# Hyper pup sleeping a lot, due to teething?



## DazyG (Oct 24, 2016)

Hi folks. 

A few weeks ago, I wrote a post, asking for help regarding my VERY hyper pup, Otis. I kid you not, this boy is wild! These last few weeks have been extra crazy, though he is teething. That said, he was mad straight out of the box, so we never had a calm day with him from 8 weeks onward. My teething aid solutions have become extremely inventive, which have kept him busy. The worry of him chasing the cats has lessened a little over the last couple of days, since we were advised by our behaviourist to keep him on his lead at all times when out of his crate or playpen. I have been doing this for just over a week now. I'm working with him constantly, and really hoping this is starting to pay off. Impulse control is a little stronger, clicker training is getting better (I think) and since Tuesday, he seems to be listening a little more. Please understand I never, ever thought this would happen and I'm reluctant to break out the champagne just yet! I haven't seen my behaviourist in person yet, but the advice she has given has been brilliant. 

I am quite worried about him today, though. He's asleep and has been in his bed all day today. This is really not like him at all. The only thing that has changed is that we're putting his crate in his playpen during the day. We move it to our bedroom at night. We decided to do this because he still isn't housetrained (another slightly frustrating issue for another post) and he has (had) a huge piece of Lino in there. Well, he joyfully tore it up and was really proud of himself, so we had to find something to cover the carpet. It seems to have helped, since he's settling in his crate better now.

Weird thing today? He's doing what he's told. What is this?! We have had four months of no sleep, being on constant watch, ringing ears with barking at cats, deep breathing together in the kitchen until the madness starts all over again. You know what this is like! Remember?  

A few questions: 

1. Did your pup sleep more towards the end of teething?
2. Was there a point around 6(ish) months, when things started to click into place? - - Please know I don't expect him to not be high energy anymore. I just wanted him to sit still for 30 seconds. No exaggeration! 
3. To those with cats and a pup with a strong prey drive: did you manage to train this out of them? It can be done, can't it? I refuse to give up on this. 

I have two very elderly cats who can't fend off the excitement and madness of a young Jack x, so I am spending a lot of time to ensure he is well exercised and teaching him to be calm around everyone. My partner heard me say "nice and calm, Otis" in my sleep a few nights ago. It's the new family mantra, and I still sleep with the clicker attached to my PJs. I'm just hoping he's catching on, since I honestly feared I had made the most ridiculous of decisions in bringing home a supposedly calm, chilled out Jack x Pom :/ 

Any advice from personal experience would be greatly appreciated.


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## Muttly (Oct 1, 2014)

He didn't swallow any of the Lino did he?


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## Rafa (Jun 18, 2012)

You would expect a pup to become calmer as the months go by.

However, if he has gone from hyper to sleeping all the time, such a sudden change isn't really normal.

Is he eating/drinking/pooping as usual and keen for his walks?


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## DazyG (Oct 24, 2016)

Muttly said:


> He didn't swallow any of the Lino did he?


No, he's fine. I checked the pieces were all there and luckily we caught him in time, before he tore it to shreds.


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## DazyG (Oct 24, 2016)

Sweety said:


> You would expect a pup to become calmer as the months go by.
> 
> However, if he has gone from hyper to sleeping all the time, such a sudden change isn't really normal.
> 
> Is he eating/drinking/pooping as usual and keen for his walks?


Absolutely everything seems fine and relatively normal, apart from this quiet period happening today. He's been in and out of the vet constantly for puppy classes, check ups, etc. He was neutered last week, but he was completely normal until last night. I'm taking him down tomorrow to have his final check. He has healed quickly and was given a clean bill of health.

He has perked up in the last half hour and is currently barking his head off at my brother right now and been for a walk, so everything seems to be okay. I live two minutes from my Vet's practice, so If things go downhill again tonight, I'll nip over with him.


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## Sled dog hotel (Aug 11, 2010)

DazyG said:


> Hi folks.
> 
> A few weeks ago, I wrote a post, asking for help regarding my VERY hyper pup, Otis. I kid you not, this boy is wild! These last few weeks have been extra crazy, though he is teething. That said, he was mad straight out of the box, so we never had a calm day with him from 8 weeks onward. My teething aid solutions have become extremely inventive, which have kept him busy. The worry of him chasing the cats has lessened a little over the last couple of days, since we were advised by our behaviourist to keep him on his lead at all times when out of his crate or playpen. I have been doing this for just over a week now. I'm working with him constantly, and really hoping this is starting to pay off. Impulse control is a little stronger, clicker training is getting better (I think) and since Tuesday, he seems to be listening a little more. Please understand I never, ever thought this would happen and I'm reluctant to break out the champagne just yet! I haven't seen my behaviourist in person yet, but the advice she has given has been brilliant.
> 
> ...


I don't recall either of mine as pups being lethargic and sleeping a lot more to be honest. The girl didn't appear to have any problems or act different, my boy pup was in fact really fractious and whiney when he was teething and at times unsettled, so they can respond differently.

Being lethargic and sleeping a lot or uninterested in things and playing can sometimes be a sign of pain discomfort or illness or that they are incubating an illness though. Any changes in toileting patterns, lack of appetite, signs of vomiting etc? I would perhaps just keep an eye on him, but if it continues and especially if other signs start to appear, maybe speak to your vet and see what they advise.

Pups do eventually grow up and calm down, but if there are sudden complete extreme changes in behaviour it seems a bit odd. In fact quite often when they get to around 6 months and adolescence they or some can tend to get worse for awhile even not listening to commands and training like they did before adolescence occurred.


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## DazyG (Oct 24, 2016)

Sled dog hotel said:


> I don't recall either of mine as pups being lethargic and sleeping a lot more to be honest. The girl didn't appear to have any problems or act different, my boy pup was in fact really fractious and whiney when he was teething and at times unsettled, so they can respond differently.
> 
> Being lethargic and sleeping a lot or uninterested in things and playing can sometimes be a sign of pain discomfort or illness or that they are incubating an illness though. Any changes in toileting patterns, lack of appetite, signs of vomiting etc? I would perhaps just keep an eye on him, but if it continues and especially if other signs start to appear, maybe speak to your vet and see what they advise.
> 
> Pups do eventually grow up and calm down, but if there are sudden complete extreme changes in behaviour it seems a bit odd. In fact quite often when they get to around 6 months and adolescence they or some can tend to get worse for awhile even not listening to commands and training like they did before adolescence occurred.


I do believe his teeth have been bothering him a lot more over the past two weeks and he has started barking and whining a lot, especially at night. His ears droop amd he just looks really sorry for himself, poor wee soul. His chewing was constant, so I have been freezing everything safe for him to chew, hoping to settle him a little. Checked his teeth this morning and there was a little blood, so I put it down to teething pain. I wouldn't have expected his behaviour to have changed so dramatically, so rather than run into the Vet with him, I thought I would read a bit and check to see if anyone had similar experiences.

No change at all over the last week, no. I say week, because he was neutered but it hasn't changed anything at all. If he had diahreha, was sick or anything like that, I would have taken him straight in. He has picked up this last hour. We have an appointment tomorrow morning with the Vet, so I'll speak to her about it then.

This is the strange thing that I found funny. He has been entirely the opposite to what we expected. He really is completely nuts and there has been no settling him since day one. We didn't know what to expect in the coming months, from around now at 6 months, but he has been remarkably obedient over the last couple of days. Maybe the calm before the storm, which is why I asked to see if anyone else has had this happen. I haven't read or known anything about pups getting calmer during adolescence!

I'll keep an eye on him and see how he does and as I said earlier, i might just take him over for my own peace of mind.


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## Sled dog hotel (Aug 11, 2010)

DazyG said:


> I do believe his teeth have been bothering him a lot more over the past two weeks and he has started barking and whining a lot, especially at night. His ears droop amd he just looks really sorry for himself, poor wee soul. His chewing was constant, so I have been freezing everything safe for him to chew, hoping to settle him a little. Checked his teeth this morning and there was a little blood, so I put it down to teething pain. I wouldn't have expected his behaviour to have changed so dramatically, so rather than run into the Vet with him, I thought I would read a bit and check to see if anyone had similar experiences.
> 
> No change at all over the last week, no. I say week, because he was neutered but it hasn't changed anything at all. If he had diahreha, was sick or anything like that, I would have taken him straight in. He has picked up this last hour. We have an appointment tomorrow morning with the Vet, so I'll speak to her about it then.
> 
> ...


Hows he suture line look, no signs of redness, extra swelling, discharge or feels hotter or hotter then the surrounding area just mentioned this as it can indicate problems of infection that was all so that you can rule that out.


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## DazyG (Oct 24, 2016)

Sled dog hotel said:


> Hows he suture line look, no signs of redness, extra swelling, discharge or feels hotter or hotter then the surrounding area just mentioned this as it can indicate problems of infection that was all so that you can rule that out.


Absolutely perfect. If there were any obvious signs like that, this would be a first conclusion I would jump to, but he has a very clean line and stitches are nearly gone. There's no way at all that I would have allowed any infection to occur. I'm your typical 'oh no, her again' person! I took him for his follow up a few days ago and the vet said he was healing perfectly. I check him twice daily and his gums, because I have been worried about them, but as I say, he seems fine that way. 
I've been keeping an eye on it, since he is so hyper because we truly expected problems with his stitches and were advised to keep him crated as much as possible. Because he bounces around as much as he does, we have had some very worrying moments when he jumped off of things, slid along the floor etc. I have a very good relationship with my vet and it seems I'm in there at least once a week for one thing or another. We have a few animals and two others have been in regularly, so she's completely aware of how mad Otis generally is and even she was worried about him with stitches in, so we have been a little obsessive about it.

He's still up and about, playing with his toys now. Just ate dinner and chewing away on his bone. I just called the practice and she said he should be okay. She said any change in his behaviour would be unusual because he's just 'on' all the time and I completely agree with that. She put it down to teething, but said to take him down tonight if I'm worried. I think I will, just to be sure.


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## Sled dog hotel (Aug 11, 2010)

DazyG said:


> Absolutely perfect. If there were any obvious signs like that, this would be a first conclusion I would jump to, but he has a very clean line and stitches are nearly gone. There's no way at all that I would have allowed any infection to occur. I'm your typical 'oh no, her again' person! I took him for his follow up a few days ago and the vet said he was healing perfectly. I check him twice daily and his gums, because I have been worried about them, but as I say, he seems fine that way.
> I've been keeping an eye on it, since he is so hyper because we truly expected problems with his stitches and were advised to keep him crated as much as possible. Because he bounces around as much as he does, we have had some very worrying moments when he jumped off of things, slid along the floor etc. I have a very good relationship with my vet and it seems I'm in there at least once a week for one thing or another. We have a few animals and two others have been in regularly, so she's completely aware of how mad Otis generally is and even she was worried about him with stitches in, so we have been a little obsessive about it.
> 
> He's still up and about, playing with his toys now. Just ate dinner and chewing away on his bone. I just called the practice and she said he should be okay. She said any change in his behaviour would be unusual because he's just 'on' all the time and I completely agree with that. She put it down to teething, but said to take him down tonight if I'm worried. I think I will, just to be sure.


Good news I thought you would have probably been checking it but just mentioned it in case as I had noticed he had recently been neutered.

Sometimes if they really have an active day or walk or run, they do just crash out after too. By the sounds of him now it doesn't sound like it was anything to worry about and he doesn't seem to be showing any signs of illness.


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## DazyG (Oct 24, 2016)

Sled dog hotel said:


> Good news I thought you would have probably been checking it but just mentioned it in case as I had noticed he had recently been neutered.
> 
> Sometimes if they really have an active day or walk or run, they do just crash out after too. By the sounds of him now it doesn't sound like it was anything to worry about and he doesn't seem to be showing any signs of illness.


Thank you, @Sled dog hotel I would wonder about these things, too and no harm in asking!  He doesn't seem to be having any problems otherwise and as lovely @Muttly said, the Lino was also a worry, but I put all the pieces together to check there were none missing or likely to be swallowed. I'm no stranger to disaster with my animals, in that I have been used to quite a few stubborn and determined personalities, and have found myself in some interesting situations with some of them, so I do try to double check everything. Otis is our first dog, so I'm the first to admit this is completely new territory for me.

We are yet to experience him crashing out after a good old run walk and looking forward to the day that happens! This morning was a very normal, relatively calm walk. I was checking up on his weekly progress. The sort of 'what to expect from your X week old puppy', but I realised after around this age, we hit crazy town and who knows where we go from here!

Thank you for all your help! x


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## Sled dog hotel (Aug 11, 2010)

DazyG said:


> Thank you, @Sled dog hotel I would wonder about these things, too and no harm in asking!  He doesn't seem to be having any problems otherwise and as lovely @Muttly said, the Lino was also a worry, but I put all the pieces together to check there were none missing or likely to be swallowed. I'm no stranger to disaster with my animals, in that I have been used to quite a few stubborn and determined personalities, and have found myself in some interesting situations with some of them, so I do try to double check everything. Otis is our first dog, so I'm the first to admit this is completely new territory for me.
> 
> We are yet to experience him crashing out after a good old run walk and looking forward to the day that happens! This morning was a very normal, relatively calm walk. I was checking up on his weekly progress. The sort of 'what to expect from your X week old puppy', but I realised after around this age, we hit crazy town and who knows where we go from here!
> 
> Thank you for all your help! x


Its possible for puppies to get over stimulated, some can get so hyped up and over excited that they cant wind down on their own and just don't know when to quit or cant. The more active and tired they get but still wont quit sometimes that's when the worst behaviour starts too.
With some you almost have to enforce quiet time and relaxation. The more they get stimulated the worse they are, so sometimes giving them a quiet area with no stimulation except a wind down activity can help. Chewing is a good destresser give them something to take things out on especially if they are teething, puppy safe chews that are long lasting can be a godsend, they will often have a good chew up, wind down and then relax enough to sleep. Kongs can be a godsend too, you can use a kong classic if on wet or a kong wobbler if on dry and then leave them too it. Kong classics are great too because you can fill them with all sorts of things. There is a link below which gives fillings and even recipes, some of which you can freeze to make it harder to get the stuff out of and lasts longer still plus its good for painful teething and gums.

http://www.kongstuffing.com/

Often after a walk just leaving them in a quieter designated area and giving them something like this can help a lot.

Training sessions mixed with a bit of play sometimes wears them out more then a walk or run, because they have to concentrate and think too and follow commands so it often wears them out more then just a walk or run with lots of outside stimulation to hype them up.
Don't know if you have tried things like this?


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## Muttly (Oct 1, 2014)

They need to be sort of taught to settle, as like SDH said they can become over stimulated. So after a walk (and I still do this with Muttly, he's just used to it now) give them a nice long lasting treat like a chew or kong to chill out with, so he can wind down then sleep.

Also, We've not seen many pics of the gorgeous lil lad!


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## Twiggy (Jun 24, 2010)

I agree with SDH and Muttly. A training session tires them out far more than physical exercise. Have a look on YouTube for ideas (especially Kikopup). Also have a look at platform training, which the dogs enjoy, and it teaches them calm focus.


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## DazyG (Oct 24, 2016)

Hi folks,

I'm really sorry for the lack of response. My email alerts only seem to come through for so long. I didn't realise i had replies.

@Sled dog hotel Yes, all of these bases are being covered and continually revisited - what we're doing, i mean, not the actual solutions to the individual problems. I don't think it hurts to keep trying the things that didn't initially work. Any improvement is a bonus, after all. Otis has taken up residence in my office in an 8 panel pen with a crate inside. There's no way he can be let loose in the house right now, though this is the main goal, of course. I do think i am seeing positive changes, though small, but this is really why i asked the questions i did. My office is next to our hall and looks directly into our livingroom, so he can see everything that's going on and also have some time to himself. It also gives us the opportunity to close the door for a few seconds if he starts barking. This became a real problem, where he would bark for 45 minutes at a time - it would happen after a long/short walk, food, toileting needs met, given ice/frozen cloth/toy to chew on etc. Once he has stopped barking, click, treat and door is open. With the clicker training, this is on my mind all day, so i am not joking when i say i sleep with the clicker on, so i don't lose it. I wear a pouch on my belt loop with treats, so the reward can be instant. His constant chewing happened instantly, like it is with many other pups, so his toy collection is huge. Nothing in our house has been destroyed, which was one of the few bonuses to needing to keep a close eye on him constantly. That's not to say he didn't try to chew the couch, coffee table, tv, cables etc. I spend time trying to find him something with different shapes, textures and something interactive, to focus his attention; though he doesn't spend much time focused on anything, apart from soft, squeaky toys. I have a lot of these, which i have soaked, rung out and froze. He also loves socks, so i bought a few men's socks, tied a knot in them, filled with different things, including treats, food, ice etc, to see if we could get him to focus on that and let him go nuts. It works, but 5 mins max. I bought paracord and made him a toy and put treat inside, which was appreciated for a shot time! The paracord was actually to make him some more durable leads, because he has gone through 12 so far. I'm hoping to be able to replace the end of his extendable lead as needed, because it seems silly to have to keep buying new ones, once he has chewed through the end and it can be replaced. We have treat distribution toys, puzzles etc, but nothing seems to hold his attention. Please understand he is not expected to be quiet for 2-3 hours at a time. 30 minutes would be nice!!

He absolutely needs constant management, regardless if he has been fully exercised. A long walk in the woods, beach, park, along the river or in the field, then a walk home, via the pet shop with lots of attention, going to see a friend with a dog who loves Otis, even though he's far too excited for him - my friend has worried to the point where we have had to agree that he can only see him for 15 minutes before her dog is put in the kitchen and i am only happy to visit for half an hour, because it isn't fair on her dog (a Collie). Once home, we can be in the livingroom with him on his lead, off his lead or in his pen and he won't settle. It doesn't matter what we give him - whether he loves it or not. He''ll bark, go nuts and refuse to calm down. It can take up to two hours for him to stop zooming, stop barking and eventually calm down in his crate. He'll throw himself up against the pen door and try to climb over. Does he like this pen? He can be completely content in there. We have been testing to see how he is on his own - to see whether he barks or not. All tv, music noise off, my partner will leave the house and i have sat in a room, quietly reading for an hour. He makes no noise when he leaves and goes to sleep. I have done this a few times now. 
We have tried varied ways of exercising him, in case it was too much, but we have tried to stick to guidelines, according to his age. We don't want to over-exercise him, but we don't want him to be under-stimulated, either. Whether it is more or less, the same result when we come home. I understand chewing is a great way to tire him out, as well as letting him have a good sniff when out. As he is now 6 months, we are pretty free with more choice on chews, bones etc. He loves a few of his bones, but any noise at all will set him off. We live in a flat, so anyone moving around will have him excited. Frozen Kongs, he won't take to, regardless of what i put in them. He has two - a puppy one and just to try, i bought a larger one. Couldn't be less interested, though i have put good quality sausages, chicken (which he absolutely loves), crushed up treats, his food, coconut oil, apple, sweet potato, cheese, - i have tried a lot of combos, but i end up having to clean it out at the end of the day. ~I even have a bullet that i use especially for his Kongs and my 19 year old cat's food that i make. I let him have a bloody good sniff when he's out, to get the gossip, too. That's another thing i learned. With his food, he's on Burns, after looking into food being an issue. We also give him carrots, but frozen carrots, kongs etc are not appreciated at all. The only frozen things he will accept are ice and frozen toys. I tried soaking things in low sodium broth, but he doesn't like frozen unless it's plain old water. I am considering raw food, but want to look better into that next year.

We have managed to secure a wonderful behaviourist, who comes highly recommended and is highly qualified, which i am delighted about. We won't be seeing her until next year, but she has told me not to let him out of his crate unless he is on a lead, very concerned about the cats. I have taught him 'nice and calm', where he will lay down, head on paws, look up and get a treat. Then he's off. This is a breakthrough!

I am the type of person who will look to as many solutions as possible before asking for help and i'll carry them out as much as i can and in as many ways as possible - it's a flaw, being stubborn, but happy to admit when i'm beat! I get irritated when people don't do their own groundwork, before asking people for help. Expecting someone to sort out my problems is not something i have ever done. This is why it took so long for me to post here. I read everything i could find that was available to me -forums, articles, blogs, books etc. 
Don't get me wrong, we have our way of working through this, but as i have discovered, Otis is a lot more than a very excitable puppy. Our Vet agrees, as do pretty much everyone else we know. We have asked about this, to see if there are any tests, but our vet says to see how our behaviourist works out first, then we'll see where we go from there and i'm more than happy with that. She says she's never seen anything like him. I don't want to put this down to saying "Oh, my dog, he's the worst. He must have ADHD". I never really considered this and still don't want to just fall back on that. I'm still hoping he's just a bit young and mad right now. Anything that seems to be able to be treated with medication would be the last thing i would want for him, so i will exhaust every possibility before going down that route.

I happened to meet one of his sister's owner's mothers in [email protected] yesterday. She stopped and asked if he was a Jack x Pom. I asked how she knew, because most people stop to ask. She remarked on how hyper he was and then told me her daughter has one, too. The same age, from the same place and having terrible trouble with her, though the lady i spoke to had previously bred Springers. She said her daughter's pup left every crazy Springer she ever knew in the dust! The words "rather you two than me", with a final "good luck!".

His brother was left, as he couldn't be given a home. We tried to see how the woman we bought him from was getting on with the crazy one from the litter, to see if she had any clues and even though she said she would help us after we brought him home, cut contact with us. I do find it strange that three pups from one litter are so hyperactive and anything medical surely could be ruled out... hopefully.

He gets to the point where he is in danger of hurting himself, which is worrying and i must stress that i am not a neurotic, obsessive kind of person. Generally very relaxed, happy to go with the flow, but used to being under pressure. I have a deep interest in psychology and studied it when i was younger, so i am trying to get into his little head, hoping to unravel the cords and find little solutions that will hopefully end up working out. Not the same as with humans, but still! I realise this might appear as woman with first dog, used to cats, calm house and has no clue what's going on, but this is more than a full time thing, as i initially expected. We will find a way through this, but i wish it were down to giving him a treat/bone/toy and teaching him to settle. This is going to take more time and patience. I have watched every Kikopup video, every Victoria Stilwell, Cesar Millan and Jackson Galaxy for the cats. We are watching 'It's me or the dog', 'Dog Whisperer' and 'My Cat From Hell' constantly. I have a tear stained copy (haha) of Victoria's Train your dog positively, that i read the first couple of weeks he was in our house, without the pen and the crate. I have charts in the kitchen and my office and a whiteboard, where we write his schedule and we both have alarms set on our iphones. There are post it notes stuck next to his pen to remind us of the smallest of victories. To say this whole experience is a military operation, is no exaggeration!

Thank you for your suggestions, @Sled dog hotel, @Muttly and @Twiggy and thank you for reading all this. I really appreciate your support.

@Muttly i promise to post some pics of him. He doesn't sit still enough to take anything that looks anything more than a blur, but i'll try!


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## Muttly (Oct 1, 2014)

Wow, bless you! That really does sound like a military operation! Noone can say you are not trying!
It's quite hard to give any more advice tbh, you have tried so much. It would be really interesting if you could be in contact with the other lady who has his litter mate.


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## Sled dog hotel (Aug 11, 2010)

_I may have misunderstood but few things have stood out from your post.
You say he has loads of toys, but does he have them all left out all of the time? If so this can cause issues because if there is just a load of toys left there or about then they do sometimes lose any value and just become boring. If he has a good stock of them, then often its better to get one or two out at a time and then put all the others away and then rotate different ones. You normally find doing this they will have more interest in them that way. He will still likely get bored after a bit but you can then take them away and replace then with others.

You asked also does he like his pen/crate? When you started using it did you introduce him to the crate and pen gradually and train him to see it as a place of rest and relaxation? If you didn't then that may be why you have an issue and he kicks off in the crate. If a pup has never seen or been in a crate or pen before and then suddenly find themselves confined or shut in one they can get very stressed and will cry, bark etc etc and try to constantly escape.

A couple of things you also said has got me wondering too
He absolutely needs constant management, regardless if he has been fully exercised. A long walk in the woods, beach, park, along the river or in the field, then a walk home, via the pet shop with lots of attention, going to see a friend with a dog who loves Otis, even though he's far too excited for him - my friend has worried to the point where we have had to agree that he can only see him for 15 minutes before her dog is put in the kitchen and i am only happy to visit for half an hour, because it isn't fair on her dog (a Collie). Once home, we can be in the livingroom with him on his lead, off his lead or in his pen and he won't settle. It doesn't matter what we give him - whether he loves it or not. He''ll bark, go nuts and refuse to calm down. It can take up to two hours for him to stop zooming, stop barking and eventually calm down in his crate.

I am wondering if a lot of the problem is that he is getting too over stimulated both mentally and physically to the point that he has so much adrenaline buzzing about and is so hyped up he cant calm down like you say he doesn't stop zooming until two hours after. You also mentioned you are with him sometimes too and it doesn't matter what you give him until he is finally spent he doesn't calm down. If you are there and/or give him things it sounds like all they might be doing is carrying on the stimulation even more. What makes be wonder if this is the case too is another comment you have made.

We have been testing to see how he is on his own - to see whether he barks or not. All tv, music noise off, my partner will leave the house and i have sat in a room, quietly reading for an hour. He makes no noise when he leaves and goes to sleep. I have done this a few times now.

It appears that when he is left or from this when he has no stimulation he can and will calm down, but when he has been out and gotten too much stimulation and then
you are still there and or he is given things all it does is continue the stimulation even more until he has got to the point where he is totally spent so has no choice except to finally crash out.

Some pups do have trouble finding the off switch anyway, but with stimulation of one sort or another remaining and already hyped up with adrenaline and excitement
it sounds like this is making it worse still.

_


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## Sled dog hotel (Aug 11, 2010)

I have had to do another post because I did have some more thoughts based on your post but the forum goes slow and you cant type a reply sometimes when you have done a long post and it takes ages to type as it will literally do one letter at a time.

It was about where Otis pen and crate is located I'm a bit confused by your post.
Otis has taken up residence in my office in an 8 panel pen with a crate inside. There's no way he can be let loose in the house right now, though this is the main goal, of course.
. My office is next to our hall and looks directly into our livingroom, so he can see everything that's going on and also have some time to himself.

I'm a bit confused and cant quite work out the location. Is he in the office where you spend a lot of your time too, or is he in the office on his own but can see out the door and into the living room where you are?

I ask because I'm wondering if the location of where he is especially if he spends a lot of his time in there when inside the home, and where you are located most of the time is a factor too perhaps.

Ie if he isn't in the room with you when his in the pen and does spend a lot of time in there when home, there is a bit of anxiety going on because he cant be as close to you as he would like and/or it is a bit of attention seeking behaviour too. could be either perhaps but I'm just trying to get an idea if where its located in relation to where you are most of the time could be an issue and explain some of the behaviour or not or contributing to the unwanted behaviours. Another explanation is that perhaps could even be that he is going in there when he is already hyped and over stimulated (or at times at least) and because he can still see whats going on is still getting stimulation rather then being able to switch off and calm down to rest. Hope this makes sense sometimes hard to explain by just writing it down.

Another thing that I haven't noticed in your post either although could just have misunderstood, is that you haven't mentioned any actual training sessions, ie when you devote a part of the day or several short sessions to doing some obedience training actually trying to teach him commands in a more formal way It sometimes only needs to be 2 or 3 ten to 15 minute sessions a day but it can work wonders, it means that they have to learn to focus on you and follow commands, it also is a great way of teaching impulse control (I suppose in the human world you would call it patience and focus) and it is a good way of tiring out their brains without over stimulation like charging about on walks and getting stimulation from outside environmental things and lots of unproductive attention from people.. (although socialisation is important too of course its al about balance) You may be doing this though and I have just misunderstood.

Regarding this comment
Otis is a lot more than a very excitable puppy. Our Vet agrees, as do pretty much everyone else we know. We have asked about this, to see if there are any tests, but our vet says to see how our behaviourist works out first, then we'll see where we go from there and i'm more than happy with that. She says she's never seen anything like him.

It may be worth trying something like an adptil plug in diffuser in the house, and you can also buy it in collar form for outside.. Cheapest place to get them is on line reputable veterinary pharmacies although you can buy them from pets at home and vets. They can have a calming effect and may be worth a go. See link for more details
http://www.adaptil.com/uk/#redirected
There is also zylkene which is based on casein a protein found I'n milk so natural that can have a calming effect too see link
http://www.zylkenepet.co.uk/

I noticed you also said other pups all seem exceptionally bonkers and hyper too and that the breeder cant be contacted Although a pups behaviour and temprement can be to a degree genetic and mum especially influences the temperament or behaviour of the pups, where and how they were raised in the early weeks from birth plays a big part too so that may even be a factor. If pups haven't been handled and socialised properly from birth or kept away from humans in a kennel for example and not interacted with on a daily and regular basis that too can have effects.


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