# How do I train myself to relax more



## LoJack (Jan 6, 2011)

The problem is not with my dog, I know that. She is only 9 weeks old, going on 10 shortly ... and I get so frustrated with her I give myself headaches. 

I know that she's young, and she's just a pup ... but she'll whine like crazy for no reason sometimes, even outside of her crate. She will also know how to sit today, and do it religiously 30 times ... yet the next day she looks at me like I'm retarded.

I have a baby gate between the den/kitchen/living room area and the rest of the house for the sake of our pet cats. Sometimes I leave the common area to go to my office and she jumps and whines and screams like she's being murdered. 

I've followed all the rules. Ignore Ignore Ignore and it will go away ... I'm just wondering how long it will take. I get so frustrated that I don't even want to have her around me sometimes ... and thats not good. 

Right now its too cold to go on long walks. I can take her for about 10 minutes ... since its -40. I have no chance to get rid of the excess energy because she has to stay inside. 

I guess I'm just looking for some tips, tricks, and encouragement. I know the puppy phase won't last forever, I just need to keep trying my hardest to get through it. 

Thanks for listening to me rant. 

--Tyler


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## Emoore (Oct 9, 2002)

Remind yourself that everything you're going through is NORMAL. Deep, cleansing breaths.  

Also, just because you can't go outside doesn't mean you can't wear her little puppy butt out. This thread has a lot of ideas for keeping a pup busy when it's nasty outside:
http://www.germanshepherds.com/forum/general-puppy-stuff/149993-winter-indoor-games-8-week-old.html


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## ShenzisMom (Apr 27, 2010)

Count yourself lucky! Some of us here wish we were in your shoes 

Remember that you need to physically and mentally tire her out. So training her to sit while throwing a ball down a hallway=perfect


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## LoJack (Jan 6, 2011)

She has so much energy it is very difficult to tire her out without going outdoors. 

Oh, and the biting thing. Is it really that normal for these puppys to greet everything with their mouths? Right now she bites everything, hands, shoes, metal chair legs, rugs, toys (seemingly less than everything else) garbage cans, towels ... And she's only 9 weeks but is incredibly strong already. I've read not to swat the nose, not to hit. But sometimes its just a knee jerk reaction to swat away the bite. 

What are the negative affects of the swat ... because I'm guilty of doing it from time to time, especially when she really gets a hold of me


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## ZebsMommy (Dec 4, 2010)

Deathmetal is right. A tired pup is a happy pup (and owner!). Teach her puppy pushups. (sit, down, sit, down, sit down) Wears them out really fast and it's fun too!


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## Emoore (Oct 9, 2002)

LoJack said:


> Is it really that normal for these puppys to greet everything with their mouths?


Yes. It's really that normal. 




LoJack said:


> What are the negative affects of the swat ... because I'm guilty of doing it from time to time, especially when she really gets a hold of me


The biggie is head-shyness, being afraid of having her head come near your hand, or your hand coming near her head. You can train a "knee-jerk reaction" where she'll automatically pull her head away when you reach for her.


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## Kris10 (Aug 26, 2010)

Wow I needed to read this thread. I was just allowing myself to daydream about getting another puppy...

Good advice above^^. I just wanted to wish you luck and tell you that it is normal, frustrating, exhausting at times, but totally WORTH IT!


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## LoJack (Jan 6, 2011)

Kris10 said:


> I just wanted to wish you luck and tell you that it is normal, frustrating, exhausting at times, but totally WORTH IT!


I think this is the stuff that I totally needed to hear ... I just lose focus on what it is I'm doing ... and find myself asking if it is worth it. 

I know it will be ... I've wanted a dog forever, I'm a dog person ... I just see red sometimes dealing with the frustration.

Thanks guys! (and gals of course)


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## PaddyD (Jul 22, 2010)

Kris10 said:


> Wow I needed to read this thread. I was just allowing myself to daydream about getting another puppy...
> 
> Good advice above^^. I just wanted to wish you luck and tell you that it is normal, frustrating, exhausting at times, but totally WORTH IT!


 
So true, Underline exhausting !!! It will get worse before it gets better.
But it WILL be worth it. Just remember YOU are the human and you are ultimately in control. But we have all learned that fatigue and frustration take their toll. Hang in there and read all the other puppy-related threads to see that you have a LOT of company.


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## Good_Karma (Jun 28, 2009)

You are definitely not alone, and it will get loads better. Of course you'll have a whole new set of annoying behaviors to work through, but at least it will be a change. 

Good luck, I know how mad I used to get and sometimes it's best just to give yourself a time-out. And chocolate. Or wine. Beer works too.


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## Cassidy's Mom (Mar 30, 2003)

Good_Karma said:


> You are definitely not alone, and it will get loads better. Of course you'll have a whole new set of annoying behaviors to work through, but at least it will be a change.
> 
> Good luck, I know how mad I used to get and sometimes it's best just to give yourself a time-out. And chocolate. Or wine. Beer works too.


Absolutely. When you feel yourself starting to get frustrated, put her away in her crate for a bit. She'll settle down, and you will too. I knew when my puppies got so cranked up that they were wildly zooming through the house seemingly out of control, that meant that any second now they'd crash and nap. So as annoying as it sometimes was, I knew that those crazy frenetic periods were temporary, just like a tired whiny toddler that doesn't want to go to bed but eventually crashes anyway. But if I couldn't take it anymore, a little timeout so we all could calm down and chill worked wonders. 

For me, the first few months with a new puppy are the hardest. At almost 10 weeks old you've got awhile to go! By the time they were 6 months old it usually gets much easier, especially if you keep up with training and manners by reinforcing the behavior you want. 

Keeping her mind busy will tire her out as much as keeping her body busy, so try some mental exercise in the form of training and games.


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## crisp (Jun 23, 2010)

A good thing to keep in mind is that this isn't just a waiting period until the pup grows up. This is huge bonding experiance for you. In a few years, you will look back at the chaos and destruction that was with the fondest memorioes. All the little issues you had to work through become milestones in the building of a wonderful friendship.

Also, it will pass with the blink of an eye. Pups really do grow extremely fast. Focus on enjoying this time as much as you can.


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## JKlatsky (Apr 21, 2007)

Does she like food? Some things that I liked that would wear my puppy out were toys that you could put food in...and not just their treats but a good part of their meal too. Take a trip to your local pet Store. There's usually tons of interactive toys that dispense food. Let her pick out the one that she likes best! 

Bully Sticks were a good puppy pacifier and it takes forever for their little puppy teeth to get one really chewed down. 

How does she feel about her toys. We usually teach our pups from an early age to tug and hang onto their toys. Tug can be done pretty easily in small indoor spaces with you sitting on the ground. YOu tug a little, and let them win, telling them how smart and how strong they are for pulling it out of your hands! What's fun about this is it gets to be so much fun for them ebcause they win all the time that they start to bring it back to play again! (If you've ever played a board game with a very young child you know you never win...  ) My pups usually like fleecy toys best for tug. This is super helpful with the biting. It's funny because you can see it click in their brains...they want to play with us and they start to look around for some toy to grab so that we'll engage with them! This is Cade at 10 weeks carrying an oversized tennis ball like a champ on his walks.

















And don't worry! We've all been there. I hate to say it gets worse before it gets better...but it's true. It'll be rough for a little while but know that the more you put in now while your dog is young the more you get to relax and enjoy your super awesome well behaved dog


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## Stosh (Jun 26, 2010)

I found that popping them into the crate for a few minutes breaks that tension build-up and I'd make sure that when I let them out I was happy to see them and play tug or anything for even just a minute or run once around the yard, anything fun. You're in for the tough teething stage so we're here to talk you in off the ledge, then you'll experience the butt-head phase. That's when I developed my motto-- 'A glass of wine solves everything'. Unless you're dealing with an aggression issue or some other serious problem, puppyhood should be a blast. Look at how much fun she's having!!


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## valreegrl (Nov 11, 2009)

Schedule, schedule schedule  

I have found that they know what to expect next and that alleviates anxiousness. 
First thing we potty then play a bit before breakfast. I use half of the breakfast for training treats (1/2 now, 1/2 later) and the other at the end in the bowl. Potty again then nap time in the crate (training tires out a puppy quickly). 
Mid morning, I use the other half of training treats and potty/play. Nap time again. 
Noonish, potty play and lunch. Same thing, 1/2 training treats the other half in the bowl. The potty and nap time. 3'ish potty/training/play then nap while I cook dinner and get kids home from school. 5'ish potty/training/play then dinner (1/2 training treats, 1/2 in bowl again. She eats in her crate while we eat dinner then she is out to potty/play/train until bedtime. Depending on what is happening, I usually wear her (leash around my waist) while I move about the house with the kids. Sometimes she goes in her crate for a bit while I do bathes and bedtime then she is out around 9:30pm for last potty before bed in her crate. 
Depending on age, I will do a last potty late, like 11pm or so which gets her through until 6am the next day. 
This schedule until about 16 weeks or so, then I allow more time out, more freedom. But until 16 weeks I stick to this schedule like glue. 

Hope that helps


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## krystyne73 (Oct 13, 2010)

Congrats on your new puppy!!
yes, definitely put the pup on a daily schedule. I have used my dog crates as a break time for pups, it is great, eventually you will find the puppy goes to the crate for their own break time.
I have played hide-n-seek with my dogs since they were born ( I was told this is why they never leave my side) also play hide-n -seek with toys or treats just make sure that you don't do it on the carpet or it might teach them to dig at the carpet.
As for the whining when you step out of the gated area, I wouldn't ignore it for to long, just slap your hand and say No!. Any time you feel a need to swat the puppy try slapping your hands instead and eventually you will stop.
Make sure to speak in calm,firm voice to be assertive not out of control. Its just like having a 2 yr. old child loose in your house...its discovery time. I miss having a puppy.


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