Help with Puppy

phoenix1

New member
Hi!

My family and I have a GSD pup that is 9 months old. For the most part, she is well behaved. But the one issue that we have been having with her is. the. Constant. Pacing.

She used to have no problem settling down. She would go to daycare and be worn out for a couple of days afterwards. But now, it is impossible to get her to settle down. She paces constantly and refuses to settle down.

I’ve tried Kongs with her and she has trouble getting the stuff out of them. We don’t have a fenced in yard and there are no parks within walking distance (I can’t drive). We also live on a very busy road and I have an 19 month old human child, so walking her would be a challenge as I am visually impaired and don’t feel comfortable with walking both of them by myself.

I just need some ideas on how to help her settle and calm down that don’t involve Kongs. She’s a very heavy chewer and loves to be outside. But we have no way to calm her down on days when it’s raining. Today is one of those days; she has been pacing constantly and will not settle down but we can’t put her outside because it’s raining.

Please help!

Edit to add something that I forgot to mention. I don’t want anyone to think that she doesn’t get exercise. She does. We don’t have a fenced yard, but we do have a run for her. I also have two boys (19 months and 7 years old) that both love to be outside as well. She goes outside and gets exercise. She also goes to doggie daycare 1-2 days a week for socializing and to give me time to do some stuff without all of my kids underfoot. The issue that we’re having is that she will not settle down after coming inside/coming home. She will pace CONSTANTLY, regardless of how much exercise she gets. Also, there are just days when she can’t go outside, whether it’s too hot/cold or it’s raining.

Thank you
 
@phoenix1 Low effort is feeding by throwing kibble on your lawn or using a snuffle mat. Sniffing is mental exercise for dogs and reduces stress.

Huge fan of Nosework. A short session tires our dog out. It can be done in your house or yard and the “equipment” is inexpensive.

If you have the money & space a treadmill is super useful. Ours loves hers and frequently gets on waiting for us to turn it on.
 
@mjr88 I’ve heard of snuffle mats! I’ll have to try one for her.

Our girl is a heavy chewer. You don’t happen to have any recommendations for good chew toys do you?
 
@phoenix1 Unfortunately, no. Our pup isn’t really into chew toys. We give her bulky sticks (but need to do it sparingly since those are high calorie). We used to give her antlers but she chipped a tooth.
 
@phoenix1 A healthier alternative for puppies are No Hide chews so you might want to try those. They come in a variety of flavors. Our puppy loved them when she was young but lost interest when she turned 2. Our vet highly recommended them.
 
@phoenix1 Try scent games. I did this with my shepherd when he was still a pup (he also went to daycare and stuff but it wasn’t enough) she may just need some extra mental stimulation. Scent games, learning new tricks, giving her a job, etc. you can also talk with your vet about behaviour like this as it could also be anxiety related, and they can usually recommend a good trainer to help with some extra mental stimulation!
 
@stevencwinters First off, yes, we did do research. We have owned German shepherds before. We knew she would be active. We’ve owned dogs that were active before, but not like this.

She does go outside and gets exercise daily. Our yard doesn’t have a fence, but we have a run for her. As long as it is not dangerously hot, bitterly cold or raining, she goes outside and plays with the kids daily. My point is that she paces whenever she comes back in, regardless of her exercise level.

The boys can run her ragged or she’ll come home from a full day at daycare (7-5:30) and she will still pace. I need some ideas on how to help her settle on days when she can’t go outside.
 
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