There is a light at the end of the tunnel

[ginene]

Just thought I’d share it does get easier! My pup is 10 months old and though there are still some challenges I feel like we are getting into a good flo w again. Our pup was waking up at 5 am, playfully nipping my kids all the time, chewing up any thing he could find and had endless energy at the most unfortunate times. He now shares a room with my daughter and will stay in his crate until she gets up at 6:30 am. The kids can walk around with out the fear of their calves being nipped and he hasn’t chewed up a shoe in a while. I was so worried he’d nip for ever, a helpful skill that we taught him which may have helped was to actually bite so we could teach him to respond to “no bite” and to speak so we could teach him “quiet” ( which he knows but doesn’t always answer) and freezing any type of pb treat when we need a moment of quiet with him. He still goes in garbages, chewes up any head band he can find and barks if being kept outside when he doesn’t want to but over all he finally feels like a member of the family and not just a little shark running around.

Just thought someone might need to read that because at 5 months I was scared adopting him was a terrible mistake but now he’s my best bud!

 

[loujohn]

@ginene This gives me hope! My 7-mo old is sooo mouthy ALL THE TIME, I can’t keep anything on the floor, and have to keep eyes on her all the time. Always hoping we’re not accidentally instilling bad habits and that she’ll just grow out of certain behaviors

 

[rogerroger]

@ginene I waited so long to get my daughters a puppy because I knew it would be so much work. We finally got one a couple weeks ago and she was biting a lot. Today was a great day and I showed how to say ow when she bites too hard and reward her when she stops. I was worried that it was a mistake myself but today we made so much progress!

 

[ilcfbicaas]

@ginene My dog was a demon as a puppy.

His zoomies were chaotic filled with biting and other destructive behavior. He chewed everything and anything so I had to watch him like a hawk. And I'm saying this as someone who'd been raised with dogs, including puppies, my whole life. There were sooooooo many times that I would think "What have I done?" I'd even hid out of his reach and cry because I was so overwhelmed.

We got through that phase eventually. I had to buckle down on training and make sure he got enough activity. We now get compliments on how friendly and well-behaved he is. He is my snuggle huddy. I cannot imagine my life without him.

 

[escapewoman]

@ginene Love to hear it! My pup just turned 8 months and it has slowly gotten better. We are 3 days out from her spay and it’s been challenging containing her energy and frustration. She started chewing when she went into heat and I’m hoping the spay will further resolve that issue.

It’s all getting better but I still feel so distracted by her needs during the work day. It’s always so great to read these “it gets better” stories.

 

[alexm961]

@ginene My girl is almost 3... She made me want to rip by hair our every day until she was like 1.5 years old. She slowly improved after that.

The other day we went into a new training class and she blew it out of the park.

Sometimes you don't see the progress because it's just slow and small things each day... But people definitely see the dog you end up with.

It's so hard when they're young, especially if you got the crack mutt variety like me, but they're going to be great, and there will be a day you can't imagine life without them.

 

[dj97]

@ginene Please be a dog trainer.

 

[rblaw]

@ginene It can honestly be shocking how quickly their behaviour can improve in a short amount of time as they grow up if you're consistent with their traininf.

Sometimes they can start being shits again as they become adolescents, but - again - if you're consistent, they'll grow out of it.

Good job sticking with it!

 

[ljmyers]

@ginene I really needed to hear this. I have an almost 4 month old puppy, and I just needed to know that there is a light at the end of the tunnel. So many struggles with the biting and behaviors that I just can't wait for her to get better. The waking up at 5am is a big one .. I need sleep lol she is a good girl and is so smart! She is already potty trained, which has helped. we don't have to struggle with that, too!