I’ve been struggling with feeling depressed for awhile now with our new pup Rosie who will be 16 weeks old this week. Got her at 7.5 weeks old, and she’s been a handful to say the least with her biting being off the charts. There’s no let up. My first lab Daisy was a lot easier as a pup and I was a lot younger too. I had more energy and a bit more patience. I’m tired out as I have not slept well for some time (not because of Rosie funny enough). My adult daughter who lives at home and is a major help with Rosie - is moving in April for a job across country for six months so this is adding to my woes. (This not planned when we decided to get the puppy.) This whole pup thing has taken over my life and I’m sad. She makes it difficult to love her as she is rambunctious and pushy and bitey and jumpy. I’m training her and she’s in group puppy classes as well as I have a separate private trainer that comes to house. We are trying to work on the biting. I made the mistake of ranting to my daughter last night I’d had enough of it and couldn’t take it anymore and she is very upset with me now, worried I will get rid of Rosie when she is away. I just want to be told when this ball of crazy demonic energy will start to calm down, stop biting me like it’s her life’s mission, and when I will start to feel like I have some of my life back. I don’t like feeling this way, and I really would like to enjoy her while she is young. I apologize for the long winded rant I just needed to get this off my chest.
Your mental health is far more important than dealing with the on going stress of Rosie. Do what's right for you and move on to a happier you.
I agree with Alphadog. I also have a pup going on 16 weeks. She has not been easy. It sounds a bit similar - my first dog was a breeze as a puppy, and that was 14 years ago, so I was younger too and had more energy/patience. Poppy has been a nippy, jumpy pup and a real handful. Plus the winter weather we have been having in Ontario this winter has made it very hard going out and getting around. All very challenging with a puppy. I wish you well with your girl Rosie and hope that you find some relief with whatever you decide.
I should add that I am now having a trainer come to my house for some help. I had the first session last week. I had taken Poppy to a puppy class for a month but I didn't find that as helpful, in terms of the behaviour at home (biting, jumping etc).
Maybe it is worth considering giving yourself a couple of days away from the dog if possible? Can she be boarded somewhere for a couple of days so you can de-stress and think about what's best? I know it's really hard to think clearly in the moment. I hope you feel better and work out what to do!
What you’re experiencing @DizzyDaisy, is very normal behaviour for a lab pup. There are numerous threads and posts here telling the same story. It’s very stressful, tiresome and exhausting and makes it very hard to love your pup. It’s difficult to say when your pup will stop jumping and biting because they’re all different. Mine began to show very small progress from about 16 weeks, I’d notice, often in retrospect, that she wasn’t doing a certain thing anymore. I seriously thought about rehoming her at one point. It took me about a year to feel settled with her in my life even though she had calmed right down way before this. I used to have a dogwalker on occasion and sometimes she went to daycare, it was to make sure she wasn’t left too long alone but it also gave me a bit of a break. (She still has a dogwalker 3-4 times a week). I absolutely love her with heart and soul and whilst my life is more restricted now I wouldn’t be without her (she’s two). But some people do make the decision that it’s best for them and their pup to find a new home. Good luck with whatever you decide.
Hi I completely agree with everything that Plums mum has said. I got my new pup Isla after losing my first lab and it was a complete shock. Isla was very destructive, bitey and jumpy and I worried if I had done the right thing in getting her, we also talked on several occasions about rehoming. Our first lab was so much easier. I think it's also made harder because your at home with your pup 24/7 and anxious, they can't be left yet and it takes quite a while to build up slowly to leave them alone but when I could leave Isla after a few months of a few minutes at a time and I had managed to build up to an hour gently i would go to my local cafe, have a coffee and cake and this really helped me to feel more"normal". It really does get so much easier and actually quite quickly. Isla was so much calmer by 6 months and by 9 months had stopped all biting. She now walks beautifully on lead and is a lovely girl, much calmer, so if you can hang on in there it will soon be much easier.
My brother got a first lab years ago. Her name was Baby as she cried a lot. She would destroy the customers catalogue items left through the door and over the garden. They eventually had enough and Baby ended up living at home with my parents. She only ever destroyed my things when I was at school. She was my shadow we went everywhere together she was the best dog and companion anyone could wish for. Please give your dog a chance they really are lovely dogs.
All of you thank you so much for your help, I really don't intend on giving up Rosie, honestly it is the last thing I want to do. I just get very frustrated with it all and sometimes I vent to my daughter. I'm going to stop doing this as I upset my daughter. Not my intention. All of the work that goes into raising a pup I fully expected but her level of biting intensity was not part of that expectation. I guess I was hoping this new pup would have some of the traits I loved about Daisy...but Rosie she is a different personality altogether. She is a smart little thing and she does learn quickly. The trainer called her "feisty". Rosie will be a lot of work and effort but eventually with training and maturity she will come around to my expectations of her. It is getting some help from this forum with different ideas, attitudes and outlooks on how to approach things in a way I might not be able to see - helps me to see outside of my own little world if that makes any sense. You can get rather insulated living with a young pup as they require so much of your time. Thanks again to all for your advice and stories. It does help.
I really feel for you. My dog was a horrible bitey monster when I got him (aged 6 months) and I know how exhausting it is. He took a long time to calm down and he is still pretty crazy at times but I wouldn't be without him now, he's turning into a lovely dog. For my own sanity I had a mental checklist - if his needs were met ( food, exercise, training, toilet) I would leave him alone in the kitchen. He soon stopped whining and got the rest he needed ( he used to find it impossible to settle if I was in the room) and I was able to get on with what I wanted to do. Your pup is still so young she will need you more at the moment but this phase won't last forever. It sounds like you're doing all the right things with training classes etc and I'm sure you'll eventually be rewarded with a lovely dog. I know what you mean about needing to vent. I had to stop moaning at work - I got so fed up of my colleagues' well meaning advice ( watch cesar Milan, be pack leader, etc etc). This forum is a great place to vent and get helpful advice without upsetting your daughter or boring your friends!
Wow - your pupper sounds much like Rosie. She cannot settle for naps at all well during the day, all must be forced. She always wants to know where I am/what I am up to. The second I move, she wakes up. I suspect the lack of good naps contributes to her biteyness at times. I have started putting her in a crate in a separate dark bedroom for naps. I hope this helps her to get proper rest. I have to vent to get it out of my system. Its difficult to vent to my husband about this. He is okay with Rosie but wasn't really interested in getting another dog after we lost Daisy. Getting Rosie was my decision so I have to deal with it. My daughter is just so soft hearted with a better attitude LOL (not like her old mom) so I have to try and remember when I get frustrated not to dump it all on her. That's why I come here because I know someone will understand what I am going through! Yes this forum is great!
Self care comes first, like in an airplane if you have to put an oxygen mask on you put your own on before putting your child's mask on. Thinking is if you are not able to function properly there is nobody left to care for your child. Same goes for your pup. Set aside some time for yourself to self care each day, maybe 2x a day. Do something you enjoy, relax and sharpen your saw. It will cut more wood once sharp.
Yes our dogs and our situations sound similar. My old dog was really easy going and greeted everyone by rolling onto her back for a tummy rub not by putting her paws on their shoulders! She'd only been gone just over a week when we got Loki and my partner (probably rightly) said we should wait before getting another dog. Fortunately, it's all worked out well but it's fair to say I had a few tearful days where I regretted my decision.
Hi, Sounds like my River, it's like having a puppy caboose....for the first couple of months I went thru 100's of band-aids and had to put a puppy fence around my couch and desk to keep her from eating everything she could. She is now pushing one year and has entered the teenage phase....lots of playing like she is mean...barking, snapping, nipping, but got that tail wagging like mad. Her behavior is exactly what I expected after reading many books on raising a puppy (she is my first). She is very loving and full of energy and sometimes I need to provide a tasty distraction, like a frozen Kong or a marrow bone (never unattended). Keep her busy for an hour or so and gives me a much deserved time out....also I got her a bunch of Bionic chewy toys to stuff with tasty snacks and nothing else is chew proof. Don't worry, she will grow out of her craziness in due course.
