Please help

[Katarina Harrysson]

I love my dog, I really do, but he takes up all my time and it seems he allways wants more of everything. Tell me what to do?! Please! How much of everything (play, activity, or rest)
He´s 9 months years old.

[Scetwee]

I'm really sorry but my beardie is 9 years old and I can't remember what he was like at 9 months. I am interested in what others have to say though.

Some good (bad?) news is that George is still playful and wanting attention now! He has 3 walks a day totally about 1-1 and a half hours. He does sleep a lot in the day when there is nobody to play with. However when people get home from work/college he comes up for a play, the usual tug toys and balls and cuddles that we all love so much :D He will play till we stop the games by leaving him to play alone then will come back later for some more heheee!!

Do you play on your terms? What I mean is that you don't play when he wants to but that you initiate and stop the play. It might help him to realise that it isn't always playtime when he wants it? I think his age probably has a lot to do with it because he no doubt has a lot of energy and I think they learn a lot through play.

Looking forward to more comments.

Alice

[Katarina Harrysson]

Hello Alice,
I was glad to hear from someone, you. Everything feels so much better at the moment, after speaking to many old and some new friends.
I guess that I do play on my terms sometimes but now after your reminder I think that it might help to be more clear with when it´s playtime and when it´s not. Thanks! I think I have had a problem with realising what a good structure of the day is and how much, play and training is enough, if you know what I mean.

Best wishes
Katarina

[Scetwee]

Glad I could help you Katarina. I don't know if I have the same views as others as it can be difficult to get enough comments on the discussion board. If you find it helps you then please let me know :D

All the best, Alice

[Karen Norteman]

Ah, we remember that stage. Fortunately for us, the two older dogs help to keep the youngest one occupied. Now she's 2 and the boss of everything!

One way to help him understand when it's time for "his time" is to consciously set time aside for a little training or play when you want to do it. Stick to that time faithfully. He'll come to anticipate it rather than expect that all day is "his time." Dogs are sticklers for the rules. You stick to them, and so will they.

It might also help to get him out once a week for a class or a play date.

[Katarina Harrysson]

Nice to hear from you Karen.
We do go out twice with his best friend in the whole wooooorld (it seems), a border collie. They run like crazy and sleeps very well afterwords. We have also started a class of "Rally-lydnad" (I don´t know the english word for it) but my Elton is more interested in the other most unobedient dogs. He was not at all interested in being with me. I did the exact same training at home, no problem. But together with other dogs, not a chance. What to do?

Katarina

[Karen Norteman]

"Rally-lydnad" might be "rally obedience"? Elton is 9 months old, so he might be considered a little old for most of the "puppy kindergarten" type classes. Those usually accept puppies 3-6 months old. You don't really teach the puppies all that much in puppy-K, but they do learn that they still have to respond to you while all those puppies are around.

Don't despair. Keep on doing what you're doing; you're off to a good start. His puppy brain will catch up.

[Sarah]

I sort of miss those days. I don't think I actually saw my dog sleep for 2 years after I got her. It seemed like she was always awake, always fixing me with those bright eyes.

For pure exercise - find a safe place for him to run either offleash or on a nice long leash (like 15') that you can grab hold of in case of emergency. I liked tennis courts and fenced athletic fields at the park (of course, when there were no angry athletes lined up at the gate). Other solutions involved the 'chase the hose' game where you use a garden hose to water the garden and the dog chases the stream all over the place. Very good for hot weather. Also, add another dog to the mix - my sister's dog and my dog used to exercise each other. Throwing anything - frisbee, ball. Most of all, though, long walks. Just long, long rambling expeditions. Choose interesting places, to wear him out mentally - parks, beaches, rocky hillsides, whatever landscape will challenge his brain and his body and wear him down a little.

For the issue of a dog who's decently exercised who's still staring at you thinking "What next? Huh?" I'd suggest a lot of basic housetraining - teach him a long down while you're reading a book, teach him to sit while you're cooking dinner, etc. All you really need is a treat, a short leash and a bit of patience to repeat yourself when he disobeys. He'll probably be thrilled to get the attention; if he's not, he'll quickly realize that staring at you means working.

[Katarina Harrysson]

Hello Sarah nice to hear from you.
Well, I do all those things but I can´t everyday of course. Today we´ve been out with his best friend in life, a border collie. Elton kisses him intensely and I have to tell him NO now and again. But how they run!!! I so pleasing to see...uphill, downhill through water and forrest and hills. And how pleasingly tired they are when we get home... Elton is now soon 11 months old and we have also started to bicykle round our neigbourhood. It´s fun! I almost ran him over but I think he likes it, we do this in the mornings now. I´m hoping this will end his constant shewing on my shoes, walls, doors and sofas when where away at work.
Good idea to train him to sit while I´m doing other things, I´l keep that in mind when fixates me next time. Right now he´s sleeping after his long walk with his best friend. Thanks Sarah.
Katarina

[Susanne Johansson]

Hi Katarina,

Now I found you here as well as on Vovve! Hope you´re training is working out for you. Tack care.

Susanne

[dawn]

I found my border collie was constantly on the go even after 2 hour walk with swimming woodland and open fields to run and explore.We did agility which he loved and good citizen training to silvert standard but the first time i saw him tired was heelwork to music as it was faster paced for tricks and exercise you may have to wait until hes 12 months like agility or they may have puppy classes im not sure.I believe mental stimulation sometimes is whats needed to tire them out. Kongs stuffed and frozen give you a break in between times!!

[Jessica]

While it was years and years ago that my dogs were that young the oldest who recently passed on could be a demon at times. We lived in Michigan at the time and she would run around and steal our mittens and hats in the morning while we were trying to get ready for school. We had to play with her constantly. Things got a little better when she was two and we got another puppy- she had someone to keep her company. Misty died of bone cancer and pretty much up until the very end she was wanting to play and run around constantly. You need to set the grounds now and train your dog well. Our yard in MI did not have a fence and my father spent a lot of time training Misty not to leave the yard and she wouldn't- she would stop and "ask" permission first- even to get her Frisbee. It is really important for puppies to be socialized and to be around a lot of people. We were always getting comments on how well behaved our dogs were/are around other people. Owning a Beardie is one of the greatest things but it also takes a lot of time and love. My parents are debating whether or not to get another one. Stormy (our only Beardie now) is 13 and having health problems but with my brother in the Navy and me away at college there really isn't the support system there for a puppy. Good luck! I envy you because you are starting off a wonderful and hopefully long relationship (and mine are coming to an end). I love my dogs more than anything and we will never consider any other type of breed.