# when will he calm down?



## NicosMommy

I have a 5 month old puppy. He is very very rowdy. I know he wants to play and we go play with him and take him out a lot but he still jumps a lot (we're working on that) and just runs around like a crazy dog. He bites and tries to eat ANYTHING he can get his mouth on.

I know he's still very young and i dont expect him to stop now, but i was just wondering when does it start to taper off?


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## sagelfn

GSDs are not supposed to be lazy dogs but running around like a crazy dog with no manners isn't acceptable either. you have to train him to give the behaviors you want, it takes time.

How much exercise is he getting a day? both mental and physical


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## BlackPuppy

Maybe when he's 5 years old? Maybe later.


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## MaggieRoseLee

sagelfn said:


> GSDs are not supposed to be lazy dogs but running around like a crazy dog with no manners isn't acceptable either. you have to train him to give the behaviors you want, it takes time.
> 
> How much exercise is he getting a day? both mental and physical


I'm with sagelfn.... when I decided on getting a GSD puppy, I also realized I wasn't going to have an easy puppy. Many tend to really really need to be exercised (outside the home), really really socialized (outside the home), and usually need to have 'real' training in dog classes (obedience, agility, flyball, rally, CGC, herding......). Keeping a puppy mentally and physically stimulated makes our life in the house with them MUCH easier.

This is what I have to do to exercise my puppies:





 
This is a normal socialization:





 
This is training, and we'd been attending since I got her (9 weeks old?)


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## Wolfiesmom

BlackPuppy said:


> Maybe when he's 5 years old? Maybe later.


Ha ha I was going to say the same thing!


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## Gib Laut

sorry but I had to laugh!!!....they are crazy little maniacs aren't they!.....mine is very high drive, so if I don't stimulate the mind, with the body, he is insane....as a pup running alone wouldn't do it....he needed "mind games"....he luved (still does) hide and seek indoors with a training dummy, gets the mind and nose used to scenting and searching, we did outdoor tracking also, outdoor obstacle courses, be creative with daily training exercises, not just the usual sit, heel, drop etc....he learned commands in german also to keep him busy; and any other "job" I cud come up with for him....it all does wonders for calming the insanity in a young dog.

PS mine luvs chasing a laser light outdoors......runs around after it with his frisbee in his mouth....comes in huffing and puffing!


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## Josiebear

With my girl she calmed down after the age of 8 months. She just has a different kind of energy. I don't let her get rowdy in the house, she has house manners and just knows her limitations and boundaries. 

I think she matured rather quickly lol. She's still a puppy though, but a different kind of puppy, not the ones that is just bouncing off the wall. I make sure she gets plenty of exercise to burn all that energy off .

I read GSD are puppies until 3 years old, i think females mature faster. Josie is closing in 1 years old, doesn't have that crazy puppy energy. Probably because i make sure she burns it off lol.


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## doggiedad

it tapers off when you start training
and socializing.



NicosMommy said:


> I have a 5 month old puppy. He is very very rowdy. I know he wants to play and we go play with him and take him out a lot but he still jumps a lot (we're working on that) and just runs around like a crazy dog. He bites and tries to eat ANYTHING he can get his mouth on.
> 
> I know he's still very young and i dont expect him to stop now, but i was just wondering when does it start to taper off?


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## Castlemaid

To me, a puppy (or older dog) that behaves that way means that he is trying DESPERATELY to tell me that he needs more mental and physical exercise. So that means that I'm not meeting my puppy's needs. There is so much on the 'net about not over-exercising a pup, that most people woefully underestimate their dog's exercise needs and end up with a crazy, bored puppy! What you want to avoid is repetitive impact on hard surface, like walking for hours on pavement or running on leash, or jumping a lot on a hard surface. But like the videos that MRL posted, off-leash hiking and training classes are perfect!!!

This is the stuff I do with puppies:

Four months old: 








20 Minute leash walk to the field, one hour of free walking/running in the field, 20 minute walk home on leash.

Tracking:
















3 months old, at the river:






















(Puppy above had prelims done at 16 months, great hips!)

Six month old puppy: Playing fetch, arrow shows how far puppy is running to retrieve ball thrown from a ball flinger. 
















Six month old: swimming, running, digging, jumping:































These pictures are of my dogs when they are older (Gryffon still under a year old), but activities and mental/physical challenges continue:
Trying out the dog-walk:









Formal Obedience Training:
Heeling:
















Long Down:








Group long down with distractions:









And some fun bitework too!! 
















Not saying that you need to do formal obedience or bitework with your pup to get him to calm down, but just wanted to show how mental and physical activity is crucial for raising a well-balanced, calm dog. The pics are examples of active dogs being engaged in different activities and having fun, and then going home and crashing, LOL! And that is what you want!


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## Josiebear

i love that one photo of your dog deep in that hole lol Josie loves to dig too especially if she sees a small critter that goes into the ground she'll start digging like a mad woman lmao.


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