I am seeking answers from my new friends here on how you guys handle an energetic puppy that is out of control in the morning when I am trying to get ready for work. My wife leaves early and I am left with Bella and she is out of control in the morning. Bitting me and chasing me around while I am trying to get ready. I already give her a kong as soon as I leave for work. Dumb question??? Give her a couple while I am trying to get ready as well? Just didn't want to over-do it and make her tubby.
It sounds like Bella is being cheeky and playful, she probably wants playtime before you go out. If you can wear her out with play or some training games before you start getting ready she will tire out and be more compliant and then settle and sleep again when you leave. Maisy used to do this on a Sunday morning whilst I was hanging out the washing, running off with socks etc., she was just bored and waiting for me to take her out. After she had a walk and a play she was much more relaxed and not looking for action/destruction. Of course, when they wake up it all starts over again!
Isn't you getting dressed just the best game for puppy?! We had a baby pen for Harley and if we weren't both there so that we could take turns we would pop get in there. Are you freezing her kongs?
Yes I am freezing them. I put a variety of things in them that I have seen on this website. We have a play pen attached to her kennel that we put her in when we go to work so she isn't just stuck in her kennel. She has been doing great on all other aspects of puppy life. Gus is 4 and still doesn't really care for her at all so we have been going through that as well. Fun times
I think @Atemas had some time before her older dog accepted the new puppy but now they are thick as thieves I am sure there were others too but I remember Sky and Red recently. Are there any toys that she really, really likes? That she could get as a special play treat for that time only? Harley LOVED squeaky toys so I put up with the squeaking and she was happy.
Just a quick one on your concern about making Bella tubby with filled kongs - that'a really sensible concern that we share with our pup; it might be a bit OTT for many, but to get round it we weigh out his food and his Kong treat allowance comes out of this. If he has 1 x frozen Kong, it's ~20g kibble so we dock that from his meals. It seems to work pretty well so far and removes the anxiety that he's getting too much fodder.
Is she getting a walk first thing in the morning? I used to walk my boy soon after waking. Sometimes it was dark and cold, but we all needed his walk for all our sanity! It wasn’t long (5 mins x months of age), but enough that he could sniff, wee, and poo. Thereafter he had his breakfast and off to sleep.
I was told that I can walk Loki, 1 week after his final jabs. Loki was absolutely NUTS first thing in the morning last week. Wasn't surprising after sleeping in his crate for 8 hours or so. We just started letting him straight into the garden to do his business then has a you ready for him as soon as he got back in. While preoccupied with the toy, we scatter feed his breakfast then he calmed down after this x
I must confess I had no idea a puppy wasn’t allowed on the ground - my vet nor the breeder said anything about this. Could be that I live in an area of very moddycoddled dogs, all vaccinated. In fact, the day after Snowie came home at 8 and a bit weeks, we were in the dog park, where we spent time every day (till he got bored of it at about three years of age). So... I guess you’ll need to play with her at home. I do remember playing with Snowie in the very early hours because it was too dark to go out - around 5 am in winter - we played a lot of tug, and hide n go seek. I remember wishing I was asleep in bed!!!!! And thinking the best season to get a pup was the start of summer, not the start of winter!
