Hi I'd like some advice on my 12month olds evening time behaviour. Our routine is to walk him then feed him his evening meal. He has his food in snuffle mats, wobblers etc but afterwards he won't settle down. He often bites his beds, pillows and me and scratches at the carpet/rug! This can last up to an hour then he usually just goes to sleep. Firstly, is this normal behaviour? Secondly, or approach is to get him to lie down and reward him, or leave the room if he is biting but it doesn't seem to be working. If it all gets too much we put him in his crate for a bit. Any extra advice would be much appreciated!? Thanks
My dog was a nightmare with evening zoomies when he was young. Just at that time in the evening when all you want to do is curl up on the sofa with your soft calm bundle of fur after a busy day. So, yes, completely normal, just think of an over tired human child throwing a tantrum and refusing to go to bed. If he calms down in his crate then pop him in there until he is well settled then if you want him with you open the door but ignore him in every other way, you may need to repeat this often. Patience and persistence is the name of the game. Keep faith he will grow out of it, eventually.
As @Jes72 says, he will grow out of it! It used to drive me mad and then all of sudden they settle down after evening meal and sleep!
Just a thought, is it worth giving him something to chew? My puppy was chewing for ages last night, then just stepped into her bed and fell asleep for the evening.
