Terrible 6months?

Oh my lord my pup is driving me insane! He is just over 6 months, he's already been neutered, and he shows NO signs of slowing down! In fact he's speeding up! If we are not throwing his stuffed animal for him (he loves fetch), or eating something rawhide or petting him he just stares us down and cries at us. He seems to need constant stimulation. Is this just a phase? Will he ever just calm down and hang out with us? He's a mini australian shepherd who is active as heck but still manages to outweigh his parents at 6 months. Heck, he did that at 5 months! He gets plenty of walks and play outside, about a half hour to an hour of each daily.

 

THis is a common problem people face when NOT RESEARCHING BEFORE BUYING!!!

Herding dogs are bred for HIGH energy and stamina. One thing you should have done was researched the breed. Thesea re very "work" driven dogs. Obviously he needs more things to do and more "work" try reverting that energy into adjility classes and basic obediance.

 

Well I apologize for obviously offending you with my question. I did research the breed before I got him and I have owned herding dogs in the past. This one just seems to have more energy than I had been told to expect. I'll do a few net searches for things to occupy his mind and go from there.

 

I have a friend that owns this breed of dog. Man, is that dog active. I think she said she has to spend about three hours outside a day with him to calm him down. She does not always have the time and when he does not get out enough, he is totally nuts. I think he is about three years old now. He is better than he was at one year old, but he still drives her nuts. I sure hope her dog and your's settle down a little bit soon.

 

Fostersmom, all I can have is good luck, I have mix who was a stray and I think she has osme heeler/aussie in her, well she is now going on 7 years old and she doesnt stop. Wylie will play fetch 24/7 just doenst want to stop she needs it constantly and the other thing this does not wear her out,

you mention playing and walks, we do this too, sometimes for hours but but it doenst calm her down, she needs to run and run like the dickens. luckily we have property we can go on hikes and let her at it

So I suggest getting him out and letting him run to get that excess energy out as for growing out out of it, tha ti dont know

honeybear

 

Nala, my possible border collie mix, has unlimited energy as well. She does seem to have mellowed slightly since she was a little pup, but she still goes bonkers on a regular basis. She is only 18 months old now.

One thing that helps is to get a little more obedience training so you can control her. I use treats at night to get her to STOP so I can watch a little TV before bed. I have trained my dogs to know that any dog lying down quietly will sometimes have a treat thrown in her direction. It saves my sanity on a regular basis.

As for activities - I find off-leash parks to be the best exercise. Nala and Bonnie can run and run and run. And then new dogs show up and they run some more. It's awesome!

Training and tricks tire a dog out mentally, which is sometimes more tiring than any physical workout. If you can combine the mental with the physical with something like agility training, even better! We go to agility once a week, and if you build some simple obstacles you can practice at home.

A breed-appropriate sport like herding might be something to look into as well.

I never found walks to be very helpful, although they are better than nothing. Just work really hard at not letting her pull EVER or you will be the one taken for a walk and that's not fun!

The best thing we ever did was get a second dog. Bonnie keeps Nala busy when we can't. Now that the weather is cooler, the two of them will go outside to play in the backyard and stay out for an hour or more. It's lovely! Bonnie tires her out like we never could. Bonnie is about 6 months older than Nala, because there is no way we could have handled another puppy with Nala the way she is.

 

Oh, and DO NOT give in to whining! Do not give her any kind of attention for crying or it only gets worse. Wait for it to stop, even for a couple seconds to begin with, and then tell her how good she is. Try to teach her the meaning of "hush" or "quiet" and work up to longer times.

 

Thanks guys! I've thought about trying to get another dog, because you're right--the most tired I've ever seen him was last night and today after he tired out an airdale and a poodle playing yesterday. It took me 3 years to talk my boyfriend into getting this dog, so I'm not sure another one is an option. We have a good fenced in backyard, so maybe I will look at getting him a doggie door so he has a little more continuous access to the yard for running around in. We're scheduled to start obedience training next week, and I will look around for some more classes or stuff going on around town for dogs. There is an off leash park in town but I've got such a phobia of other dogs, especially bigger dogs, that I'm just petrified to take him there. Thanks for the advice guys!

 

Hang in there, Fostersmom. It sounds like you're doing all the right things. I'll never forget, when my Bailey (b & w pekingese, but FIESTY for the breed - more like a Japanese Chin) was taking puppy classes, and at "graduation", an elderly (very) grandmother-type had an Aussie. She apparently adopted from the local shelter.

Talk about a mismatch! It was trouble from the get-go. The Aussie was a beautiful young pup and Grandma COULD NOT manage that dog to save her life. I still remember her difficulty.

You certainly sound active enough for the breed. And the doggie door is a great idea.

 

You could teach your dog to run on a treadmill.

 

Fostersmom: I think it should be a part of nature. Aussies should be born with a frisbee in their mouths. Haven't seen one yet that could resist one.

Be warned though, stock up on Bengay for the elbow because Aussies will not stop. :lol:

 

I have a Catahoula Leopard Dog that must run on nuclear batteries. I usually play fetch with him when I get home from work, tussle a bit and then toss a frisbee. He will catch it on occassion but his size prevents him from being very agile (by border collie standards). What amazed me about him was his speed! I had never seen such a speedy dog.

A couple of times a week, during his more quite moments I will give him a pig ear to chew on, but never when he is at his most active.

 

One tip I learned about on the Dog Whisperer show was to exercise an active dog by walking with the dog carrying a doggie back pack weighted with water bottles. This not only gives the dog a real job to perform but the added weight amplifies the work out. Do consult a behavior expert to set up a good program. Your pup needs both a job and a lot of exercise.

 

i have a border collie mix and know what you are going through. look in to flyball, also. and definitely when your dog is 18 months or so look in to agility.
obedience training will help, and learning stay and putting the puppy into a down stay daily for a time will give you a little break. other than that, follow all the great advice above.
another dog really helps my mutt. she and my lab rassle a good part of the day.

 

I'm going to start training Smokey to play with the Spring Pole. Alot of APBT owners use this to help strengthen and "tire" out their dogs. Looks like alot of fun. I'm going to do more research and get back with you on it.

 

You don't have to wait that long for agility. Nala started at 8 months and other dogs were younger. You just have to be VERY careful to not let them jump too much. All of the young dogs in our class used "jumps" that were set to the bottom height, which is about 4-inches off the ground. Many trainers won't start an agility dog until 9 months, though, but if you don't have any obedience under your belt then that will give you some time to have basic control before you start.

To convince your boyfriend to get another dog, try fostering first. Tell him it's temporary. Then if you happen across a dog that works really well with yours and makes your life easier, he might agree more quickly. I hit the nail on the head with my first foster dog. She was supposed to be with us for a weekend, but it has been about 7 months now. My husband said it "wasn't as terrible as he thought it would be" and "she's nice enough and since we'll end up with two anyway you might as well keep her." Not a glowing endorsement, but it did work.