Advice needed on some minor behavior issues

D

Dore0021

Forums Regular
Hi All,
Just some advice needed on my converted show sheltie ;-)
Background for those who don't know. Show pup, just came from breeder was kenneled (not raised in home). 14 months old. Not yet neutered. Super sweet boy who LOVES to be pet.
Some minor issues we're having -
He sleeps in crate, as soon as the alarm goes off or he senses movement in the morning he starts barking and waking everyone up. I'll take him out (and he goes CRAZY!!) and put him outside to try to calm him in the fenced area and he's barking and jumping up at the patio door until I let him back in. He won't even go pee.
I know you're not supposed to give them attention when they're crazy like that but it seems he won't calm. When I let him in from outside I give him his food and then put on his leash and we go for a walk. He's calm(ish) on his walk and is fine by the time we've returned home.
What can I do to make morning's more calm??? Advice would be much appreciated.
 
Do you cover the crate at night? Also do you go outside when you first put him out in the morning? He may need reassurance that you are with him and going outside may make the difference. It is a new area for him so he needs to learn the boundaries of what is and is not acceptable.
 
Can you tell what he wants? Is it his food? Or his walk? Or attention?

My dogs jump up immediately when the alarm goes off, and Lexi sometimes barks if she gets too excited. The best thing we did was to implement a routine. The dogs get up, eat breakfast, and go outside. If they bark too much before breakfast (what they really want), they have to wait.

I would also encourage you to maybe walk him outside with his leash on and wait for him to potty when you take him out first thing. You have to teach him that first thing in the morning it is not play time, it's potty time. Walk him around the yard, if he potties, give him a treat and reward him with some attention/play. If he doesn't, bring him back in and crate him or ignore him and try again a few minutes later. I bet it won't take him long to figure it out.
 
Exciting times at 6am

To me, it really does just seem like over-excitment. The reason I usher him outside is because I'm in the bathroom getting ready for work (before our walk) and I don't want him to wake up everyone else.

Tomorrow I'll try feeding him immediately. Putting him outside in the fenced area while I finish getting ready (I'm talking like 5mins), and then go grab him for his walk.
Thought I'd prefer not to do this on weekends :eek2: lol.

What I'd REALLY like to do, is leave him in his crate while I get ready. Bring him his food, throw my lunch into my lunchbag and then go out for our walk. But if I leave him in his crate he's having a fit to get out. And when I let him out he's barking, jumping and running throughout the house. Waking my husband and 2yr old up. Sigh. I just want a calm morning haha
 
And yep, I cover his crate at night. He's AWESOME going to bed. Doesn't make a peep until around the time my alarm goes off (6:15) but it seems once he's up he's up.... and there's no shhhhing him :-)
 
Try feeding him with a treat dispenser (or a treat bottle which is just a used plastic water/soft drink bottle with kibble sized holes cut out). He can focus on getting the kibble out while you get ready.

I wouldn't worry about him not toileting when you put him outside. Mine don't toilet until we go on our walk, often that isn't for 13+ hours after they are locked in for the night.

The other option is just go straight for a walk. I used to do that - get dressed in my walking clothes and then take them out without showering. It was just easier to get them walked and then give them the treat bottle while I got ready for work.
 
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