In the last week or so we've had trouble with our Jasper going mad in the evenings and becoming over-excited. We've tried taking him out (carrying still of course!) around our estate to hear and see new things but shortly after returning inside in the evening he will often go mad once more. Last week he would eventually flop out on the lounge floor and nap before final garden trip and then bed. We've had more trouble getting him to settle in the last two evenings. Most evenings he is spending jumping up, nipping, trying to jump the gate we have for him to keep him with us in the room, scratching our carpet, attacking our sofa covers, and generally being over-excited we think. We try taking him outside for wee / poo and distraction but he's digging holes and going mad. Holding him and talking calmly to him doesn't help either. Toy distraction doesn't help. The only way we've been able to calm him is to take him in the kitchen and try to give him a few minutes time out to calm down with us either in the room washing up and ignoring him or just stepping outside the door and listening to him. He's going to hurt himself with the jumping around / biting / banging into furniture. Someone from work who has had many dogs over the years (currently has 9!) says that I shouldn't do that as it will only make him worse every time he comes back into the lounge with us. Does anyone have any thoughts on it? We thought removing him briefly from the situation (as we can't leave the room ourselves with him there alone) and then bringing him back would help him calm down a bit? We're worried he will seriously injure himself if we left him with his.
My pup was exactly the same at this age. The only thing that really helped was a bit of time out behind the babygate in the kitchen. If she carried on when she came back to the lounge she went back again. It was a miserable time but it passed.
Do you think he could be over tired? I say this because, I know I expected too much of Red when she was very little. Does he have a crate? I used to play a bit with Red, do a bit of training, a bit more play, then would say 'rest time' and put a few treats in her crate. She would go in and sleep,for a bit. We then got a crate for the sitting room (more to keep her from our older dog) but she continued to have her naps in there. At least we were all together and she definitely needed more naps than I realised.
I find most puppies are an absolute pain in the evenings, but at about 6 months they start to sleep then. There will be lots of advice coming on the forum for you, so take heart. Perhaps introduce clicker training, training wears them out mentally and the body follows. Teaching the puppy to settle by having him on a lead on a rug or mat beside you. Kongs to chew. Pups do get overtired and the threshing about means he needs to crash out.
Thanks @Plum's mum . I had read somewhere, possibly on here, that removing them from the situation can help them calm a bit. My colleague is quite cross with me this morning that I'd been putting him in kitchen behind the gate for break. @Atemas - I do think it is overtiredness. He had been waking after his post-tea nap, going outside, back in for play, and then sleeping once more but he's not been settling down for this evening nap and just going loopy. He does have a crate but we were previously ok with him dozing by my OH's feet at night so we're with him rather than back into his crate in kitchen. Think we might need to put him back in there for a sleep. Maybe he'll get back to the evening naps again in a couple of days. Like you say they need lots and lots of sleep.
I went to a Puppy Party in the evening at my Vets when Red was 10 weeks (before her 2nd vaccination). It was ok but it was good for me to be doing something with her one evening a week even if only for a little time. I then started a Puppy Course when she was 14 weeks (first one documented on here was a nightmare) - a lot of work was done settling on her bed, eating a frozen kong. I did this in the sitting room with her lead on and sat on the floor next to her. Before that time though she was in the kitchen behind the baby gate for parts of the evening. I would do as you do, I would do bits of tidying/washing up - my kitchen had never been so clean .
