I REALLY Need Help with Our Runaway/Active 10-Month Old Puppy

**craftypam** · 11-07-2011, 11:02 PM

I just want to say, We adopted a new dog (1 year old) and he has more energy than any dog we've ever had. We were having a problem leaving him alone (punishing us when we left him) Our big problem is his chewing things. He has to have something to chew on all the time. Sooo we bought a crate; he's 71# and was panicking in it and then broke out of it twice. We have been playing catch with him alot to tire him out. I have been staying home with him alot (not what I had planned when we got him) and leaving him for short periods of time and when he doesn't destroy anything (giving him a treat).
I do think the dog park sounds good (I cannot take mine until I have more control over him because of being so big). I hope you get this solved for your family.

While I did not have alot of suggestions; just wanted you to know you are not alone with struggling with a new puppy.

**frugalwarrior2** · 11-07-2011, 11:17 PM

QM- a word of warning about the bark parks. Many big dogs and small ones get intimidated and even bowled over during running games. Also,no one polices who gave their dogs shots and who didn't here. Third,beware of communal bowls well meaning people leave out.
If they have a small doggie area they are ok once your puppy has ALL its shots incl. Bordetella.
We used to go but I don't think its clean enough for picky me.

**Suzan Bits** · 11-07-2011, 11:18 PM

QM,
They have many free catalogs Equine, livestock etc. I vacinate my animals HUGE savings there. The pet catalog has a mighty selectoin of toys etc.. They are so much cheeper to buy directly from a animal suply company than from a pet store. There is always several pages of dog toys on sale also.
Anyways good quality, graet service, huge savings

Dang- i just saw I havent posted enuogh to share a link. Just google jeffers pet supplies dog.

**Suzan Bits** · 11-07-2011, 11:44 PM

Ingredients:
2 cups whole whaet flour
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1 cup peanut butter (smooth only, please)
1 cup milk
1/2 cup oatmeal
Directions:
preheat oven to 375 degrees.

lightly grease a baking or pizza pan

Mix- fluor,baking powder,oatmeal
AD-paenutbutter and milk

Stir until thick dough forms
Turn dough uot on litely floured surface

Kneed and rol Dough to abuot 1/4" thick
I cut mine with cookie cutters (prety cute) but a pizza cutter works just as wel

Bake 20 minutes or until golden brown

after cooled, store in a air tite container , or freeze in baggies

**Libby** · 11-08-2011, 01:14 PM

QM - your puppy is so cute!!!

If DH isn't willing to put forth an effort, I hate to say it the pup needs to go to a home that is ready and willing to put forth the effort. You have more then your hands full with the home daycare plus your own two girls and your evening commitments. Perhaps you should've looked into getting a cat instead? They need less 'attention'. OR have you and DH discussed returning the pup for an older adult/senior dog. They tend to still want to play for a bit but are fine chilling at home, alone.

Dogs seem to need routine - feeding times and walks need to be the same time each day - even on weekends - rain, shine or snow. Additional play time or extra walks help tire them out. With consistent daily exercise, they tend to behave more. Think about it this way, your pup has cabin fever. So when you do put it outside, its going to go for maximum entertainment value = breaking free and running away. If you make pup more happy at home, it has no need to run away. Are you and DH able to become consistent parents to the pup? This may calm it down. Does DH realize he just added another child to his family? If it was a human baby, he'd be putting forth a greater effort, no?

**frugalfranny** · 11-09-2011, 03:05 PM

Really cute puppy.........but what puppy isn't cute???

Originally Posted by QM

She's half Bichon Frise, She still doesn't 'let us know' when she needs to pee even though we got her at 8 weeks;

When I was researching for another dog everything I read about the Bichon said that they could be hard to potty train........am sure there are exceptions out there.

We've taken her to puppy training classes, and honestly I thought they were a bit of a joke. Our puppy has the basic concepts of sit, stay, come, fetch, etc., but if she doesn't want to (especially when she escapes) there is no stopping her.

Maybe you didn't have a good 'teacher/trainer'.............remember they are not 'training the dog'.............they are training the trainer to work with the dog. It will also help for the socialization aspect of owning a dog.

I quit going to our dog parks for the reasons stated by another poster............never know if the people have vac. their dogs..........sharing the water dishes..........and people come there to socialize an UNSOCIALIZED dog..........many of them big dogs.
Not for me, and didn't need the headache/stress...........saw too many dog fights!

Good luck.............puppyhood can be tough...........also you will probably notice 'some change' once she is fixed. I think I noticed it more with my boys than my girls....but did notice some.

**mh3rdwheel** · 11-09-2011, 09:08 PM

Originally Posted by QM

I'm quite stressed right now. Our puppy keeps running away. To give her more outdoor time in the summer, DH made a dog run...which she learned how to escape from every time. She uses things (including the dog run fence itself) to climb up and over the fence. It's very frustrating. Now our puppy has learned how to hop over our actual 'yard fence'. She uses the bush branches (the large bushes go all the way around our entire yard) to climb and hop over the fence. As soon as she escapes from the yard she runs like a maniac for all she's worth. She won't come when we say 'come' and she just goes and goes and goes.

Now to keep her safe we have to keep her on a leash the entire time she's in the backyard. Either we're holding it while she pees or she's tied somewhere to get some fresh air and walk around a bit.

She's half Bichon Frise, half Japanese Chin. I never knew this dog would be so hard to train. She still doesn't 'let us know' when she needs to pee even though we got her at 8 weeks; it has been a long time since we've had a accident in the house. We have a bell hanging on a string by the back door that we try to get her to jingle every time she goes out, but she's not picking up on it.

I have a home childcare, so throughout the day I have between 2 (my own) to 6 (4 daycare kids) to take care of. Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday evenings I have activities that I bring the girls to so she doesn't get much attention those evenings until DH gets home. When DH gets home he's tired and wants to make supper and relax. There are days that DH is away on business trips, so DH doesn't get home earlier than me to let her out of her crate.

Because our puppy isn't trustworthy (still jumps up on furniture, chews/licks things she shouldn't) we have her in a crate when we're out of the house or need a break from her.

We've taken her to puppy training classes, and honestly I thought they were a bit of a joke. Our puppy has the basic concepts of sit, stay, come, fetch, etc., but if she doesn't want to (especially when she escapes) there is no stopping her.

We also don't walk her. I'm exhausted by the end of the day as is DH. The only "exercise" she gets is playing with the kids (or myself/DH when we have time), walking around the house and walking around the backyard on her leash. We play games as fetch and get it and wrestle her a bit to get some of her energy out, but it obviously isn't working...because she has this desire to run away.

Do you have any tips or suggestions as to what we can do? She ran away again tonight; I caught up with her around the block and caught her in someone's backyard after minutes of trying. She could have been killed had she run onto the road or behind a car backing up. DH and I are talking about selling her much to the kids despair. My two girl and I were in tears thinking about selling her, but even though we love her might not be giving her the attention she needs.

I want to keep her (and I think DH will give her another chance), but I don't need the headache of her hopping fences or running away the second a door is open a crack and there's a chance for her to run.

QM, first thing is I would cut down the hedges that go around the yard , also you it sounds like the dog run is too close to the fence. Trying moving it to middle of the yard and putting a top on it.

You said she is very sociable, is there any kids in the neighborhood (sorry about the spelling) that you could trust to walk her? when you could not. When we had a puppy at 8 weeks, we crate trained him we kept him in the crate then took him out to play and pee, and to walk. Eventually he learned to let us know when to go out.

Also Tweety (our chichuahua) was used to going in the house, she has a dog carrier that has a nice soft bed and blankets in that she adores, we put her in their when we live, but first we take her outside. First when shecame to us she wasn't used to going outside whe was 7 years old, every day someone took her out every hour, now all we have to say is Tweety and she heads for the door. When she knows that she did bad all we say is Tweety and she goes for her boody (her crate). Keep us updated on your dog.

**MTS04** · 11-10-2011, 05:26 PM

I'm late chiming in. But, yes, a tired dog is a happy dog. If you can't make time or energy to walk her, stimulate her mind. Leash her in the house and work on your obedience training. Move on to target training and then to nose work.
Just spending a 1/2 hour doing this will tire her mind. Yes, do it on leash in the house so that you can direct her attention to you. Then slowly work your way outside so that you can add in distractions of the great outdoors.
Eventually, should an escape happen, doing the obedince training consistently may help in her recall.
Good luck to you and your pup.