My puppy won't let me sit down!! Honestly, he freaks out. And I am so so so tired. I am totally sitting here nearly crying. A long week at work, a long day, and I just want to flop on the couch for 15 minutes, that is all I am asking (now and all the time that this happens!) I come home from work and I always go straight to him - we play, we go outside and fetch and tug, have a few treats, a toilet break etc. But it happens ANY time I sit down, no matter who else is home, what else is going on, how much he has been played with. As soon as I sit on the sofa, the puppy freaks out. Starts barking and barking. I have tried ignoring him and turning my back, but he juts gets louder and angrier. So, the only thing I can do is either get up and sit on the floor, which is really not relaxing at all and I end up saying forget it and go off and do chores and house work, which I then resent the dog for, and yesterday I sobbed while I did because I was just SO TIRED and only wanted 15 minutes to SIT DOWN!! The other option is me locking puppy in the kitchen. Which is just crap. He's in the kitchen when we are not home, he should not need locking in there when we ARE home. And to get a dog that you then have to lock in the kitchen while you sit in the living room just makes me really upset, yk? I'm not sure how to teach him to stop doing this. It's really stressful. I've come home from work and now have no choice but to sit at my home desk and do more work, because he will let me sit here. It's really really upsetting.
It sounds like all the activities you are doing with him are quite stimulating? Have you tried rewarding him for being calm? So encouraging a sit when you sit down. Then treat. Then treat again and again.. so puppy learns that when your sitting down it’s rewardinf (for him) to let you? How long is he alone all day? You said he’s in the kitchen when you aren’t at home? If it’s just for a few minutes occasionally then I don’t see any harm in him having some quiet time - I quite often crate Maslow when he’s overtired with a nice chew. The peace is bliss!
No he is not home alone all day. About 6 hours in total over a week. It doesnt matter if he is calm or worked up. And it's not anyone else in the family, only me! The rest of them can sit, just not poor overworked mom! LOL!
I agree with Leanne, it sounds like he perhaps associates you with fun and play and just doesn't understand that being calm and quiet with you can be rewarding too?
Hi Kobe, I think this article might help you https://www.thelabradorsite.com/attention-seeking-dog/ You are entitled to carve out some personal space and 'me time' for yourself. It is not a crime to separate yourself from a dog for an hour or two. .
I used to get this a lot too, and still do sometimes. Sometimes I just go upstairs for a minute or two and he calms down because he has learnt that he doesn't have any fun when he barks at me. Now that he is socialising with other dogs and people his attention seems to be a little less fixed on his mum, which is nice. Getting my husband to do more of his training and meals seemed to help too. Now he is a fun person as well!
