# When do they calm down?!!!



## PippinsMum

Hi everyone!

So Pippin is 4 months old this week and I'm exhausted! I feel like I can never just sit down and be with her unless she's asleep. I have to keep an eye on her every second while she is out of the crate because she tries to turn EVERYTHING into a game. The curtains, blanket on her crate, door mat, digging the carpet/ lino, basically I think the longest I can sit down when she's out is 5 minutes ad that's pushing it. Is this what other people have experienced too?

I'm finding doing anything else really difficult, for example I have an orange I wanted to eat about an hour ago still sat beside me! It's totally not helped by the fact I'm a single puppy parent and I have no one to cover when I'm home.

I wondered when this type of behaviour calms down? I've been told that the adolescent period is awful and that starts around 6 months(great!) so I'm aware it gets worse (how much worse though?!) before it gets better but some people have said a few years.  I was just wondering with cockapoos in general what people have experienced? I was hoping she would calm down at some point when she gets older, I know they're high energy dogs and when she can she will get lots of longer walks but at the moment we're limited to the 2 x 20 min walks a day of lots of training (we get homework from puppy training classes to practise every week) to try and wear her out mentally too. She also has lots of toys I circulate to keep fresh and I do spend a good amount of time playing with her too.

Any advice would be amazing, this puppy time is HARD!:huh:


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## Milliesdad

Millie was 1yr when she settled down. Make the most of it because one day the time will come when you'll wish she was a puppy again, just look at the funny side and enjoy.


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## Claire&Oscar

welcome to the mad crazy world of Cockapoo ownership!! I think a lot of us can relate to the fluffy whirlwind that takes over your life and leaves you exhausted! We have had Labradors for years but decided to get a 'smaller more manageable' dog when we sadly lost our last lab...... We had forgotten how tiring having a puppy is, but add onto that the energy, bounce, activity and madness of a Cockapoo and we were as shell shocked as you are right now! But it does get easier....honestly!!
Oscar is now 8 months old and although he still has crazy moments (like the zoomies when he runs around like a crazy thing) he is great fun and good company. He needs a good mix of exercise, training and play but not in the same relentless manner that a puppy needs. His major vice at the moment is destroying his toys as he is an aggressive chewer, but thankfully he only chews his toys (so far....!) although he does have a lot that I rotate. 
I would say that once you can take Pippin out on more interesting walks and a good run in the garden you will see an improvement as a tired happy dog will be less demanding and give you more downtime. In the meantime we also found that Kongs and toys that we could put some of his food in meant he had to work out how to get the food and that kept him occupied and challenged as mental exercise also tires them out. 
Stick with it and you will soon have an enjoyable companion!!


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## Jeanlp

Hang on in there - it will happen! I am also on my own with a now 18 month old Cockapoo (Amber) and can so identify with all that you say. If my experience is anything to go by, if you stay consistent with your training (which is hard to do when they seem to do their own thing in spite of it), you will find that it starts to click, in my case around a year old, albeit a gradual process. They start to co-operate more often than not instead of assuming that no matter what you do or say, they have the option not to comply!
What really was the turning point for Amber was the arrival of her first time 'on heat' (at 16 months - which I understand is fairly late for a small dog). She had a bit of a tough time, but came out the other end deciding that she was now grown up and what I asked of her was not that unreasonable! Its as if someone flicked a switch. A couple of months further along, I couldn't wish for a better behaved, easier dog. She has the very occasional rebellious deafness, but only very rarely.
I really am incredibly proud of her but, guess what, I miss her puppy antics on those days when I'm feeling up to them. She still enjoys fun and games, but she also enjoys a jolly good sleep several times a day too. 
Try to enjoy you little one, you will miss aspects of that high octane puppy when it mellows.


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## Cat 53

Could you be over doing it on the stimulation front. They do need lots of sleep. I mean lots. The trend should be....sleep, wake up, toilet, breakfast, a walk, sleep........wake up, toilet, training, quiet period, sleep,......wake up, toilet, lunch, toilet, cuddle sleep......wake up, toilet play, quiet time sleep.....wake up, walk, tea, quiet time sleep, wake up, toilet, snack bedtime. So any activities last no longer than a few minutes and puppies do need a quiet time. Otherwise, like over stimulated toddlers they can't switch off and end up bites and growly! As for your curtains etc' if they are floor length, put them up out of the way for a while. Puppydom is hard work, but the secret is to factor in cuddle time with sleep time so you can eat your orange,mhave a cuppa, read a book or watch some telly. It's all doable with a puppy and very enjoyable too....and when older, you can share that orange with your dog!


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## LuckyCockapoo

We were lucky with Lucky, he's a pretty calm dog really. He has a mad hour most days but is pretty easy and chilled most of the time. At 5 months (today!) he's safe to have the run of the house with supervision. We did a 4 hr non stop car journey on Sunday, he just slept. 

From the day we got him I have tried to stimulate him - we have play sessions, we hand feed and train him with a good 1/3rd of his food, always toys available, etc. But when it's not such times, he only gets low energy attention. The way I figure it, how you are with them amps them up or calms them down. I literally think of it as me managing his energy level. I keep to a schedule with him too, not strict but certain times of day are def no attention times (I work from home). 

He has his moments... most of the time I can put this down to not exercising or stimulating him enough. Then he wants me to chase him and will go bonkers around the garden. 

And he's not some super chilled dog. Today he was in daycare as we had work commitments, and when I picked him up he'd had pretty much 9 hours of non stop chasing and wrestling with another Cockapoo. 

Try thinking about your energy levels with her and if you're contributing to amping her up or calming her. May work?


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## PippinsMum

Thanks so much everyone it's so good to hear they do calm down eventually! I'm sure at some point when she's older I'll miss the puppy antics but for the moment I do feel like sometimes I have a demon puppy!

Interesting the first heat changes things, I'll be having her spayed a few months after this as recommended by my vet. I never thought I'd say this but bring it on!




Cat 53 said:


> Could you be over doing it on the stimulation front. They do need lots of sleep. I mean lots. The trend should be....sleep, wake up, toilet, breakfast, a walk, sleep........wake up, toilet, training, quiet period, sleep,......wake up, toilet, lunch, toilet, cuddle sleep......wake up, toilet play, quiet time sleep.....wake up, walk, tea, quiet time sleep, wake up, toilet, snack bedtime. So any activities last no longer than a few minutes and puppies do need a quiet time. Otherwise, like over stimulated toddlers they can't switch off and end up bites and growly! As for your curtains etc' if they are floor length, put them up out of the way for a while. Puppydom is hard work, but the secret is to factor in cuddle time with sleep time so you can eat your orange,mhave a cuppa, read a book or watch some telly. It's all doable with a puppy and very enjoyable too....and when older, you can share that orange with your dog!


@Cat53 thanks for your comment- I guess my problem is with the so called quiet periods is that she's always trying to stick her nose in something and get into trouble so I have to go over and stop her from doing it and redirect with a toy. So I feel like that one's a bit of a catch 22! What I've done just now is put her in her crate for 15 minutes to calm down as she had the zoomies. That definitely comes from her being over stimulated/tired but all I did with her was take her for a 15 minute walk and then not particularly play with her or anything. But what she was doing was digging in the garden (no idea how to stop her as she gets so into it), running around, jumping up at her toy box, playing with the doormat etc etc so it's like she works herself up! Perhaps we need a few more crate breaks of an evening when I'm back home! When you say cuddle time, this is basically non existent- she won't sit still long enough for a cuddle she's just so inquisitive! The only time we have a cuddle is in the morning when I let her out of her crate. 

@LuckyCockapoo thanks aswell! So she's actually really good in the car (YEY!) but when you say you give him low energy attention do you mean basically keeping an eye on him and intervening if you have to? It sounds like me and Pippin have a similar schedule apart from the fact I don't work from home and have a feeling her being crated when I'm at work (with visits during the day though) might be contributing to her behaviour. I'm a pretty chilled person and chilled with her (we even tried yoga this morning as I'm training to be a yoga teacher but that culminated in her non stop barking at me :/) so I like to think I'm not contributing to her craziness but will be ultra perceptive of myself to see!


I do put it down to puppyhood though, I can't wait to come out the other side albeit with slightly higher blood pressure, a half dug up garden and tatters for curtains arty::XD: but hopefully a wonderful dog and companion which was why I got her


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## Cat 53

Seems you have a high energy girl"...so what interactive games do you play with her and what interactive toys has she got? You could redirect her digging to a sand pit type area. Freeze a Kong stuffed with goodies. Hide treats under pots. Play hide and seek in the house. She might be ripe for Agility when she's a little older, or fly ball. I think Lexi and Beamers Mum had a toy treat thing, that the dogs had to work out how to open. How long is she left alone during the day. Am wondering if doggy day care might be worth a try.


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## LuckyCockapoo

Yes, as I work from home I can keep an eye on him and let him roam free (usually just in the room I'm in), so he gets some freedom and stimulation in that but it's low energy - not play. Mostly it means he sleeps, but he has a sniff around and chew and gets regular toilet breaks. I do have to have walks and/or play sessions and training too - this is the higher stimulus time. Basically I just kind of schedule. 

Kongs are great. As are bulls pizzle for chews.


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## Lexi&Beemer

You may also want to try a raw meaty bone like a beef rib. It's pretty energy draining for my two to work on pulling at the meat and fibers off a rib. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## ols123

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## ols123

Lexi&Beemer said:


> You may also want to try a raw meaty bone like a beef rib. It's pretty energy draining for my two to work on pulling at the meat and fibers off a rib.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


@Lexi&Beemer - how young were the two before you start giving them raw beef rib? It sounded like a good and healthy idea. I'm trying to find some stuff for my Lea to chew on, instead of chewing me


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