[nsandmilo]

I've wanted a puppy for as long as I can remember. My husband had dogs growing up, and promised me that when we bought a house we could get a puppy. We picked Milo up last weekend, and I was pretty excited about the whole situation.

Two days later, I'm stressed and anxious, in tears about yet another night of poor sleep and worrying we've made a terrible decision.

Milo is a 9 week old Tiboodle - he is incredibly cute, and pretty intelligent. Compared to some puppies we've read about, his behaviour actually isn't too bad - he sleeps downstairs in a spare bathroom we've converted into a puppy play den - so has his crate (open) with blankets from the breeder and a bed, stuffed toys for comfort, chewing toys, a fan for noise, and a puppy potty area separate to his crate. The first three nights we tried using a baby gate to fence off a larger area, but he kept escaping and we were worried about him getting lose and into trouble, so have had to shut the room door. He barked for about 45 mins to 1.5 hours initially, now is down to about 5-10 mins before he goes to sleep. But he barks again when the sun comes up, wakes me at about 4:45am. Feeling tired isn't a great feeling (and I'm a shift worker so already feel pretty exhausted), but I also worry the neighbours will complain about the noise.

He nibbles on furniture, rugs, our feet - he uses his chew toys, but deterring him from chewing other stuff hasn't worked very well so far. He had accidents inside about 50% of the time - he has two separate puppy potty's that he uses about half the time when he's indoors but is very inconsistent - and that's with being taken outside regularly.

My husband and I both know this is normal puppy behaviour and will settle down. Most of the time he's a very gentle, affectionate happy dog. When he gets excitable and nips at people, we both get frustrated - especially because we're trying to train him through positive reinforcement. Ignoring him when he nips at you doesn't seem to work.

I just feel anxious, tired and frustrated all the time. I love him, but when he's acting up I don't like him. I wish we could fast forward this stage. I've cried about him nearly every day, and sometimes think about returning him to the breeder. I hope this stage will pass.

 

[Russian4]

Puppies are a lot to handle. I remember when i got my first pup,i got frustrated but his face won me over every time and i calmed down and said we will try this again later. I would say if he gets up a 4:45 maybe he needs to go potty. Also when you take him outside make sure you wait until he goes potty. It may take some extra time but he will do it. And he will catch on.

My puppy chewed every as well. Along with my moms brand new pair of shoes she hadn't worn yet. Puppies love to chew. Its just what they do.

As far as the nipping goes start bringing him to training classes. Or train him yourself. The dog has fun and you get manners out of it too. I would say when he starts nipping turn and ignore. If you can ignore until he settles down. So he knows its not a game. Or you could try asking him to sit or lay down and wait for him to settle down again. Then calmly praise and just ignore if you comes up and nips again.

Curious what the breed is, because the only thing i can think of is a Tibetan Mastiff x Poodle.

 

[nsandmilo]

He's a Tibetan spaniel cross poodle. We've been doing all the above, except puppy training classes because he's not fully vaccinated yet - he's enrolled to start in them immediately when he's good to go though!

When we're doing clicker training he settles and is very well behaved, so I think we just need to focus on that part of him and remember that the rest will pass...

 

[sassafras]

Sleep deprivation adds a whole layer to the puppy blues. It's normal to feel like you are, but IME once they start sleeping through the night everything feels easier to handle. And if all else fails, they grow up.

 

[cos]

Sleep deprivation adds a whole layer to the puppy blues. It's normal to feel like you are, but IME once they start sleeping through the night everything feels easier to handle. And if all else fails, they grow up.

Cosmo is FINALLY starting to chill out at 10 months, and last night he was so calm I was almost worried he was sick or something. I made him chase me in the yard and get riled up again because it's what I'm so used to. He seemed fine and played and I just thought "Wow. Is this it? Have I really made it?"

 

[AthenaLove]

MissyLo5, it may be more helpful if you actually replied to this post (and others) with an actual answer, advice or suggestions, rather than just posting a link to something you are selling on Amazon.

Thank you.

 

[WhitneysMom]

I am *very* thankful that my puppy was my third dog, rather than my first! Puppy-stage is *so* cute, but *so* hard! But, like having a newborn child, this too shall pass, so quickly that it will make you sad.

And when I got my first dog she was a puppy-mill mama rescue, so she was hard. And I cried and thought I couldn't do it. For two months, I thought I couldn't do it. And then it changed, and started getting better. I lost my first dog 3 months ago, and that was way harder than all the terrible stress of being a new dog owner.

It will get better!

But I know what you mean about the biting. Redirection is better than ignoring. Buy all the dog toys and find out the kind they like best. Have one in every room and when they bite you, redirect to the toy. You will probably have to constantly restock certain rooms, but the effort is worth it.

I have an aggressive chewer, so I buy only Tuffy brand for soft, squeaky toys. Also Benebone is a great and safe chewing bone.

 

[Francl27]

I was in tears all the time when I had my first puppy! Now I've raised 3 and leaning towards getting young adults instead. Too much work.


Your puppy will get used to it and stop crying eventually. The key is to only open the door when he's quiet. Also, it was easier for my last one to just have the crate in the room with us (plus it helps with housebreaking).


Your pup probably has to pee at 4.45am. Take him out to pee, no cuddles, just pee and back in his room.


For the nipping, ignoring is what worked with mine but you have to be consistant, it took about a week for my last one to get it (we got up and left the room).


Housebreaking... keep an eye on him at all times (plus you can stop him from chewing what he shouldn't that way too), take him out every 20 minutes, praise like crazy when he pees and poops outside, rinse and repeat (that's why I like the crate too, if I can't keep an eye on the pup or need a break, in the crate he goes).


All my dogs were basically housebroken by 4 months, and stopped destroying furniture by 6. Praise like crazy when they chew on their toys!! We had to remove the rugs temporarily and one had to be trashed because the dog loved peeing on it...


Anyway, it gets much better!

 

[Littlefox]

It's so much harder to raise a puppy while you also have to go to work, and I imagine shift work adds another level of difficulty. Also for the puppy, since routine is so so important for them.

In terms of getting up early, it is the same with our pup, and he is almost 6 months old now. We were lucky though, that he slept through the night from the start, and he was only 10 weeks old when we got him. We toileted him one last time before bed around 23:00 h, and he was crated at night for the first month until he was almost completely piddle pad trained.
I wonder though, perhaps there is a lot of light coming in through the bathroom window, that wakes your little guy up? If so, you could try darken the room before going to bed. Does he have a cuddle buddy for the night? We put a tough stuffy in his crate to keep him company.

Nipping is completely normal, and a stage that will pass. Redirecting him to a toy and praising him lavishly for playing with the toy will help greatly to curb that. Also walking away from him, helps him understand that this behavior will end the fun and he will be left alone. That's where baby gates are a great tool to have, since you can leave him where he is, and you are the one who takes yourself away from him. Only leave him for a few seconds though, anywhere from 10 to 30 seconds to let him realize what happened and it gives him a chance to calm down.

Have two sets of toys ready, one set for one day, the other set to change it up the next day. It will keep toys more interesting for him, rather than the same toys every day. Get him some puzzle toys for mental stimulation. Food usually makes things quite interesting, and those toys will keep him occupied for a while and it will give you a stretch of time for some peace.

You are doing absolutely great though, and definitely on the right path using positive reinforcement. Your pup is very lucky to get such a great start in life! It is so rewarding to see your pup's love and trust in his or her eyes. Also have a look at "Calming Signals", it is another great tool in your pocket that helps you communicate with your dog, and understand your dog's (and any dog's) body language!