Hi everyone we need a little advice! How do we teach our puppy the difference between play time and calm time. The last couple of nights indie has wanted to play constantly from 5.30 when I get home till bed time at around 10.30. I'm very happy to play with him and we have lots of fun inside and out however when it's 9pm and he is still jumping around and barking with over excitement I imagine it gets on my neighbours nerves. Any more tips to tire him out mentally and physically. He is going for his 1st walk this weekend so I'm hoping this will help. People have said to crate him to calm him down but I really don't want to do that. He sleeps in there as it is and is in n out when were at work. I'm reluctant to put him in for any longer than we already do. Any advice would be great.xx
Re: difference between play time and calm time! Your Puppy is gettinng overexcited so you need to remove the source of excitement from him, by either putting puppy in another room for a few mins or removing yourself from the room for a few mins.
Re: difference between play time and calm time! Are you are his world obviously! It certainly sounds like a case of over excitement....a lot of us have experienced a hyper time in the evening ( we used to call it 'The Prowl' ) but it shouldn't be filling your whole evening.I was very lucky and had the advantage of being able to gate dexter off into the utility room where his crate was placed ...and we'd give him a little frozen kong ,chewing always settled him down.I didn't have this really,young puppy stage ...but at 5 months we used to also give Dexter ice cubes to crunch on and entertain himself with and anything cardboard was kept . ...Loo rolls,kitchen rolls,small boxes,gift wrap rolls...you can put little prices of kibble in and get a little while of chewing self entertainment which generally led to settling down.Being able to walk outside now will make a big difference too x
Re: difference between play time and calm time! Thanks guys, it sound silly but maybe I have spent too much time with him? It's getting to the point where we cant even settle down and watch a TV programme because he wont settle. I've tried putting him in the conservatory our only other room as it is open plan for 5 minutes but he just comes back out bouncing around. I've given him a raw hind bone a little early i know but he is generally good with it, then he will get silly after half an hour throwing it around the living. Me and my partner go to bed exhausted at the moment because we haven't had an evening.
Re: difference between play time and calm time! I keep his toys in a box in the living room where he can get at them, maybe I should put them away out of his reach after a certain time? Thanks
Re: difference between play time and calm time! Hi there! What is his routine during the day, before 5.30pm?
Re: difference between play time and calm time! 3 days a week- We are up at 6.30 for breakfast and then we have about an hour where we play with him tire him out a little before we go to work. He will go in his crate from about 8 till 11 when my grandparents come in and let him out feed him again and has an hour play time. When he was really little my partner would be home at 3.00 from work similar routine and then when I came home at 5.30 it would be another hour of play, more food he would have a nap and then we would have a mad half hour about 8 then he would settle down for the night in his box or by the radiator. At the moment my partner has had to work extra hours so we have arranged for someone to come in at 3 to let him out and have some playtime then i'm in half 5.30. I think the change in shift may be the cause. The rest of the week I work only mornings so im home and then obviously we are in all weekend with him.
Re: difference between play time and calm time! Hi Pippa, this puppy lark is a tiring job isnt it! Theres always something new to worry about, and they are constantly changing! I love all the tips from everyone with more recent experience than me, and i love hearing how you are getting on with Indy. I think the problems you are having are probably caused by the change in routines, a bit like the problems Claudia is having. Now Indy can go out, you will be able to get rid of excess energy. The other tips are great too, i give Izzy kongs to chew and they help calm her down. We have madnes usually around 6 o clock when her and my older dog decide its a good time to play very noisily! We just let them get on with it and after 15 minutes to flop down and rest! Maybe getting another dog would help!!!
Re: difference between play time and calm time! It might get easier as he gets a bit older and copes with that routine. It sounds like you've arranged things really well with care for him during the day, but it's still quite a lot of time on his own, up to six hours, for a really young puppy. You might have to resign yourself to longer periods of interaction with him in the evenings when he has spent a few hours in his crate during the day. Even my 2 year old dog needs this. My boy is super good at being left, but I'm very alert to changes in his behaviour and on the weeks were he has to spend more time than usual alone, he is more active, more excitable and craves interaction when I am with him. A total of five hours alone in any period of 24 hours is my aim, sometimes it gets stretched to six but with an hour's walk by the dog walker in the middle (2.5 hours - one hour walk - 2.5 hours). Some dogs happily do more, but this is the limit for my adult dog without his behaviour changing.
Re: difference between play time and calm time! Thanks everyone, I worry constantly about leaving him alone for periods of time and I know he has lots of energy to burn, he has lots of kongs, toys etc to keep him company. I think some nice short walk this weekend will help as they will be his first and may tire him out a little then I can get him into a really good routine for walks etc. I think ive resigned myself to 12 etc. years of worry Wendy there is no way I'd have another dog at the moment haha, I cant cope with 1.
Re: difference between play time and calm time! Oof, we've all been there. The only thing I'd add is that if he's had attention for half an hour or so, and you decide it's time to stop, try to be REALLY BORING yourself! Like, sit still and don't look at him, even if he's being very attention-seeking, and tuck hands and arms away do he can't grab them. You could also try sitting on the floor holding a chew, and stroking him gently so he gets attention for calm behaviour. Hang on in there- the phase does pass
Re: difference between play time and calm time! Our living room is our quiet room. When they were little we only went in there if they were ready for a snooze. Once they were 5 months old we expected them to settle when we do (around 9pm). Now (7 months and 21 months) we have no toys in there, nothing to do or play with, just dog beds. If they don't settle the get their leads put on. Gypsy needed this quite a lot when she was 5 - 6 months, but she's fine now and goes straight to settle on her bed.
Re: difference between play time and calm time! This is the exact same situation we've found ourselves in during the evening. The advice on her has been great though. A 10-15 minute training session and a frozen Kong did the trick to an extent last night. Good luck. I know exactly what you're going through
Re: difference between play time and calm time! [quote author=badgerstuta link=topic=9526.msg137454#msg137454 date=1421434591] A 10-15 minute training session and a frozen Kong did the trick to an extent last night. Good luck. I know exactly what you're going through [/quote] I second the short training session suggestion. Especially when they are really young a quick bit of training does wonders to tire them out mentally. If Inca has had a day with less human interaction than normal we will still make sure we do some training with her in the evening before we expect her to settle. Not always what you want to be doing when you are feeling tired but it's worth it!
Re: difference between play time and calm time! I go with the training mental stimulation , then boring boring! We only allow tug game in sitting room! Took months but now knows evening sitting room quiet! Bailey 7montgs now
Re: difference between play time and calm time! Thanks everyone will give these all a go. I do try to be really boring at abt 9pm but he will just go off and get into some other type of mischief, will try some of the other techniques. thanks
