I have Luis, a 13 week puppy who has over the past few nights decided he just wants to bark at the door and go outside. He has had a few little walks, he has been toilet. We sit with him to play and he wants to bite our hands off (we replace hand for toy), he wants to hump me or my daughters, goes crazy if he hears his dinner bowl, I’m slowly beginning to lose my mind
Puppyhood is quite demanding at first but it soon passes -you’ll look back in a year and wonder where the time went and by then you’ll have a beautiful adult dog. A few ideas: Put a few pieces of kibble in a clean plastic bottle, without a lid and give it to your puppy to chase around. It’s noisy but fun. Get hold of some cardboard boxes large enough for your pup to climb in, and occasionally knock out the bottom to make a sort of cardboard tunnel. Molly loved playing with these. While your puppy is very small get some rice bones -you hold one end and pup chews the other (yes they will still get in the odd nip but it helps).
One mayor thing I remember, and still is doing, is teaching the dog to chill. I believe it's called passitivity training. You basically hold the pup in a way they are comfortable in and sit with them until they calm down and/or fall asleep. I've heard it's important since pups tends to get tired to the point that they're not feeling it. The humping is (what I've heard of atleast) a sign of stress.
Hi and welcome to the wonderful world of puppies!!! I know, it seems so unfair, this is not what you signed up for... Unfortunately puppies are much more full-on than one would expect, but the good news is that this very difficult stage will pass quickly. At 13 weeks I remember we were suffering badly from sleep deprivation (puppy wouldn't stay in his crate past 4:00 am), and my husband was getting to the point of desperation... It all passes, and soon you will have a wonderful companion. Hang in there.
Cardboard boxes are very useful - our boy would rip them to shreds, great fun. Rather messy to clean up, but oh so worth it. Also toilet roll and paper towel cardboard inners - great for chewing and ripping up.
Yes, you have a very normal puppy. Everything is exciting and fun to a pup! Here is lots of good advice - https://www.thelabradorsite.com/excited-puppy/
Ahh...I remember those days! It was full on and we barely kept up with Bowie (my lab) but it would get better. Don't be afraid to remove yourself and ask for professional help if it gets too much I wrote my personal experience here, if you're interested. Try to enjoy the puppyhood stage - it'll go so fast! Kinna miss it now
I loved reading your blog Riesa and I can relate 120%. Maxx was exactly the same and there was a time just after Christmas when we seriously considered finding him a new home. He was 10/11 weeks old and we were exhausted, lacerated and he was completely out of control every minute unless he was asleep. But now a mere 4 weeks later he is 15 weeks old and already showing maturity and we can leave him to play on his own for quite long periods (behind baby gates or outside in a restricted area away from the good plants!) and the biting and chewing is decreasing. So anyone going through the puppy blues please just wait it out as it will pass and you will be so thankful you didn't send him/her away
Lol, lovely story Reisa, and I too can remember and relate too. I remember being bitten so much on my hands that caused a sereve infections to them that I had to be treated as an out patient at the local hospital and receive IV antibodies everyday for at least 2 weeks. They were horrible. I also remember us being puppy obedient school flunkies too at the first class we went to. Everyone’s else’s puppies were being so good and well behaved except mine. He was the Marley and me dog and refuse to listen at all to the instruction. I also remember being pulled to the side at the end of the class and the instructors weren’t too friendly about my disruptive puppy, they were like, Maybe it’s because your hands are in bandages(due to the infections) that maybe he’s not listening to you. I was like, hey it’s because of these bandages that I’m able to spend even more extra time with him because I had to take a leave of absence from work til they healed. needless to say, I chalked up the money spent on the whole lessons and went else where. Those perfect dogs weren’t doing to much to help us with any confidence, lol.
