Dog People - HELP??

[WDWorBUST]

We have a wonderful 1 year old Australian Terrier. She is a very sweet dog but a handful. She is full of energy and unfortunately due to weather and a new baby in the house she is not getting the exercise she needs....I realize this is part of the problem. However in the interim she has decided to whine and bounce against her crate door ALL the time. She is not in her crate all the time by any means but she is making me crazy. And unfortunately because she is high energy we can't have her out with the baby all the time. She gets under our feet....in fact just in the last week my DH fell because she got under his feet....I'm just so grateful he wasn't holding the baby at the time. We have to be so careful when she's out so realistically she can't be all the time. She still has time out to eat and play...just not as much as I would like. And the weather is so nasty that no one - especially her - wants to be outside any amount of time. How do you recommend getting her to stop. She used to only do this because she needed to go out. Now we take her out and she just sniffs around and it's freaking cold out which is just irritating. So my frustration is just growing. Please give me some suggestions. Once the weather gets nicer it will get easier....the whole family can go for walks.....but in the meantime I really need suggestions.

 

[snarlingcoyote]

Oh jeez. This is a tough one.

I think the reason the dog is sniffing around instead of just going and doing her business is that she is enjoying having your attention.

It sounds like there are 2 things at work here.

1. She is full of energy
2. She misses having time with you both.

The best thing you can do is going to be slightly miserable. Buy a nice, warm, heavy coat. Buy a good hat. Buy warm gloves. Buy silk long johns.

Bundle up. Take the dog for long walks every day. Doesn't matter if the weather is fit for neither man nor beast. Just do it. You'll work off some of her energy and give her time with you.

If some stranger on the internet gave ME that advice, in your shoes, I'd groan and hit my head against a wall, to be honest. . .but I think that's what the dog needs.

Sorry I couldn't give you an answer that isn't easier.

 

[kacaju]

can you or your dh find an obed school to take her to? She is bored and you need to find something to do with her.

 

[clh2]

Is dog day care an option?

What about hiring a neighborhood kid, or a dogwalker to walk your dog every day?

 

[Seven Seas Lagoon]

I second looking into a dog daycare!! It would be a great place for your dog to play and expend some energy during the day. Once the weather breaks you can take her on walks! Sounds like a lot of built up energy. Our groomer had a doggie daycare and it always looked like a good idea to me! Hope that helps! Congrats on your new baby!

 

[snarlingcoyote]

Ooooohhhhh. I LIKE clh2's response very much! You know of any middle schoolers/junior high schoolers who need money?

 

[clh2]

Ooooohhhhh. I LIKE clh2's response very much! You know of any middle schoolers/junior high schoolers who need money?

I can't resist...THEY ALL NEED MONEY!!

 

[Pea-n-Me]

It sounds like you already know what the problems are.

If it's any consolation, others have the same problems in the winter (and with new babies) too.

I agree with snarlingcoyote. But you can also find her an inside "job" to do, make up some games for her, give her attention, etc. It will be easier working with her instincts than against them.

 

[nancycg56]

I have a Jack Russell Terrier and I can sympathize. Terriers need a ton of exercise or they WILL get into trouble. I take ours to the dog park 7 days a week no matter the weather for at least an hour but usually longer and we walk him at night for 30-60 minutes. If for some reason we can't get him out to one or the other, he goes on the treadmill.

All this exercise makes him a nice fairly calm dog.

A doggie daycare would be a great option. My neice has a terrier, too, and he goes with a dog walker every day while she's at work.

Good luck ~ I know it's frustrating!

 

[manning]

ybe Cesar Milan can help

http://www.cesarsway.com/

 

[Magic Mom]

Get her a dog coat and bundle up and take her out. She can't help being restless and energetic.

 

[maxiesmom]

Put yourself in the dog's shoes. How would you feel if you were locked in your room, and only let out for a few minutes a day because you were in the way? Not very happy I would guess. And you would be a bundle of crazy when you were let out of your room.

You have to do a little adjusing here. You have to deal with being both a dog owner and a proud mama. You can't just lock up the dog to keep them out of the way. I know what Cesar would tell you, and I think you already know it too. Your dog needs exercize and socializiation. If you can't do it, then a doggy daycare may be a good choice. You can't continue to put your dog in their crate and call it good, because it isn't.

 

[golfgal]

The solution is pretty obvious, she needs more exercise. You and your DH just need to take turns walking her.

 

[Agri]

I'm going to go ahead and throw this out here, too.

If you can't balance having a dog and being a mother, maybe you should re-home your dog and wait a few years before introducing another pet to your household.

Your poor dog is being locked up instead of you taking the time to exercise her and teach her how to behave in your house. Unless dogs are allowed to make the mistakes so you can correct them, they will not learn. Caging her is only making the situation much worse because she is not only unable to work off the energy, but she is also away from her owners.

I have a dog, too, and yes, its cold outside, but I still take her outside to go to the bathroom and for walks because that is what a responsible dog owner does. She's a working breed and very hyper and while I do not have a new baby, I do have a mother with mobility issues and one hyper dog's jump could easily knock her over. So my rambunctious dog has been taught not to jump on anyone but me, not to pull on her leash, etc. She's learned to give my mom plenty of room to walk - all because she's been allowed to be corrected so she knows what is expected of her.

 

[golfgal]

I looked up the current temp in Oklahoma City, it's 31 degrees, it is NOT cold enough, especially for a DOG, to stay inside and not go for walks. When you get into the -20 range, ok, that is cold and a short walk is about all a dog should do, but at 31 .

 

[Mermaid02]

We have a wonderful 1 year old Australian Terrier. She is a very sweet dog but a handful. She is full of energy and unfortunately due to weather and a new baby in the house she is not getting the exercise she needs....I realize this is part of the problem. However in the interim she has decided to whine and bounce against her crate door ALL the time. She is not in her crate all the time by any means but she is making me crazy. And unfortunately because she is high energy we can't have her out with the baby all the time. She gets under our feet....in fact just in the last week my DH fell because she got under his feet....I'm just so grateful he wasn't holding the baby at the time. We have to be so careful when she's out so realistically she can't be all the time. She still has time out to eat and play...just not as much as I would like. And the weather is so nasty that no one - especially her - wants to be outside any amount of time. How do you recommend getting her to stop. She used to only do this because she needed to go out. Now we take her out and she just sniffs around and it's freaking cold out which is just irritating. So my frustration is just growing. Please give me some suggestions. Once the weather gets nicer it will get easier....the whole family can go for walks.....but in the meantime I really need suggestions.

You should never leave the dog and baby alone, I'm not sure what you mean by that sentence.

If you are keeping her in the kennel for long periods when you are home, that's cruel and you need to find her another home.

 

[roliepolieoliefan]

I can't help but wonder why when you had a new baby on the way, you would get a new puppy also. Especially a bundle of energy like an Australian Shepherd.

The dog needs exercised, plain and simple. The dog is under your feet because it wants attention and its a herding dog, thats what they do.

If the dog isn't getting your attention this way, he may try something else like chewing or even going to the bathroom in the house. Sometimes negative attention is better than none at all.

You need to find the time to either walk and exercise him or dish out the bucks for a doggie daycare.

Good Luck!

 

[Dax]

Another person gonna chime in on the needing to go out more...

I have 4 pugs, 3 of which are crated during the day..the 4th is lazy and sleeps all day in his bed..When they get let out of the cage...they are FULL of energy, that usually is burnt off after 10 min or so outside running around. Now thats just pugs, I can't IMAGINE a hyper active Aussie.

I agree with some of the PP suggestions...Find someone to bundle up and walk her, hire someone, or re-home her. Its not fair to you or the dog.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

It's an Australian Terrier, not an Australian Shepherd. (Though agreed, both are hearty, working breeds.)

I had to look them up because I didn't know much about them, other than in being a terrier, I knew they were bred to go after vermin.

And I must say, I'm impressed. What a neat little dog! http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/australianterrier.htm

This story does lend credence to why problems can develop, but I don't think it's a futile situation and I wouldn't rush out and rehome the dog just yet. This dog has the potential to become a great family pet and protector if it's handled right, now.

OP, you and your DH have GOT to incorporate your dog into the household even though I realize it's challenging with a new baby. There should be Baby Time, and Dog Time, and even Baby and Dog Time - not just Baby Time. We brought home two babies with two active German Shepherds in the household and we worked hard to see that everyone stayed healthy and happy. Not only can it be done, it can turn out really great when your child grows up having a wonderful, well trained companion.

There will be special considerations with dog and baby because of the breed (not unlike many other breeds who have their own considerations). Terrier instinct is to go after little things. So your job now will be to train both your dog and your baby to respect eachother and live happily and safely together.

Here's how I would handle it, as an example. Tend to baby's needs. Tend to dog's needs (exercising and toileting; this will work best to start if dog is already tuckered out - always remember A Tired Dog Is A Happy Dog). Tend to your own needs. Then put baby in swing or chair or whatever and play with dog in front of baby. Baby will probably enjoy watching dog chase ball or toy. Let baby participate by throwing ball or such. Do this at least twice a day. Keep it relaxed and happy. Everyone will come to look forward to this time eventually. It may sound like a lot of work but it's actually more relaxed than the chaos of an undirected dog running underfoot. Build on these games as both grow up, always keeping things under your control. There is no limit to what your dog can learn to do if given the structure, time and attention.

Work on your obedience at this time by having dog obey commands during play time (which is good to teach during distractions). Never allow baby >> toddler >> child to disrespect dog in any way (and obviously vice versa). An adult needs to be there with each on each and every occasion they're together. (Later, after mutual respect and familiarity are learned, this can be relaxed somewhat, but there should always be good supervision when dogs and children are involved.)

I favor this approach over a doggie day care situation for a few reasons. A) financial. B) Not all dogs at daycare are well trained or supervised and your dog will both miss out on that and can learn bad habits. C) I was talking to a friend at work this week in this same situation as you (with a big, active Lab who previously lead the Life of Riley but now, with new baby, is bored and underfoot) and she made the appt at a doggie daycare but thankfully read some reviews first and found a lot of complaints about this place including one person coming to pick up their dog and finding two teenagers watching the place and a shock collar on their dog and another reporting seeing the teens hitting dogs with shovels. Not a situation I would ever want my dog (or any other) to be in.

I know life gets stressful when babies come along, but make this time for your family (and yes, your family includes your dog) and it will pay off in the long run.

 

[DMickey28]

I KNOW exactly where you are coming from. I can't remember how old your baby is but my LO is 10 months old. We have an 8.5 month old Newfoundland Puppy. In the beginning it was VERY challenging because she was so mouthy and just being a puppy, only she is a VERY large puppy.

My solutions so far:

1. I enrolled her in obiedence classes right from the start. Not so much to get the help in training her but to get her and I out of the house. It gave me something to do without the kids and some time with her.

2. When the baby goes down for a nap, she and I go for a walk around the neighborhood. DH works out of the house so someone is always in the house. If he is traveling I take the monitor with me. We live on a cul-de-sac and our property lines the whole road so I can be within 30 seconds of the house at all times. Sometimes we just play catch outside for a while ... even in the cold.

3. At night when the kids go to bed, it's her time. We train, we groom, we sit on the floor while DH and I watch tv and then before it's crate time we go for another walk. A good jacket, gloves and scarf and I enjoy the time.

4. My newest solution ... we found a kennel just down the road that does daycare 1/2 days for only $10. She hasn't gone yet but she was boarded there last week for 3 days and did the daycare twice. She was wiped out for 2.5 days after she came home. I am going to bring her at least twice a week to get her out and socalized. I can find $20/ week to do it.

5. I dedicate time for her to be out with the kids. I stay in the room (obviously) and we all play together. I keep her distracted with bones and toys. As she is getting older it's working better and better. I also have started getting her "mind" toys. I have a Kong toy that has a little holes in it and she has to work to get the treats out of it. The mental energy tires her out as well.

6. We also have a run for her outside and even though we have 24 inches of snow at least on the ground she loves to be out there. She is a cold breed dog though and I have to pull her in sometimes.

7. I have the room that her crate is in baby gated off so that even if she needs to be put away, she doesn't always have to be in the crate.

If I think of anything else I'll let you know.