[Clippart]

Hello!

Kenai is going on 9 weeks old, we've had her 1 1/2 weeks. She is generally a wonderful puppy, but occasionally she gets herself into a frenzy and bites at everything she can see, which includes our calves, ankles, shorts, pants, face, etc. She growls and runs around like a madpuppy also. I've tried spraying bitter apple, shoving a toy in her mouth, yelling "no", all to no avail. Also, when we go outside she shreds my hostas and flowers to bits. I'm just hoping someone will tell me she will outgrow this phase, and that we don't have to worry about having a dog that bites and acts crazy forever!

On the other hand, she has learned "sit" in one day!! She's very smart!

Cathy

 

[blueteal]

Hi there: I just brought my puppy home and he too has these moments when he goes crazy and bites everything. I follow the Book The Monks of New Skete. Excellent book. When Denver is in this mood I very very gently take hold of the scruff of his neck and softly shake, just like his Mom would do to discipline and it is starting to work. The key is to be very gentle and say no.


Blueteal

 

[2doodsmom]

One of my doods did this a lot at first. We learned that it was from getting "wound up." When the frenzy started we learned to go absolutely calm and quiet. No yelling or fuss. Immediately take your dood and crate him with a treat (you're not punishing him, just giving him a quiet place to calm down and encouraging him to go there happily). It's very important that you never give him affection when he's in his crazy puppy mode, but it is also important that he learn to calm himself down.

He WILL outgrow it, but we found with this sort of puppy you have to stay very calm. When we get excited, or mad or upset, I really think they can "freak out" a little. Their instincts are telling them to follow the leader, the calm, assertive one (as Cesar Milan puts it).

As for the plant shredding.... I had to put an underground fence around all my landscaped beds. They are just too fun for a puppy to explore....but the fence works wonders. At this stage they will eat almost anything and you have to worry a little about toxic plants.

Things will calm down pretty soon, but it's training, training, training. Usually I think of myself as the one who needs the training!

 

[Angie]

My doodle is the same at 4 months, do they ever outgrow this? I have had dogs all of my life and have never experienced this type of behaviour, is it the crossbreed?
I love him to bits but it does make you feel afraid that in the wrong hands these dogs will be abused, as they are a handfull.
Otto is so good in the morning and afternoon, it is the evening he goes wild, is this the hunting time?

 

[2doodsmom]

I wish I could PROMISE you that they will outgrow it. I can say thay my George used to be like this a lot and now he rarely does it. He is a year old and I have gotten pretty tuned into what gets him wound up. Whatever it is, when I see it coming, everything stops. I turn my back and walk away, or I crate him and walk away, or I put him outside and walk away. I have actually seen the little wheels in his head turning.... when he's about to do something (like body slam me or put his mouth on me) and I can see him start to do it then stop himself. I DO think it would be a very rare puppy who never mellowed out of this psycho puppy stage. In my opinion this is not a characteristic of the breed, my mom's chihuahua did this as a puppy, but it was funny instead of intimidating. Imagine a 3 lb. little pipsqueak trying out his alpha behaviour.... But some doods are very powerful dogs and it isn't cute at all when they mouth and body slam. That being said, I think most of us here would also say they are very smart and very "tuned in" to their people and will easily train right on out of this stage.

 

[NurseLeslie]

Psycho Puppy

I am SO glad to read this. My doodle is 12 weeks old and He does this. Always in the evening and just a wild man. I know he is excersized alot because we are outside with him all day we walk twice a day. I remember when my kids were little they also would get all wound up and fussy right about dinner time. Interesting observation. Anyway, I'm glad he is not the only one and I am certain he will grow out of it and mellow a bit as time goes on. Until then, we put him in his run and tell him to "settle down". After a while, we come out and start over. Leslie

 

[JennyFrank]

I have to say that I am glad that this subject was discussed. Charlie, our 12 week old puppy, does the same thing around the same time (evening). We call it "mad dog" because he's all wound up and just goes tearing through our house (or outside - depending where we are). I generally don't mind as long as he's not tearing up my plants :lol: Plus, I think this is also around the time that "dad" aka my husband, gets home and he is so excited to see him! Does anyone have trouble walking their dogs when it is so hot outside? I'd love for him to get excercise throughout the day, but often it seems as though he is just too hot.

 

[bdbanddad]

Oh yes the (as we call it at home) the Cujo syndrome. Murphy is 6 months old today and still goes through it from time to time in the evening, when he does it I put on his training collar and we go outside for some obedience training of course with the appropriate treats. It seems that the working calms him down and when we go inside he is fine. I also honestly think it kinda puts him in his place as far as the alpha thing is concerned.

 

[bdbanddad]

I have to say that I am glad that this subject was discussed. Charlie, our 12 week old puppy, does the same thing around the same time (evening). We call it "mad dog" because he's all wound up and just goes tearing through our house (or outside - depending where we are). I generally don't mind as long as he's not tearing up my plants :lol: Plus, I think this is also around the time that "dad" aka my husband, gets home and he is so excited to see him! Does anyone have trouble walking their dogs when it is so hot outside? I'd love for him to get excercise throughout the day, but often it seems as though he is just too hot.

Jenny, it has been terribly hot here in Indy this past couple weeks, I have noticed Murph gets hot pretty quick. Actually the other day when we walked he just plopped down under a tree and looked at me basically saying I need a break. So we sat down for a while. I have tried shorter more frequent exercise sessions. It seems to be working

 

[2doodsmom]

One more little thing I've observed lately about the psycho puppy thing.... Eye Contact. When George gets a little nuts I make sure to make eye contact. Sounds like a small thing, but lately, especially, I think it makes a huge difference.

 

[JennyFrank]

Thanks for the advice. We wil keep working on this and on finding ways to get him through that stage!