I wonder if you could help or advise me so I can formulate a plan? Some background:- My 15mnth dog, widgeon, has lived in our dining room/ kitchen since 8 weeks with a baby gate across. From day 1 he came into the living room in the eve with us. First of all I transported his pen each night so he could get the hang of laying on his blankets and playing with toys. Then after a few months we would leave the pen door open and allow him to wonder round, if he got excited or tried to jump on the sofa he was put back in the pen for a few minutes. All ok so far. After a while we did away with the pen and I would sit on the floor with him (mainly due to the faff involved in disassembling and reassembling the pen) We had some success in getting him to say on his mat using bones or raw hide but if he has no other distraction he spent most of the eve trying to get on our sofa. After more than 6 months of sitting every night on a hard wooden floor, wrestling with a steadily growing puppy, I felt enough was enough and allowed him on the sofa (we have an 8 sweater which curves up one wall with 2 of us on) we put a double blanket down and covered the rest with chairs. Again short term success, he layed next to me chewing toys and then nodded off at about 10pm ish Over the last, say, 4 months he has got steadily worse. He will wait in the kitchen until he's told he can come in (gate open us walking in and out) he will then sit on the floor until given the signal to jump up, then lays for a few minutes, on and off the sofa, up and down the sofa, standing on me chewing my hands and never sleeping. I've tried :- NO, squirting with water, banishing from the room for a few mins (this quickly became a game if chase!) treating for good behaviour, ignoring bad behaviour. I'm loathed to not let him in as we want to spend time with him. We have cut him slack as we both work (although my wife comes home each lunch) and we thought he was just excited. We have since trained him to go into his den (a play pen/create) and lay down while we eat which he does when the oven door shuts. Also if I turf him out into the kitchen he will lay straightaway on his mat and curl up. I clearly need a plan to stick to but would like advise as to were to start. Maybe he needs to be off the sofa?? Thanks
Re: Advise on evening behaviour please Hi Widgeon My Tatze is 15 months old too. I find if I do 15 minutes challenging training with her after her evening meal this really tires her out and she will then settle and snooze wherever I ask her to without problem
Re: Advise on evening behaviour please I would say the things widgeon will do are very good indeed like going into his den when the ovan shuts and waiting to be invited in. You should be very pleased with those. I think trying to tire him out a bit before hand is a good idea. However he has probably unfortunately developed a habit. I had a similar problem with my dogs. I tried to ignore them. It's not easy and he will try every trick he knows but eventually,my dogs anyway gave up. Now they still sometimes mess about but not for long. The other thing I do is I send them for things. Their toys are in the kitchen so I send them for a rope or toy. It occupies them so they aren't causing mischief and sometimes they will decide to have a chew if whatever they've brought. Getting them to use their brain helps to tire them out as well as physical stuff. Not sure I've been if any use but good luck.
Re: Advise on evening behaviour please Does he have a good long walk before you let him in? Unfortunately you allowed him on the sofa, so now he thinks he just has to keep pressing until he gets what he wants If he has been alone during the day, apart from lunch time, he is going to be fizzing with energy, so you need to dissipate that first. If you have been giving him a long walk, then I just hope he grows out of it! My Lab was full of energy in the evenings until he was 6 months old, then he gradually began to settle down.
Re: Advise on evening behaviour please I guess that does make sense. I give him a run and almost always some training in his quest to become gundog of the year (well in my eyes anyway) so retrieving and off lead work when I get home 6.30 till 7.30 ish He then eats and sleeps while we eat. Could it be a good idea to give him further exercise before living room (maybe 8.30ish)
Re: Advise on evening behaviour please It does sound like he's craving both a little more exercise and time spent interacting with you. So probably more exercise and interaction with you will help, as well as maturity. Is there any other times of the day that he could get this? It doesn't all have to be in the evening, if that is too hard for you to fit in. First thing in the morning? Or could your wife take him for a walk at lunch? I know some forum members hire dog walkers to take their dogs out during the day, or maybe something like doggie day care once or twice a week? Keep us posted as to how it goes, I hope you are able to find something that works for all of you!
Re: Advise on evening behaviour please You could try another walk at 8.30pm but make sure it is a good time after he has eaten, risk of bloat!
Re: Advise on evening behaviour please Thanks. He gets a walk and rubs/cuddles in morning before I go to work and she normally walks him at lunch, though only for 10mins prob. I then take him out for 40min - 1hr before diner. I'll try to give him a 15min play after my diner so 1hr after his. I guess just dummy work in the garden will do?
Re: Advise on evening behaviour please We had similar problems with Holly when we first let her into the living room. We quickly learned that she needed a bit of training or (as she grew) a short walk before she would settle. We got into the pattern of taking her for a short walk after our tea (30 min leadwork, nothing too exciting). After that she usually settles with a chew or dozes at our feet. If she's still restless we sit in a cushion on the floor and hold her chew while she settles.
Re: Advise on evening behaviour please [quote author=Widgeon link=topic=7243.msg99878#msg99878 date=1407335924] Thanks. He gets a walk and rubs/cuddles in morning before I go to work and she normally walks him at lunch, though only for 10mins prob. I then take him out for 40min - 1hr before diner. I'll try to give him a 15min play after my diner so 1hr after his. I guess just dummy work in the garden will do? [/quote] I would do some challenging tricks etc that challenge you and him - a tired brain settles far better than a tired body.
Re: Advise on evening behaviour please Edsel is quite the busy one in the evenings from about 5-8 pm. I have found a good walk after dinner and then some games of "find it" and working on learning to bring objects by name has recently helped. He still has nights that all he wants to do is retrieve, retrieve, retrieve! Lori
Re: Advise on evening behaviour please I guess tiring him out would help. I must admit my thought was "will he lie down on command?" I would probably make sure I had a good lie down command, then teach it on the sofa, maybe with clicker, maybe just with treats, and do the extend the time to a treat approach. Just my thought, but then again I have a fairly placid in the house dog (not quite so placid in a field or wood filled with wildlife)
