Category: Top Dog

Okay so, I feel like I’m going crazy here. My puppy literally can’t stay alone for even 5 min without freaking out… crying, whining, trying to get to me. And honestly I feel like crap every time I leave him 😅

Like, I don’t wanna mess up his little mind or make him scared of me… but also I can’t be stuck at home 24/7 😬

Am I the only one going through this?? How do you even start teaching them to chill alone without going insane??

Would love to hear if anyone has gone through this, cause I’m losing my mind a little haha

So I think we definitely messed up with our puppy. We are very new to this and got our rescue puppy when she was around 4 months old. We didn't emphasize crate training enough early on because she would hang out with us in our living room and be okay sleeping in the crate at night. However as she became less fearful and more comfortable she started to want to just sleep on the sofas in the living room. This is where we messed up because we let her. Eventually she started jump off the back of the sofa and we let her wander in our downstairs space that was puppy proof. The issue is now she's gotten what she wanted and keeps jumping on and off the furniture. She's able to be left alone at home and will just relax on the sofas with a kong. We were wondering is it too late to crate train? We've been trying more for the past couple of days but she barks incessantly and never relaxes even with high value treats, her favorite toys. Wondering if anyone has dealt with missing the boat on crate training earlier and had to do it later in their journey with their puppy. We know we messed, but would appreciate any guidance.

My 1 year old golden testing boundaries. Took him out to play fetch. He's usually decent. He brings the ball back and drops it (not at my feet but we're working on it) so I can pick it up and chuck it again. Eventually he's not dropping it. Ignoring drop it commands and evading me when I approach him. I try walking or running away from him to see if hell chase me. He just stands there like a derp. Eventually I come back and manage to grab him and put him on the leash and leave. I did have to take the ball from him too, which I don't like to do. Fortunately he doesn't clamp down hard and it doesn't really become much of a thing with him trying to take it back. Just looking for tips for these scenarios.

After browsing this sub and plenty others, I’ve learned a lot about my new 9 month old puppy.

For short, she is an unknown mix but assumed Jack Russel/border collie/lab(?).

During playtime and when she’s tired she can get very overstimulated and overwhelming. She gets very bitey and toys do not get her attention. She will steal shoes, blankets, clothes, etc.

If after a few attempts and reverse time outs she still isn’t redirecting, I’ve been giving her crate time. I still try to make it a positive crate experience, and I do not use any negative words before putting her in there. I wait until she’s not crying to take her out, which is usually under 5 mins.

What age might this behavior stop? Almost every playtime turns into this.

It’s only been 5 days with her, so she’s probably still overwhelmed in general. She sleeps about 8-10 hours every night and gets a couple of long naps during the day.

Am I going about this right?