Wild dog on the premises

I love the nap time idea very much. With 3 cats and a 93 year old nap time is very natural in our home, Chauncey got lucky there as he joins in the nap fest.
 
My Lexi can be like this. She gets so amped up, she cannot settle. I found that putting a leash on her helps. I hold the leash until she begins to calm down, even if I'm just sitting still. In just a few minutes, she's laying down and sleeping soundly. I think the wild behavior is, sometimes, a symptom of being tired. Little kids can be like this, too. What works for kids?....a bath!

Here's some good news. Lexi is 5 1/2 and I don't have to do this nearly as often as we used to....:winkgrin:
 
Shelby still has her zoomies and she is 3. Makes me laugh hysterically when she does it. But she has never done it longer than a few minutes. She always does it when we get home from volunteering at the nursing home. It is like she is saying "OK I was very calm and good for 2 hours now I have to get this energy out".

She was difficult to settle when she was a pup too. We would give her treat balls etc. The mental stimulation seemed to help settle her better than physical. But she did learn how to open the treat ball and the bottle. She did eventually learn that come 8pm we all relax and no more playing so she just settles down.
 
All the food ideas are great, I've used many of them! Maybe also diet should be considered? I've read and heard from trainers that a change in diet to raw diet can help with behaviour so they aren't getting all the chemicals and preservatives from commerical dry food. Just a thought.
 
Oh man, I tired the "nap" suggestion during the day, it was a disaster. I led him to his crate, he went in willingly, I then left the room, all heck broke loose, he screamed, he yelped, he banged against the cage door, he went ballistic. I came back in and told him to be quiet, he settled down, maybe for a 30 minutes, then it was back to the hysterics. I finally let him out, but not until I had him calm, I did not want him to think that hysterics would get him out.

I guess this is not going to work, he sleeps fine at night, but if he does not want to nap, forget it, the whole village of Hanmer Springs can hear him. I am getting sort of disgusted to tell you the truth.
 
Laddie's Mom said:
I guess this is not going to work, he sleeps fine at night, but if he does not want to nap, forget it, the whole village of Hanmer Springs can hear him. I am getting sort of disgusted to tell you the truth.
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I wouldn't worry about the town hearing him. They'd be so used the barking of Huntaways that a little sheltie bark would be nothing.:wink2:

Half an hour is quite good. You're making a big change to his routine that it's bound to upset him. But dogs are very good with routine. So if he knows that at a certain time every day he goes in his crate he'll be more willing, you can build up the amount of time over the week.
 
I agree with Caro. Did you put him in the crate with some sort of treat? My dog goes ballistic too, but I put a frozen kong in there, so she has some positive feelings about the crate. I also didn't go into the room while she was crated until it was time to her out. If I did she would get upset.
 
I love this product: Homeopet Anxiety Relief. It's available online...you should probably be able to get it there. A few drops on the tongue really makes a difference for hyper or nervous dogs. It's completely natural so no chemicals and I think works much better than even Rescue Remedy.
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_s...xiety relief&sprefix=homeopet+anxiety,aps,228

I would also not give up on the crate. If you only did it once, be persistent. Don't expect long periods...start small, say, 15 to 30 minutes. Be sure to leave the room so he doesn't see you. It might help to cover the crate with a light sheet too and as Randi said, put a frozen kong in with him. Some yogurt or baby food inside will keep him busy for a bit until he settles down.

Finally, he's a puppy! This is normal behavior! He will get better...cut him (and yourself) some slack and try to relax with him.
 
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