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Originally Posted by changa  Our puppy is 10 weeks old and even though he's a lot of work, we love him to bits. He's taken to the crate very well and has had only a few accidents in the house, all of which were our fault, of course. We've let him have a bit more space downstairs now (from living room only to l.r./dining/kitchen area) and he's able to go up and down the stairs to his crate on his own. I've got him on a schedule and he's great on it. During the day I take him out of the crate for about an hour at a time and play with him, train him, he eats, eliminates, and he's generally a good dog the whole time.
The problem is he seems to really wake up at night and get really hyper. We train him, play fetch outside, let him graze in the backyard, play tug of war, etc. but no matter what from about 8:30 to around 10 he's go go go. This is also when he is likely to nip and jump on the furniture, which is a no no. We have to tell him repeatedly to get off and after about 5 times he does a frustrated growl and goes to do something else. Is this normal?
Also, I'd really love some other suggestions for getting his energy out. My vet told me I could not take him anywhere until his shots are finished at 16 weeks and it is driving me CRAZY not to be able to walk him or take him places, because he calms down after meeting other people.
Thanks for any replies. I'm so glad I found this forum...it's a lifesaver.  |
If you puppy is healthy and a normal puppy I only have a second but wanted to say DO NOT wait to take him anywhere until he is 16 weeks old. This is not okay. He needs to be properly socialized, and has had some shots. Take him out with you everywhere, at least one new place a day, more on weekends, get him out on walks daily, to the bank drive-thru with you, to get your oil changed, bring treats for others to feed him, and so on. This time now is the time to mold him and train him and expose him to as much as possible as far as good experiences. I would not recommend dog parks or places where lots of loose random dogs are that you don't know if they are vaccinated at all or if they are nice to puppies, etc.
I will echo that puppy training classes are a must at a nice place, try to find something different than Petsmart. Puppy kindergarten is a must to keep his mind active among other things.