When does it end?

Got a new, young, furry love in your life? This is the place for you to ask all of your questions-big or small! Just remember that you are receiving advice from other dog owners and lovers... not professionals. If you have a major problem, always seek the advice of a vet or behaviorist! Most important is to remember to have fun with your new fur baby.

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Sputnik

It moves? Love- it!

Barked: Sat Jan 5, '13 11:26am PST


	The frustration, agitation, irritation, anger. When does it start to level out after getting a puppy? Don't get me wrong, I love Sputnik, but my patience levels are so low I wanna vomit. Anyone felt like this when you first got a dog or puppy? If so... when did it end for you? Edited by author Sat Jan 5, '13 11:42am PST

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UCH Onyx TT

Do you even- lift?

Barked: Sat Jan 5, '13 12:41pm PST


	Well, I'd say it depends on exactly what he's doing that's vexing you. With an ACD/Aussie mix, chances are he's going to be a high energy, pushy dog into adulthood. In the coming months, his energy levels are only going to go up, and he may become a real brat when he hits adolescence. At any age, keep in mind that a tired dog is a good dog. You have a mix of two herding breeds so you're really going to need to work his mind, in addition to his body. Make sure you're taking him for lots of short walks, getting in lots of play, doing short obedience sessions, and exposing him to as many new things as you can. When you need a break but he's still full of beans, invest in some raw meaty bones or bully sticks to hold his attention. When he's older, I'd definitely recommend looking into sports like herding, agility, nosework, flyball, ect. Anything that works him out physically and mentally will be the best way to tire him out. And of course, it's never to early to start looking for a good obedience class, as ideally you'll want to observe one before signing up.

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Lexus

shy girl

Barked: Sat Jan 5, '13 1:09pm PST


	hmmmm kind of sounds like postpartum depression you are suffering from BOL No I hear ya! 5 month old Sibe.....she is a handful, but I well prepared myself and did as much research as I possibly could and I ask a lot of questions to find the best thing that will work for me and my pup. Onyx has great advice BTW.....a tired dog is a good dog thats for sure.....lots of exercise. Train short happy sessions throughout the day

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Moose

I love sitting- in laps

Barked: Sat Jan 5, '13 1:36pm PST


	If you're not already, get Sputnik in a puppy class. When I enrolled Moose, I enrolled him in an evening class because that's when he had the most energy and for at least one day a week, I wasn't having to work so hard at tiring him out. Also, do you have neighbors or friends that your pup can play with? That's a great way to tire out a pup. Set up regular play dates. Are you doing any training at home? Like working on the basics like "sit", "down", etc? If you do short sessions throughout the day, that helps. Moose had unlimited energy at night when he was younger and I had to work hard at tiring him out. I would run him up and down my street, work on basic commands while out there and bring along a tug toy to play with in between the running and training. Patience is key. If you're short on it, you're going to have to find it somewhere. When I got Moose, I hadn't had a puppy in many, many years and although I knew exactly what to expect, it still was frustrating. But, once we (me and Moose) got a rythym going and created a daily routine and the small amount of training I was doing started paying off, it got so much easier. It does get easier, but only with lots of work. Good luck.

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Sputnik

It moves? Love- it!

Barked: Sat Jan 5, '13 2:00pm PST


	Thanks for all the good advice everyone... I do alot to tire him out. Walking, playing fetch, etc. It helps, but it's not enough sometimes... And I guess I kinda am suffering from PPD lol. The third day I had him home I broke down and sobbed from being so tired and frustrated...

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Moose

I love sitting- in laps

Barked: Sat Jan 5, '13 2:32pm PST


	Forgot to add--I took a 12 year reprieve from owning a dog before I adopted a rescue (Mikey) back in 2008. My life before him was just me and my cat. My morning and evening routines were set and I could come and go as I pleased. Well, by the third or fourth day of having him (he was approx. 1 1/2 yrs old) I was freaking out. My entire life got turned upside down and I wasn't prepared to feel so isolated. And feeling like I may have made a mistake. Not because of his behavior, but because my life of freedom came to a screeching halt. No more morning trips to the gym. No more reading until bedtime or talking on the phone until late or going out spontaneously. All gone. This feeling lasted for about a month. But, once we started getting into a routine it was great. Although the morning trips to the gym have yet to come back. Ugh. It feels as if your life will never be the same as it was, but it will get back to normal in a few months or more. And then you'll have an awesome dog to share it with.

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Sputnik

It moves? Love- it!

Barked: Sat Jan 5, '13 3:38pm PST


	Wow, Moose you're the first one on here to make me feel better about my whole situation. You shared a personal experience with me, and it really makes me feel like this won't last forever. The whole thing with you being isolated, that's kinda how I feel. I used to spend four days out of the week with my boyfried (we've been together for a year and a half) and I'd stay nights with him as well. Before I got Sputnik, I didn't consider the fact that spending days and nights with him were over for awhile, and after a week, I miss basically what was my true home, and him of course. He tries staying here, but its not the same. We're both pretty uncomfortable at my parents house. Plus he's kinda been guilt tripping me into how I haven't been staying with him... But from what I got out of your experience.. I'll be able to stay with him again soon. And that makes me look forward into the future.(: Thanks so much!

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Fritz

Fritz, cats are- fun when they- run

Barked: Sun Jan 6, '13 10:13am PST


	Can you take Sputnik when you go visit your boyfriend? If he isn't a dog person and you have a dog, you will need to think carefully about your priorities.

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Frankie

Cheese? PLEASE!

Barked: Sun Jan 6, '13 11:29am PST


	Hang in there. That is really the only advice I can offer. I think many dog owners at more than one point wonder 'what have I gotten myself into??' - it oftentimes seems a contest of wills. There were many a times little Frankie had me in tears, and I would think, 'how can this little stinker cause so much aggravation...??!' Oftentimes I had to just walk away. If he was doing something 'bad,' like snatching up a sock that S/O threw on the floor, I had to go up to him like it was no big deal, look him dead in the eye, and say a firm 'drop it.' I did learn that just keeping my cool and acting as if 'whatever' was no big deal was what helped. Often a dog will test us to get a reaction, and if there is no reaction or we play it cool like no big deal, they will not see the 'fascination' with whatever no-no they are doing. As the previous poster said, there will definitely be a 'bratty' phase, and you just have to ride it out and use the command words when necessary. If Frankie was truly being a brat, and not obeying the command words, I would casually walk away and/or put him in a 'time out' by crating him or placing him in a room where he could do no damage. Also teaching new tricks or reviewing old ones helps, it keeps their mind focused on GOOD THINGS and nets them the much-wanted attention from their 'master!'

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Gunther

Giant Shih Tzu

Barked: Sun Jan 6, '13 1:19pm PST


	Gunther was my life for a VERY long time. We got him way too young, and he had a lot of behavior issues because of it. Trust me, there were a few times where I sobbed myself and felt like I made a huge mistake. My (then fiance, now Husband) and I were living together at his Mom's house for the first six months of Gunther's life, and it was a HORRIBLE situation. Things didn't get much better until we got our own place two years ago. Things WILL get better, but you're Sputnik's guardian now, and that's what counts. The boyfriend is the one who got him for you, so he needs to understand that puppies are very needy when they're young. My husband did A LOT of the work with me. Why can't you just take Sputnik with you and bring his crate/toys/food/ etc? If your boyfriend got the dog for you, wasn't he ready to have a dog himself? As Onyx said, this is not going to be an easy-going, calm dog. He is a mix of two VERY intense breeds. Breeds that thrive with a job or a sport to do. They are very rarely content with walks and a game of fetch. I would highly recommend starting some obedience training with him. Look up Kikopup on youtube and watch her puppy videos. With this breed mix, his energy and need for mental stimulation is only going to increase. My Husband's best friend grew up with a Cattle Dog, and she was going on ten plus mile hikes at over 16 years old. She was also working cattle long into her old age. So, as far as the "end", it may not come as soon as it would had you chosen a less intense dog!

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