In the realm of parenting or, in this case, fur baby parenting, I always imagined I would be the unreasonable disciplinarian, and that L would be the push over. However, I am learning through the process of training and caring for Henry that I have a lot more patience than I thought! I am also learning that L has a lot less patience than I thought 😉
At eight months old, Henry is still chewing everything in sight. He has a lot of energy, and can be quite naughty.
Our light colored carpets are pretty much ruined, but I can proudly say that he is finally fully apartment trained (Except this past weekend when he decided to pee on our duvet.)
Let me explain apartment training, because it is a little different than house training. When you house train, you normally have a yard of some kind for puppy to roam and do his business. When you apartment train, you have to run little pup downstairs and out to the pathetic little patch of grass in front of your apartment several times a day. It’s not glamorous. Not that training a dog in general is glamorous, it isn’t. But for a lazy ass like me walking downstairs (and back up) multiple times can be taxing. Do I count it toward my daily cardio? You bet I do.
Anyway, through all of the mess that has comprised the past number of months, I am still putty in his paws.
We are eight months down. Unfortunately, Henry hasn’t magically morphed into a mature dog yet. Oh well. There’s always tomorrow.
Lauren
What a cutie! Our dog didn't really mature until somewhere between around 12-15mos. She still had (has) the puppy playfullness. Oh and the shampooer we bought was one of our best investments (even many years later)! Good luck!
Anonymous
Also walking a puppy really helps to get all their energy out of their system. Someone has to be the alpha of the pack and the dog needs to know who is boss. It is difficult but they usually settle down by 2 years of age. Best wishes. I bought a dog already trained at 2 years of age and it has been a real blessing and joy.
BigAppleNosh
What a cutie – beautiful pictures :).
-J.Darling
If the dog is deficating where you sleep – that's usually a sign of unhappiness. Just food for thought – maybe there was something going on that day that ruffled his fur the wrong way??
Clydas, my now 6 year old boxer, took about 3-4 years to settle down. Took about a year and 1/2 for him to give up chewing on this he shouldn't all together and now he's practically a saint! Which I'm really enjoying. My parents raised golden retreivers, so they weren't used to boxer attitude at all. Now, they love him though. 🙂
Hang in there!
In fact, I think you've inspired me to write about my puppy experiences! Though they seem a life time ago!
Kristin ~ Bien Living Design
He is so cute…I can't handle it! What kind of dog is he?
Our pup is still chewing everything in site as well 🙁 She is 1 yr. 4 mos., but we've only had her for 4 months…so still a lot to learn!
MayLove
We adopted our first dog at 8 months, and it wasn't until at least one year that her chewing slowed down significantly. On the flip side, we just adopted an "allegedly" two year old Beagle and he's definitely still in a chewing phase. It depends a lot on the breed, and "how they are raised." Our dogs were strays, so they had no structure or discipline most of their lives. We're basically starting from square one. Our new pup isn't housebroken either. Our carpets are also ruined. We borrowed a carpet shampooer for a temp fix, but most of it will probably be torn out and replaced with (fake) hardwood as soon as we have the time. I totally sympathize. I think boys are harder to train than girls, but they almost all grow out of it eventually. I'm right there with ya!
ruthy ann
i'm so jealous…i want a puppy SO bad right now! but yes…training is hard…I used to be a foster parent for dogs and a house makes things a lot easier. But hey…extra cardio is extra cardio!
Just found your blog…LOVING IT! I'm your newest follower!
ens
what a cute little dog!! my fiance and i just put a downpayment our puppy so i'll be back in this world sooner rather than later. My youngest dog was SO BAD when she was training and at about 2 years old she magically morphed in to a good dog. I hope that doesn't happen with our new one…
thelessthandomesticgoddess
@Lauren: You bought an amazing shampooer?! Do tell. Our carpets are a mess!
@Anonymous: Yes, a long walk (or run) once a day has been necessary. If not, he's chasing his tail, and that's not good. 2 years old seems to be a great age to adopt a dog! (My mom adopted a 2 year old dog, and he's been the best.)
@BigAppleNosh: Aww, thanks 🙂
@J. Darling: Yes, I'd love to read about your puppy experiences!
@Kristin: Thank you! He's a chiweenie (chihuahua and doxie). Best of luck with your pup! I'm here if you need to vent about ruined carpets or chewed up designer shoes…
@MayLove: Wow, you have your hands full, girl! We are thinking of going the same route as you guys by installing hardwood. The carpets are in such sad shape. I feel your pain!
@ruthy ann: Welcome to the blog! Glad you are liking what you read, and thanks for following along 🙂
@ens: Good luck with your new puppy! Puppies are so much work, but their cuteness usually makes up for it. I hope Henry doesn't take 2 years to grow out of his destructive phase, but I guess you never know 🙂
M and C
We're house training too. We don't have a fence so we can't let Izzy out by herself. For the most part she's pretty good and has only left us presents when we weren't paying attention to her warning signs. The big test is coming up soon though. Izzy had the luxury of having micah home everyday to let her out when she wanted but he's back in school soon and she'll have to hold it (we hope) until one of us gets home. Do you crate henry during the day?
thelessthandomesticgoddess
@M and C: Henry stays in his crate most of the day, but has access to our kitchen area (which is gated off for him). A friend of mine crates her dog all day, and it has worked really well for them. Good luck 🙂
jS
hello! I just found your blog through a weddingbee post and now i'm hooked! My FI and I are getting married next year and will probably TTC in the next 2 to 3 years. I have Lupus SLE so I'm already dreading reproduction/fertility issues related to my disease. Reading your blog helps me realize that many women go through fertility issues and to keep positive about it. The healthy diet tips are really helpful!
We got a puppy recently and have been having a hard time decided whether we should crate her or leave her in the kitchen. Are you dogs ok with being left home while you and your husband are at work? did you ever have to deal with any separation anxiety issues? We started crate training and our pup has taken to it easily. However, we're still nervous about leaving her alone throughout the day and our apartment neighbors have already complained about barking!
Any ideas would be so appreciated!!
thelessthandomesticgoddess
@jS: Thank you so much for stopping by my blog! I love hearing from new readers. 🙂 Congratulations on your upcoming wedding – such an exciting time!
In terms of puppy training, in my experience, there is no easy way to transition. I wish there was! Our pup, Henry, cried a lot in the beginning. It broke my heart! However, he did stop crying after the first few minutes of separation. I actually stood at the door a few times to time how long it took for him to stop. We set up his crate (which he really loves) and gated off the kitchen. So basically he could hang out in his crate when he wanted to and wander around in the kitchen when he got bored. He did manage to open the gates a few times. Oops! So, we made sure that our living room was free of any valuables for him to chew. We also closed the doors to all other rooms. Even then, it wasn't fun. He peed and pooped on our living room carpet.
Anyway, I'm rambling. In the very beginning, I was able to come home for lunch and check in on him. This helped a lot. I don't know if either you or your fiance can do that? If so, it might help a bit with the transition. One of my good friends and her husband crated their puppy all day while they were at work. She said it just took time for the dog to get used to it, but eventually it worked really well for them.
Best of luck!!