# 10 month old driving me crazy



## Dorinda

My 10 month old boy was neutered about a month ago and seems worse than before, if that's possible. I have no peace and have given thought to re-homing. I love this boy so much though. He has been to the trainer a number of times and boarded there for 9 days. He absolutely will not stay in the crate. Has managed to move it through a doorway and about 15 feet. He bites at me and paws. Last week he dug at the bed until he tore the sheets. He runs and plays with my daughter's lab. He ate my glasses for the second time this morning when we came in and I was getting a cup of coffee. When he is calm, he is the sweetest little lover boy. Will he ever calm down and be enjoyable?


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## Lexi&Beemer

It does get better. He just has a lot of energy. I know it's work but is there a big field he can run in and in a secure place? Or take him on a run. Lexi and Beemer at 10 months had energy that wouldn't stop. They played for hours all day at daycare and then I'd be at the dog park where they would run around for another hour or two at least before they were tired enough. And then they turned about 18 months and suddenly a light switched. Now they run for just 15-30 minutes at the dog park and can sleep away the day. It just takes a lot of energy from you now but it does get better and the time you spend now will just strengthen that bond you have. 


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## Marzi

Mmmmmmm it does get better but honestly only if you are prepared to put in the time! They are active bright dogs. Dot is 4 and is now (mostly) lovely in the house and has (mostly) given up open cast mining in the garden. However she does have 3 good walks a day with lots of opportunity for chasing her ball. 

I also do training with her and this makes a huge difference - not so much the classes but the practicing at home. She works really well for clicker and treats; it improves her focus and increases the bond between me and her. 

Mad as she is - she is not (or ever has been) as relentless as my border collie and mad as she is I would have another tomorrow - I love her character, I love the snuggles and I love her clowning - she makes me laugh out loud several times a day. There is not a mean bone in her body and she loves me wholeheartedly. Perfect!


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## 2ndhandgal

My friend describes cockapoos as a lot of dog in a small package and I think that sums them up perfectly.

Training will get their brain working and I find making them think wears them out more than any amount of physical exercise (although they do also need the right amount of exercise too of course) 

Moving a crate that far sounds like he was very distressed inside the crate so I would be avoiding that and maybe use a safe room if he does need to be confined for any periods instead of a crate. If you do want to crate train I would start from scratch using Susan Garrets Crate Games so he learns a crate is a good thing not a bad place - although if he has bad associations it is going to be an uphill struggle to get over that.

If he is a thief for now you need lots of management and making sure nothing is left in his reach, lots of things like kongs are good for this sort of dog too, so no reason he can't work for his meals instead of having it delivered in a bowl.


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## Gaynor59

Please don't give up yet, my Louis is 10 months now, we always had to make sure everything was out of reach, but slowly getting better, if he does get hold of something he shouldn't have he brings it and sits in front of me as if teasing me, he really just wants me to chase him, he goes out for about 2 hours a day, now getting to he stage where he just lies down most of the day, but has to be in same room as me, am hoping to get on top of that soon, his love for me is the reward for it all.










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## Alinos

Nothing was safe from Zorro if left on the ground or wherever he could reach. Lost a pair of fav shoes before I learnt better. But I l learnt that he needed to be tired out to be calm. Lots of playing fetch in the yard. Lots of brisk walks. And gradually it all calmed down. He will not chew anything now that he's not supposed. It does get better. Just need time and focus. 


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## PippinsMum

Hey Dorinda,

You have my sympathy! I have the same with Pippin (now 6 months), I literally can't sit down for a second with her before she's doing something else naughty, although her thing is digging- the carpet, the sofa, the mat (she bloody loves the mat), the lino.... and don't even get me started on her digging outside. I don't even care if my garden gets wrecked, it's more the incessant mud getting run into the house which I then have to spend time cleaning I don't have. I'm not sure I have the strength to cope with her anymore (single puppy parent here). I'm at the point now I've just started considering the possibility of rehoming her, I love her to bits but I just never get a second to relax and am I'm just bursting into tears spontaneously now. It's all so much harder than I thought it would be, and I knew it would be hard!

I'm going to try and build her a sandpit to dig in in the garden, and will wait until after she has been spayed and then will make a call re rehoming I think.x


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## cfriend

Just a word of caution. Having a dog is hard. Zelda is similar she has a ton of energy at 11 months and gets into everything if not put away. She drives me absolutely insane sometimes but I would never think of rehoming. Your dogs are still young not even a year and there is a lot of training involved into getting them to be calm and well adjusted. Try some shaping and capturing. Like rewarding all calm periods. Dogs are opportunistic and every behavior that leads to a good outcome for them will increase (the good and the bad) of they are successful at stealing things that behavior will increase too. So put away everything eventually they will lose interest. Try some mat training to reinforce calmness. I recommend the book Train your dog like a pro by jeann Donaldson.


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## Lightyear

Can I just ask how much he is being exercised, how many walks he gets a day and for how long, how far ?

Humphrey is definitely an active dog but exercise certainly calms him down, he is nearly six months now and getting better all the time but is mad as a box of frogs if left alone for 3 or more hours.


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## PippinsMum

*Update*

So just an update guys- doesn't help I was having a particularly bad anxiety bout when I wrote my last post... anxiety + 6 month old pup doesn't go together too well!

Pippin gets the max amount of exercise for her age (1 hour) plus an extra couple of cheeky walks, games in the garden etc etc so it's definitely not an exercise issue- I think it's just her age!

What really helped me was the lady at dog training suggesting stopping feeding her from her bowl and making her work for ALL her food, because she's hungry she really does work for it where before I was feeding her THEN giving her a Kong or whatever when she didn't then have the motivation to work to get it! No only does this occupy her but has given me some precious minutes back. I also give her a frozen chicken leg/ wing every occasional meal time which also occupies her for a bit!

She's started barking for attention now but I just ignore her or leave the room, and with the digging this has decreased too- certainly inside as I just started to ignore her rather than tell her off and though this has meant I've had to sacrifice some Ikea shoe boxes it seems to be working. 

What I've learnt is that she tends to go through bad phases of behaviour- hopefully once she realises it gets her no where these will abate.

Hopefully the above advice might help someone else who is having a hard time of it- it IS hard- no amount of pre reading can prepare you for having a puppy!!!


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## cfriend

Sounds like you're doing an excellent job! There is a coupe on Facebook called canine enrichment that constantly posts new and interesting ways to occupy your puppy.


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