Zac is now 7 months old and about 60 lbs. He has become a good boy - no more biting - learning to walk on the leash - and thanks to a pot lid that falls off the counter when he tries to steal food, even his counter surfing has improved. However - at night he seems to get a little crazed. Last night he actually scared my husband (which is hard to do!). My husband took one of Zac's blankets and put it away. Apparently Zac did not agree with this action. He began zooming around the room (the hair on his back by his tail raised), jumping on furniture, snarling and showing his teeth toward my husband. WTH????? Anyone experienced this? PLEASE tell me this is some kind of weird phase! He is not like this all the time.. He will often lay nicely, sometimes with a rawhide or bone, sometimes just chilling.. But it seems like sometimes at night - after 9pm or so - he can become possessed! We have tried calming tablets (nothing), we have tried Benedryl (nothing) we have tried bendryl tucked inside calming tablets (nada).... Any feedback is appreciated!!
Re: Snarling It sounds just like the things my two do when they're playing with each other. They look and sound really fierce sometimes, but it's just overenthusiastic play. The snarling is sometimes quite ferocious. The signs for me that they're only playing are: sneezing (which indicates to one another that it's not to be taken seriously), happy tails, getting distracted easily. It sounds to me as if he thinks 9pm is his playtime!
Re: Snarling Hmm - I was also beginning to think maybe it was the idea of him being overtired? Is it called the Wall of Death? When they zoom around like the motorcycles int he cage? He hasn't done it with anyone but my husband, though - so your idea about playtime may be on target. He plays more rough with him...
Re: Snarling Heh, the Wall of Death, yes. My two are a bit older than Zac, but they have started doing it occasionally after a long walk and dinner, when they would normally fall asleep, so tiredness definitely plays its part. I just put Willow in her crate for a couple of minutes until she's calm and try to get Shadow calm on the sofa. Without fail, they'll fall asleep as soon as I've got them back to normal!
Re: Snarling The clue is in your first few words. Zac is now 7 months old You have an adolescent dog. The dashing around like a thing possessed is pretty normal (for a teenager). It is cute and funny in a small dog, but not so much fun with 60 lbs of Labrador. I always found it was worse in the evening when she was tired. They grow out of it.
Re: Snarling Please don't give your puppy Benedryl or calming tablets ever again ! Your puppy is behaving like a normal 7 month old lab and you can expect to see episodes of this kind of 'mad' behaviour for a good few months yet! Some puppies do get mad moments and they can be triggered by a variety of things. Ignoring is the best thing and when they realise that this behaviour won't get attention the behaviour will stop, but remember it isn't uncommon!
Re: Snarling My pup's about the same age as yours but for a variety of reasons I think she hit adolence early. She used to behave exactly as you describe. I put it down to a few different reasons - over-tired, over-excited, scared of something - basically any situation where she wasn't completely in control of her own emotions. I think she used to "run it off" the way Billy Elliot danced off his frustrations in the back lane of Wallsend! I agree it's best to ignore it. When Bonnie was little and first started doing this I was ever so concerned about her. I used to calm her down with gentle talk and something nice to distract her. I think that technique should only be used if you think it's anxiety related though. If it's attention seeking, treat it like a temper tantrum and ignore!! B hardly ever does it now, so I'm sure it will pass
Re: Snarling [quote author=rubyrubyruby link=topic=10652.msg157829#msg157829 date=1429561034] Please don't give your puppy Benedryl or calming tablets ever again ! [/quote] I would agree - don't deal with this by trying to sedate your dog with medication. He was just excited and/or over tired and/or bored Totally normal! I find that the best way to deal with the crazy evening hour is to anticipate it and get in ahead with a short training session (just in the house, no need to go anywhere). Run through the exercises he knows and extend a couple or throw in the start of something new. That usually occupies their minds enough to avert the madness. If it doesn't, then do more next time. Remember - you are trying to wear out the mind, not the body!
Re: Snarling I'm afraid the odd Wall of Death is 'normal' for a young Labrador I find that Harvey usually calms down more quickly if I don't actually try to calm him down - ie let him get it out of his system. As Rachael says, the best approach is probably to try to avoid it in the first place (not always easy, I know).
Re: Snarling I think one of the clues is that your husband 'plays rough with him', so coupled with being overtired he thought your husband was inviting him to a game and he played rough! It isn't a good idea to play rough with a dog/pup, perhaps play with a raggy or a ball. I call the way Labs go mad is 'bum tucking' they seem to tuck their bums under and then do the wall of death. I found that if my dog was sufficiently exercised physically and or mentally, that these sessions became shorter and shorter, but believe me, they are normal for a young Lab ;D
Re: Snarling Thanks everyone! Yep - no more of the meds... Although we tried because we were seriously concerned that he was going to hurt himself or one of us in the process of his craziness. He did it with me last night - but I ignored him and walked away. He zipped about a little and then plopped down. How do you know he is an adolescent? I was trying to figure that out - thinking that could be a part of it too. But if dog years are 7 to one of ours... wouldn't that make him... 3.5? More like a toddler? Although that would fit too. LOL thanks for all the feedback! My last dog was a shihtzu - and he would get the zoomies - but he was 12 lbs - and usually didn't jump up on the furniture and/or snarl. So yes - many of the things I let go with the little guy, I can't with Zac because he is so large. And quite honestly - I have a fear of big, aggressive dogs. So while you all say that he is not necessarily being aggressive (and I believe you - it just doesn't fit his overall personality), i do get scared in certain situations. Reason goes out the window and I think "Oh lord - this is where he eats me!" :
Re: Snarling You are quite right. Sixty pounds of muscle and teeth carrerring around is a daunting site, especially if you are used to something smaller. My worst times were when she was on the lead. I couldn't let go so, she threshed around me, jumped up at me, grabbed the lead with her teeth and pulled me round like a rag doll. If we were at home I just opened the back door and she dashed round the garden like a thing possessed. The trick is to keep out of their way, if you can. Interestingly, although she seemed completely out of control she never collided with me or anything else. It was at its worst just before it stopped. On one memorable occasion she did it 5 times in about 100 yards. All I could do was hang on for dear life. Next day, nothing. She'd grown out of it.
Re: Snarling Adolescence is to do with reaching sexual maturity and the hormones that entails, so it doesn't fit into the "seven dog years" thing, which, if it were true, would have them reaching maturity at two years of age or so
Re: Snarling Maisie has these mad moments. It can be quite embarrassing when you're out on a walk and you have a Labrador on a spring jumping up at you. Maisie reacts badly to the step on the lead trick (it makes her go utterly bonkers, scrabbling at the lead, chewing her harness… it may work for most people but for her it just makes things worse) so it's more a wait it out situation. I let her do it a little and then I ask her for a "sit" or sometimes a touch, and usually that helps break her out of it by getting her out of her "crazy mind" into her "thinking mind". She has them less often at home. She sometimes does one mad run with her bum tucked, but really I just let her get on with it. I picture it as when you feel very restless or very bored with a surplus of energy - it has to go somewhere. If she was snarling it would be scarier, but I would just ignore it or go into a different room (if he was safe in the other room).
Re: Snarling My lab Gabby will be a year old in one week and still does this, just not as frequently. It does sound scary with the snarling and growling, but I could always tell she was playing because she would present a "play bow" before running around like a mad woman. Now I just stand still, remain in a calm state and tell her to "calm down". This will normally stop the behavior and she will lie down suddenly at my feet panting and then move on to something else like her Kong wobbler or other toy. Good luck with the "teenager", it can be trying!
Re: Snarling [quote author=maisiesmomma link=topic=10652.msg158453#msg158453 date=1429738838] Maisie reacts badly to the step on the lead trick (it makes her go utterly bonkers, scrabbling at the lead, chewing her harness… it may work for most people but for her it just makes things worse) [/quote] You have to train it, like anything else. So it becomes a cue for calm. On it's own it means nothing to the dog, just like a word means nothing. Start in an environment without distractions...with a dog that's not excited....
Re: Snarling Thanks Julie, but I don't think, given Maisie's particular personality and likes/dislikes, that I want to train it as a cue for her.
Re: Snarling Thanks everyone! So much of what you said rings true! The "play bow" - yep! And the sudden plopping down panting is actually comical, Astyers! He hasn't done it as much. We have been exercising him more. It could be coincidence or not - but now that the days are longer and weather warmer it works. He DID have a running like a mad man episode this weekend with me. I had him outside with me while I was gardening my flower pots on my front porch. I had his leash around my wrist and he was sitting nicely, enjoying the beautiful day.......until he saw my neighbor. He bolted - taking me with him. I landed shoulder first in the bushes and then he dragged me a bit before I realized I should LET GO... My neighbors sweat their 8 yr old Golden was the same way as a puppy and they took pity on me. They took Zac and let him loose in their fenced in back yard and he ran laps like a mad man! I guess I was just an accidental casuality in his way... And thank you Snowbunny for the explanation of adolescence!
