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Woof! Bark! And also Whiiiiiiiiiine.

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mathschick Feb 2021 1:57pm, 17 Feb 2021 173 posts	Quote Pin mathschick Pen - it does get easier, Hector is 8 months old now and is loads calmer. Just chills most of the time that I am working. There is definitely an age/maturity thing that happens alongside the training. He still can be a pain at times but has also learned that being calm and getting rewarded with tummy rubs is great.
PenW Feb 2021 5:26pm, 17 Feb 2021 2,204 posts	Quote Pin PenW Thanks all. When I’m home Albie is either in the open plan kitchen/dining room or he’s in the pen when I leave the room or go out or if he’s having a nap or getting over stimulated. He complains sometimes and doesn’t settle or at other times he goes to sleep. The last couple of evenings he’s had the house lead on to help “catch him” to pop in the pen if he’s started biting/barking. Usually I would try to get the regular naps in but it’s not been so easy recently and sometimes it’s not easy to predict when he’ll act up. I know I need to work on my responses as they are part of it. It’s hard to remain calm but I’m working on it - something I definitely need to do. The lockdown has made it so much more challenging. Just being able to have other people round would help so much! Let’s see what he’s like tonight when I get home. He’s had a walk in the park with the dog walker this afternoon. He’s definitely teething which won’t help poor mite. I found a puppy tooth the other day (molar).
PenW Feb 2021 5:28pm, 17 Feb 2021 2,205 posts	Quote Pin PenW Maz - oh yes that’s exactly it “someone who is pacing around and randomly shouting”! (And biting in Albie’s case).
Mazlin Feb 2021 8:51pm, 17 Feb 2021 9,783 posts	Quote Pin Mazlin Rory does seem to find chewing something relaxing (that's partly why he likes chewing on me! If Albie is sensitive maybe he's partly biting you for comfort too?) He also has a Licki Mat which is a textured rubber mat you smear peanut butter or yoghurt or something on - it's really quite messy and hideous, but again he finds licking soothing.
Dave A Feb 2021 6:17pm, 18 Feb 2021 22,805 posts	Quote Pin Dave A Phoebe and Cookie have finally finished off one whole row of fencing that we share with a neighbour. A few years ago they fit a cat and one by one holes have been made by them trying to get at it. The last, to be honest rotten, panel gave in today. We had to knock on the neighbours door to ask for our dogs back. They must have got close to the cat as a short time later I pulled a claw out of Cookies nose.
BaronessBL Feb 2021 6:34pm, 18 Feb 2021 8,748 posts	Quote Pin BaronessBL Sounds like the cat gave as good as it got though. Hope the neighbours were OK about it?
Dave A Feb 2021 7:19pm, 18 Feb 2021 22,806 posts	Quote Pin Dave A They’ve been ok with the other fence panels I’ve repaired and replaced. Luckily they used to have a dog and her kids have a dog who visits a lot. When her husband was alive he was quite happy for the dogs to run round the garden and keep the cat away.
Metro_Nome Feb 2021 11:04am, 23 Feb 2021 6,025 posts	Quote Pin Metro_Nome How are you doing PenW? Chester is now 6 months old, and basically cannot be left alone. requires pretty constant attention or he just barks and whines. We realise we have created a bit of a monster and need to do something about it if we ever want a life back (not an issue right now as we have nowhere to go, but I'd love to be able to for a cycle without feeling guilty, and it's starting to make working from home really difficult). So he's currently in his pen, having had a walk, lots of play and cuddles this morning, barking the house down. I know we will need to build this up slowly but it's a nightmare right now.
Metro_Nome Feb 2021 11:11am, 23 Feb 2021 6,026 posts	Quote Pin Metro_Nome (he's now back out of his pen and either at my feet barking so loudly it makes my ears ring or destroying the flat. I actually need to do some work so not much I can do... have tried picking him up but he just wriggles and barks then too. sigh)
PenW Feb 2021 12:26pm, 23 Feb 2021 2,210 posts	Quote Pin PenW I’m still surviving MN! I totally relate to what you’re saying. I can leave Albie (I go to work 2 days a week and can go out shopping and for a run) but he finds it difficult to settle when I’m in the room. I find evenings particularly difficult (constant pacing puppy, asking to go out frequently, can get barky/bitey, hard to settle and barks howls if goes in pen). I kind of don’t know what to do with him and am beginning to dread evenings as they are not relaxing at all (mostly). Sometimes I can get him to nap in the pen (the only place for it is in the lounge) and sometimes not. Sometimes a chew holds his attention for a bit and sometimes not. I’m not sleeping well either (unlike me) as I’m stressed and anxious. Walks are going better though and through the day he settles easier. I’m learning ways to play with him to tire him out but got it a bit wrong yesterday when playing tug - he got my finger instead of the toy he was aiming for. It was a pretty deep cut - and hurt like buggery! I need to find ways to get more relaxing evenings! I need to find some way to relax in the evenings!