So glad that things are turning around for you both! It really is amazing how quickly things can turn around once you have some understanding of what is going wrong and some proper advice on how to fix it. You are bound to still have incidents with your pup and maybe even times you feel you can't cope (life with a puppy, in other words) so don't hesitate to keep asking questions or come on here for a vent. We all do it!
So uplifting to rad through this , and especially the excellent conclusion I think we all feel more than a little daunted at times , when our new member of family turns into a wild animal , but you have proved that by following good advice , the animal can be tamed Its just lovely to build a bond of love
Thanks guys. have recommended this forum to 2 of my friends who have just got a pup. I told them to just follow whatever you read here to the hilt and things won't be so difficult anymore.
I've enjoyed reading about the transformation of your pup following this excellent advice. When we first got Snowie, both my husband and I were working in offices (we both work from home now much of the time, which no doubt Snowie loves!). For Snowie's first six months of life we never ever left him alone. If we couldn't be with him, we found someone to be with him. I had read that the first six months are critical to building confidence, and leaving such a young pup alone could have negative consequences. We are lucky that we have a housekeeper three times a week, and the other two days she works for my mother. On one of those days Snowie went to my mom's flat (and chewed an antique table leg... but that's another story!). And on another day he went to doggy daycare. I always took him for a morning walk before work. Mid morning and mid afternoon our housekeeper took him to the park around the corner where lots of other dogs came, so he played with them -- about 1.5 hours in total. When at my mom's flat (not near the park) she took him for a walk around the grounds of the apartment block a couple of times during the day. After work I took him for a walk. All walks were short, being careful not to over-exercise him. In the evenings we did some training, and also did the treasure hunt like you mentioned -- isn't that a lovely way to tire them out?! This setup worked really well. The only destruction in our house was when he pulled a skirting board off the wall while I was working from home and in a work meeting, attached to my computer with a headset and unable to stop him. Otherwise he didn't chew anything save for a few teeth marks in a wooden stool. On the days you work in an office, can your housekeeper take him out for walks where he can sniff the surroundings, the pavement, a tree, the ground? Being exposed to different scents and sniffing them is such an exhausting activity for a puppy, and he should sleep soundly after that.
Hey MF, Thanks for sharing! Max is doing great and I personally take him to walk twice a day (10 minutes each) to a dog park, where he then plays for 15-20 minutes with other dogs. He has become extremely friendly now! Regards, Saurabh
