Calm Puppies!

[Alfie02]

Hi all

I know that this probably depends alot on the individual puppies, but I have noticed that some puppies are very calm and others are very boisterous (spelling?).

So is there a way to make your puppy a calm puppy? I would think by not encouraging hyper behaviour and only rewarding calm behaviour it would help in creating a calm puppy? But what else can you do, share your secrets!

Oh and I do realise that all puppies are of course puppies and are at most times full of energy and a handful. I was just wanting to know how you can encourage calm behaviour.

Thanks :D

[aussielover]

I'm not sure if my puppy would classify as being calm But she is able to sit under my desk at work for up to 10 hrs a day (with breaks of course).

Practicing being tied up is a useful way to teach calm behaviour, then you can progress to calm behaviour on a mat etc.

Also plently of playtime, exercise and mental stimulation helps a puppy to be calm at other times.

[Kavik]

different breeds, different personalities etc. Some dogs will always be more active and boisterous than others. Doesn't mean they have to be lunatics though - you can teach them that there is a time and a place.

[Gretel]

I've been blown away by how calm my Lappie pup is! My grandson has just been around playing with her and there is none of the jumping up I'm used to with pups and little kids. I'm raising her exactly the same as I've raised a lot of Cavalier pups.

[Genabee]

Speak to them slowly, move slowly, do everything really slowly.... Think like you are 99 years old on a zimmer frame, teaching your puppy!

[Nahla + Teddy's Mum]

Our puppies are naturally calm but man when they get going they do not stop! They usually play for an hour...sleep for an hour!! Then at about 8:30pm at night they have a mad half hour and then die for the rest of the night!! If they get too rowdy we just tell them to either settle down or say gentle Nahla/Teddy and they back off each other for awhile! But I must admit I love seeing them go crazy!! They are so happy and excited and just being puppies! Then they come and cuddle with me on the couch for some quiet time

[AlanMatic]

Crate training right from the start, along with early socialisation has helped to keep our lab boy Alan fairly sane (most of the time).

[WreckitWhippet]

I prefer the " let's go attitude " and the hype in all of my puppies and adults.

What I won't tolerate is stupidity, mouthing and screwing about when I want to handle them, put them on the vet table, rug them, pick them up, cut their nails etc.

I happily egg them on and encourage them during training and play, but when it's time for "hands on " , everything is done slowly and in a calm manner. I never rough up a puppy and would smack anyone who dared come into my home and do it.

ETA: I spend hours and hours sitting in the bottom of the whelping box, with pups on my lap from the time they are born and i think it makes a huge difference later on.

Edited October 6, 2010 by ReadySetGo

[Jaxx'sBuddy]

I prefer the " let's go attitude " and the hype in all of my puppies and adults.

What I won't tolerate is stupidity, mouthing and screwing about when I want to handle them, put them on the vet table, rug them, pick them up, cut their nails etc.

I happily egg them on and encourage them during training and play, but when it's time for "hands on " , everything is done slowly and in a calm manner. I never rough up a puppy and would smack anyone who dared come into my home and do it.

ETA: I spend hours and hours sitting in the bottom of the whelping box, with pups on my lap from the time they are born and i think it makes a huge difference later on.

this bolded bit i think is critical. i never do this either and all visitors get told the same.

my puppies are very calm when i want them to do things but can play and carry on like the best of them. all i say is one word and they calm down immediately, i trained them to do this, its sort of like an emergency word.

[quickbrownfox]

One thing that has really helped me with my 5 month old puppy Stanley, is to treat/praise him whenever he's in a relaxed state (eg. lying on his bed while I do chores around the house.) I have been doing this since the day he came home.

[poodlefan]

Dunno - never had one!

But otherwise what RSG says - don't encourage anything other than calmess when being handled, don't encourage rough play with people and reward the desired behaviour.

Edited October 7, 2010 by poodlefan

[koalathebear]

In terms of roughing up a puppy, is what is meant ... the people who grab your puppy and go: "woooobawoobawooba! who's a good boy? who's a good boy?" and kind of rile him up? When Elbie was at puppy class, we used to beg the vet's nurses NOT to do that to him because it used to excite him so much. They couldn't help themselves.

[poodlefan]

In terms of roughing up a puppy, is what is meant ... the people who grab your puppy and go: "woooobawoobawooba! who's a good boy? who's a good boy?" and kind of rile him up? When Elbie was at puppy class, we used to beg the vet's nurses NOT to do that to him because it used to excite him so much. They couldn't help themselves.

I tend to think of more physical human behaviour as 'roughing up'.

I call rough muzzle grabbing and wrestling (why do guys love to do that to pups) and any physical handling that revs them up as rough play. Pushing and shoving games, encouraging puppy to chase and grab clothes, that sort of thing.

I do play tug but once again there are 'rules' puppy needs to learn about that game too. I even have a 'toss the poodle" game that the they love where I throw them across the bed and they rush back for another turn. But mouthing is out.

Then there is the 'scarey monster' game but none of these allow the dogs to grab me or jump on me. Gee for a person who's not into trick training I seem to have taught my dogs a fair few games. :thumbsup:

[koalathebear]

Then there is the 'scarey monster' game but none of these allow the dogs to grab me or jump on me. Gee for a person who's not into trick training I seem to have taught my dogs a fair few games. :thumbsup:

Waits patiently to see video footage of Scary Monster Game ...

[poodlefan]

Then there is the 'scarey monster' game but none of these allow the dogs to grab me or jump on me. Gee for a person who's not into trick training I seem to have taught my dogs a fair few games. :thumbsup:

Waits patiently to see video footage of Scary Monster Game ...

Far too embarassing for anything beyond a description.

Basically I do my best to resemble a T-Rex (I think there a few DOLers who'd argue that's no big stretch) with my arms, make a lot of growly noises and do my best impression of a Frankenstein's monster stomp around the house. General result is I resemble this (but with lipstick):

It results in a bunch of excited dogs skittering around the house and we ambush each other from various spots. ETA: In the early days of this game, inappropriate responses from dogs meant 'game over'. They learned the rules quickly.

And I know I'm not the only DOLer who does it either :D

Edited October 7, 2010 by poodlefan

[WreckitWhippet]

Ask Bretty about when I'm a scary monster.. and there's no game involved

[Genabee]

How NOT to keep your puppy calm:

She was wound up like a two bob watch for ages after that!!!!

[TsarsMum]

My Samoyed puppy is very laid back. he will have little excited moments but 80% to 90% of the time he is just under my chair or asleep somewhere or following me or the kids around.

[di_dee1]

My pups were 6 weeks old when I was diagnosed with cancer and about 3 1/2 months old when I started treatment. (I took on a pregnant bitch a couple of weeks off whelping and kept 2 of them. The other two went to good homes, one as a working dog.)

Their mother is of calm disposition, an ACD (blue heelerxBC). Pup's sire is a papered stumpy tail.

They are now 11 months old. A male and female. They live outside in a huge pen, shady trees, a shed for sleeping. Before that it was a smaller pen.

As you can imagine, a working breed can be very boisterous and over the top. Whilst the male at times on initial contact is still a bit like this, the female has calmed.

I had one dog inside at a time with me. Male in morning, female in afternoons and the mother evening and all night. We still do this.

I used the word gentle if they were too boisterous. Gave treats for good behaviour. My dogs now know that inside with me means calming down, cuddles, chew toys etc and they zonk out on the floor. Outside in the pen they can be as boisterous all they like and they roughouse play with my husband at times.

It takes consistency and patience but is doable.

Edited October 7, 2010 by di_dee1

[Max#1]

Poodlefan: maybe its a poodle thing??? My mini poodles - they LOVED that game! I would stalk them, doing the 'T-rex', and it would often be the first to break the stalking - with lots of roaring and play growling too! Then it would be chase on - either me chasing them, or them chasing me! Thanks for the great memory! (We had two mini poodles, the first died a few years ago, and my Mum rang last night to tell me they had to put the other to sleep yesterday - heart failure - he was called 'Puppy', as in "where's Sammy (the first mini poodle) and 'The Puppy', once he started answering to it we had no chance..... He also answered to 'wantsum'. He had a good life).

I'm very glad that as of the past two weeks or so, my little puppy (nearly 6 months) has just started to settle down. Right now he is asleep across my feet (so I can't go grab the camera for proof)! Before that though - it was 24 7 constant attention, playing, training, he was always 'on' - unless he was asleep. I have (somewhat dubiously, I admit) tried the rewarding thing while he is calm - but it hasn't been done consistently, and who doesn't love going in for a pat while they're like that! So I guess the rewarding while calm kind of comes naturally. So maybe its an age thing as well?

I'm curious how much desexing will make a difference. We're booked in for the chop next Friday...... :D

Edited October 7, 2010 by Max#1