but only after I had channelled some of her energy. It doesn’t last forever.
He may have been a bit over-tired. My lot (3 years, 3 years and 11 months) always have zoomies after a walk. I love it But, if I need them to settle down, I give them a frozen kong each and, by the time they've finished that, they've calmed down again.
Excitement! Tatze, four years old, still has a zoomie session when she gets home after a two hour walk .
This is so very normal. All of mine have had loopy evenings until about six months old. They need teaching to settle. I let them play until 9pm then put a lead on them, with a Kong, to settle at my feet. .
Ok thank you I could try something similar. It took me by surprise that he wasn't as calm as he has been after evening meal. I'm not used to being on the go all that time.
Gosh I just hope it doesn't happen too often as I do need time to rest. As last night I was on the go with him on and off for 4 hours.
This is normal for pups - I know, I have one pup a year lol. They soon grow up, then you will miss the playful fun. All my pups have playful evenings, it’s their favourite time. My four year old sleeps a lot, the zoomies are just a ‘returning home’ excitement thing.
Thank you snow bunny I think he might have been too. He had had one walk in the morning was created whilst I went out for lunch then encouraged the boys to come with me for a second walk. Didn't realise that this would have such an effect on him. He could of been over stimulated with new place, smells meeting another dog.
Thank you Boogie, I find that bit hard to comprehend as I'm still in puppy world. Cant imagine him getting bigger even though people say he's gonna be a big dog
This doesn't mean that you were wrong to take him out, though, by any means. It just means he needs to learn how to cope when he feels like this. It's all a perfectly normal part of puppy development. You will simply learn the signs of over-tiredness and manage it; I find the best way is to pop him in his bed with a tasty kong, and he'll doze off once he's done. It will happen very often if he's a normal puppy! I'm afraid it's part and parcel of puppy ownership. I know it can be a bit of a shock to the system, even for people who have been through it before, but it doesn't last long in the grand scheme of things, even if it feels unending at the time.
Oh, another top tip is to not feed his meals in a bowl. That's a bit of a waste of an opportunity to tire your puppy out. Easy options are to use a Kong Wobbler (although it drove me batty with the noise), or a snuffle mat. You can even scatter the food over your floor and/or garden for him to hunt out. When he gets the idea, you can start hiding it more strategically around the room. Pop him in his crate while you place it then let him out and give him a hunt cue. My puppy adored this game. I used to split her last meal of the day in three and fed it this way. Of course, short training sessions are also really good for wearing out his little brain, far more effectively than just play where he doesn't have to think.
Emma your dog is so cute and the size of his paws remind me of my yellow lab’s at that age. He’s grown into them now he weighs 35kg!
I used to take her for an early evening walk, then we would play (I have an older Lab and had to work hard to get them to be together) - games like ‘Find it’, I bought a Ruffle Snuffle mat, a frozen kong, then would say ‘time for a rest’ and trained her to go in her bed. For a little while she just couldn’t quieten down so we would put her in a crate we kept in the sitting room. It didn’t take too long for her to work out, it was best to go in her sitting room bed rather than be put in the crate. A lot of this is documented in my Puppy Blues thread earlier this year. Well it seemed like a long time at the time and I did find it tough - I am in my late sixties and found the days (and getting up to toilet at night) exhausting. Now my puppy has her walk, then settles in her bed all evening before going to sleep in her crate. Worth it.
Thank you and he is. I just wanted a photo of something small to see him growing up. oh my goodness that is amazing
