Nice Doggy, Good Doggy! Any Advice?  | |  We have a Lab puppy. He's about 4 months old, just getting into the chewing-stuff-up business. Usually, he sleeps in the bed with me and my husband, or in the bed with my 3-year-old son, and never gets up once! But a few weeks ago he started getting out of bed, chewing EVERYTHING, and piddling in the floor during the night. So I decided to shut him in the bathroom (only at night, while we're all asleep, and it's NOT a small bathroom) for a couple of weeks. Last night he began howling at 2am, so I took him outdoors to do his business, then brought him back in to the bed, not the bath. Tonight, I took him out around 10:30pm, put him in the bathroom, and came to the computer to check my email. And he started whining. I ignored it, thinking that if I did so, he'd stop. No dice, he only got worse and started howling. So I turned off the lights and harshly told him to stop it. He stopped howling all right, only to begin barking! So I went in there again, harshly told him to stop it and lightly smacked his nose. He stopped making noise, but he cowered in the corner as though he was afraid of me. I grew up with Labs, and I've never seen one react this way. The only time he ever gets smacked (and never hard) is when he needs a reminder that his bad behavior is unacceptable. Dragging out the trash, going outside and doing nothing then coming back in and immediately pooping in the clean laundry, or piddling on my son's toys, for instance. I feel guilty for smacking him this time, though. He's a people-puppy, loves to be around us, and was begging to be let out just so he could be with us. My husband and son are asleep, and I didn't want him waking them with his barking. But I don't want to let him out, either, because I don't want to wake up and have to mop up pee before I have my coffee, or explain to my son why a good deal of his toys are dragged out of the toybox where we put them at night and chewed beyond recognition. The dog has chew toys! Why does he continue to chew stuff that isn't his?! For the most part, he's a very loving, very well behaved puppy, but at night he seems to turn into a little gremlin. What would make him get up in the middle of the night to only chew and pee, especially when he used to sleep through the night in our beds? Should I feel guilty for smacking him to hush, or was I right in doing so? Should I let him back in the bed with us, or leave him in the bathroom? When he howls, should I bring him out and into the bed or smack him and leave him the bathroom? This arrangement isn't forever, of course, but it'd be nice to have my guilt allayed for the time being, one way or another. And no, he doesn't sleep during the day. I could understand his nighttime behavior if he slept during the day, but he doesn't. Please help!!! Any advice and tips will be greatly appreciated!
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| | | | | | | | 1.  Ramoth (754) | 4 months ago |  The only thing I can think of would be to get one of those large kennels they sell. They look like pet carriers.
When he pees or howls, put him in the kennel in the bathroom or laundry room.
Make sure the dog has his own toys to chew out and available. They shouldn't be anything like the stuff you DON'T want him to chew on. He might be teething.
If there are a couple toys that aren't his that the dog loves to chew, spray them with pepper juice before you go to bed. Then, when he goes for the toys that aren't his, he'll get a REAL bad taste in his mouth.
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 SomethingGood332 (1345) | 4 months ago |  It would suck, though, for the kid to play with his toys and then rub his eyes. Screaming kid worse than howling dog.
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| Ramoth (754) | 2 months ago | You'd wash them off in the morning, silly! LOL | |
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| | 2.  javaleira (345) | 4 months ago |  i think you should give him a great education. well but don't give your dog all the faults.like i said you can be mad at your husband and hit your dog.that wont take you anywhere.a great advise i can give you is to never hit your dog with your hand,because later he will think all the times you raise your hand you gonna hit him and he can attack your hand later when you just wanted to pelt him. good luck with our dog education! i hope i helped
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| | 3. SomethingGood332 (1345)  | 4 months ago | It sounds like your dog may be hitting a "teenage" hormone stage if he is unable to hold it through the night when he was previously able to make it through the night.
Okay, don't let him have any water after about 6. His bladder will fill up and he will need to pee.
Take him on a 15 minute walk b/f bedtime - not a sniff around and potty walk, but a brisk walk on a short leash, then let him play for about 10 minutes.
After the walk and play, fix him a dish of special food (not dry food, but something like a little bit of chicken, or some canned food) and put his toys and the dish of food in the bathroom and lock him up.
If he howls or barks and ignoring him doesn't work - DON'T put him in the bed with you; that is what he wants, and you are just rewarding his behavior. Gently hold his mouth closed and make him sit. Take him out if need be, but then lock him up and leave the room.
Hopefully he will be so tired out from the walk and play that he will sleep better, and limiting the water will help him not need to go to the bathroom, and he will have toys in there to entertain himself.
Hope this advise helps. Good Luck! | |
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| | | | | 4. Debs_place (5527) | 2 months ago |  You need to get a crate and crate train him. He is a puppy and will continue to be so for a long time - he does not really understand what is his and what is not.
Get a crate- one that will serve him through adulthood. Let him sleep in there at night, no it is not a punishment. My dogs are 9 and 12 and they love their crates. They are allowed to sleep with us and this just started in the past 3 years or so and they often prefer their crates. The pooch will not pee or poop in the crate unless sick. If they smell pee in the house, they think it is ok to pee there.
Never hit your pup! They don't understand that. If your pup is being stubborn have him do doggie pushups. Do a repeated series of sits and downs until he realizes you are the dominant dog. Never repeat a command. If you say sit and the pup does not gently push down on the pup, if your pup does not do a down when you tell him - jerk down ward (not to hard) with the leash.
You don't say if you did obedience training but it sounds like a good idea for both of you. My dogs are well trained. They know the rules. I can leave food out and they will not touch it - - even when left home alone and they were never hit!
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| | | | 5.  suz1000 (157) | 2 months ago | Imagine this you in bed and wake up needing the toilet you call for your mum, she comes in nicely and takes you to the toilet and then takes you back to bed with her for a cuddle and go to sleep. Ah how nice. Next night same happens yet this time mummy comes in speaks harshly and smacks you when all you want is what you got yesterday for the same thing.
You have been inconsistent and confused your puppy. If he howls at this age he may need the toilet, so go in no fuss try and ignore, you dont want him thinking nighttime visits are great fun, take him outside if he goes toilet praise then put him back to bed in HIS bed not yours. | |
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| | | | | 6. baileycows (1389) | 3 weeks ago |  WOW. I dont know what I would do. Our lab that we just got is 4 months old and he sleeps in the bed with us but he sleeps all nite. He even sleeps most of the day. We use a fly swatter when he does stay outside for short periods of times. He has not chewed on anything. I have made sure that we give him plenty of toys and introduce a new one every week. But the thing that I learned is that you have to watch him like you would a baby. Just keep your eye on him and if he does not sleep through the night it is his fault he has to go to a kennel or put him outside. It won't hurt them. Good LUck
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