# How Do You Get Your Pup To Calm Down?



## SallyUK

Hi all

Digby is going through a stage at the moment where he seems to be hyper all day long, and isn't sleeping as much as he used to when he was smaller.

I wondered how you calm your pups down when they're being a bit hyper and you'd really like them to settle down and lie down for a little while?

He seems to be adamant on biting at my daughter's trousers and hands and doesn't seem to be doing it so often to the rest of us.

She knows to do the necessary actions to try and stop him, but he seems pretty determined. We try the "ouch" and turning her back on him, but as soon as we do that, he starts biting the back of her legs again. We try a firm "No!" but as soon as he's made to sit and we start to walk off again, he starts again. Sometimes there's no letting up.

Hopefully, it's just a phase and it'll get better soon, but I just wondered if you guys had a way of calming down your pups. I'd love him to cuddle up to me in the evening! lol

Sal
x


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## Guest

We ignore any unwanted behaviour but when he steps the line ie. bites or jumps up barking in my face I calmly take him to his "time out" area, the kitchen closed off by a baby gate. Its not necessarily a punishment, more a way of saying "this is your calm down place, so calm down"... after a few minutes of quiet we let him out and he is in a much more relaxed state of mind 

Usually hes only doing this because he's desperate to play but I never spark up a game to get him to stop biting/barking because then he will learn to seek attention in this way. Once he is calm then I spark a game up with him, usually something a mix of physical and mental exercise such as "find ....." member of the family. This doesnt take too long to teach and they seem to really love it, bounding round the house trying to find the chosen family member. He soon tires and wants to relax lol x


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## kathryn773

SallyUK said:


> Hi all
> 
> He seems to be adamant on biting at my daughter's trousers and hands and doesn't seem to be doing it so often to the rest of us.
> 
> She knows to do the necessary actions to try and stop him, but he seems pretty determined. We try the "ouch" and turning her back on him, but as soon as we do that, he starts biting the back of her legs again. We try a firm "No!" but as soon as he's made to sit and we start to walk off again, he starts again. Sometimes there's no letting up.
> 
> Hopefully, it's just a phase and it'll get better soon, but I just wondered if you guys had a way of calming down your pups. I'd love him to cuddle up to me in the evening! lol
> 
> Sal
> x


oh my! put 'son' in place of daughter and you have our senario!

tho Bobby at the moment does enjoy falling to sleep on my lap.


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## esiteans

The "calm down place" is a really good idea...



louise5031 said:


> We ignore any unwanted behaviour but when he steps the line ie. bites or jumps up barking in my face I calmly take him to his "time out" area, the kitchen closed off by a baby gate. Its not necessarily a punishment, more a way of saying "this is your calm down place, so calm down"... after a few minutes of quiet we let him out and he is in a much more relaxed state of mind
> 
> Usually hes only doing this because he's desperate to play but I never spark up a game to get him to stop biting/barking because then he will learn to seek attention in this way. Once he is calm then I spark a game up with him, usually something a mix of physical and mental exercise such as "find ....." member of the family. This doesnt take too long to teach and they seem to really love it, bounding round the house trying to find the chosen family member. He soon tires and wants to relax lol x


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## finoni9

Yip our Rocky likes to bite at my son - always in play - but we keep telling our son it's his fault as he "plays roughly" with Rocky and so Rocky looks at him more of a playmate than someone to take seriously!


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## Chris1

LOL. :laugh: Always carry a soft toy in one pocket and a handfull of treets in the other. Put the toy to his mouth when he starts biting clothes etc. and use the treats to get his attention. Get him to sit for the treat and reward him.
Try not to shout at him because this seems to make them even more hyper. If he is being very naughty, try telling him he's a bully and you aren't playing any more, then leave the room and close the door. He wont like that at all. Wait for just a couple of mins and then go back in. Try doing this every time he bites or pulls.
Dont worry, its a stage they all go through and it does get better.
Chris


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## Darren

Hi Sal,

This is what Monty has started to do, he chases you and bite your heals, then backs off, then comes back and bites you again... When he is hyper a firm 'No' just doesn't work and he gets even more excited so we are starting the 'time out' room as mentioned by Louise.

Let me know how you get on.

Darren


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## Guest

For anyone using "time out", a lil tip:

Make sure you dont reward the unwanted behaviour by making a big fuss of them on the way out to time out. As tempting as it will be to tell the dog how annoying he's being (lol) he will see this attention as an instant reward for the biting. Then when he finally gets to the room may not understand the point of it.

Just stay calm and dont even give him eye contact, just pick him up and take him to the area without saying anything.


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## SallyUK

Hi Everyone

Thanks for the replies.

I have to say that out of all the things we try, the ignoring seems to work best. When I say to him "I'm not your friend anymore" - he seems to get the message and stops! lol

I'm off now to get a long training lead to start practising "recall" - God help me! lol

He starts at his puppy classes this Tuesday evening, although the first night, it's just the owners that go along.

Hope this trainer is good!

Sal
xx


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## Jacqui_UK

Harvey was crate trained from the day we got him and when he was too much he was placed in his crate in which he settled quickly and then we let him out. The thing is we trained him with the crate first, trying this now would probably just make your pup go loopy. 

We still use the crate when my mum comes over as she was way to soft on him as a puppy and let him get away with everything and now when she comes over he looses the plot. So we put him in his crate in which he is silent straight away and calms down. Then we let him out and he is fine.

So a time out area sounds ideal.


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## Guest

SallyUK said:


> Hi Everyone
> 
> Thanks for the replies.
> 
> I have to say that out of all the things we try, the ignoring seems to work best. When I say to him "I'm not your friend anymore" - he seems to get the message and stops! lol
> 
> I'm off now to get a long training lead to start practising "recall" - God help me! lol
> 
> He starts at his puppy classes this Tuesday evening, although the first night, it's just the owners that go along.
> 
> Hope this trainer is good!
> 
> Sal
> xx


Cool! Good luck Sal  oh which area are u from btw?


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## SallyUK

louise5031 said:


> Cool! Good luck Sal  oh which area are u from btw?


Thanks Louise.

I'm from just outside Huddersfield, West Yorkshire - where there's a serious lack of dog training and ringcraft classes! lol

Tonight, Digby started his biting and whenever I told him to "leave" he just barked all the more and really tried to play up. We then placed him through into the dining room and closed the door on him. After a couple of minutes, we let him back in to the lounger and ignored him, however he started doing it right away again - little sod  So we put him straight back through into the dining room again for another couple of minutes and when he came back through the second time, he went and played with his toys! Great! 

Might just be that the "time out" is the one thing that will work for him, I'll let you know how we get on! lol

Sal
x


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## Guest

Thats brilliant!! Yay for digby lol. Make sure u start up a game when he is playing with his toys or give him a treat. No doubt you will just be grateful for a bit of piece and quiet lol but if he thinks that playing quietly with his toys is going to get him a game with you he's more likely to do that instead of the biting/barking etc. 

Thought you were from my area for some reason, never mind! Good luck with the training x


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