Hello! I was hoping to get some suggestions on teaching Titan that it's okay to do nothing and relax outside his crate. He's a little over 8 months old now. We've had him for 2 months and he's doing great as long as he's getting my 100% attention. During training or play he's an amazing dog. However since I've had him he's only laid down and relaxed/napped once when he wasn't put away in his kennel.
I will play with him until he's practically too tired to play anymore, intermixing obedience practice with it, or finish with obedience. If he's put into his kennel afterwards he lays calmly with chew toys or will nap.
But if he stays out he will start looking for ways to get in trouble to get attention. He'll jump on tables/counters, dig up the couch, try to get through the gate to the bedroom or kitchen, chew on furniture, ect. As soon as I get up to correct him, he immediately stops and just wants attention from me. When it's something that isn't destructive I try to ignore it so I'm not reinforcing that bad behavior gets attention, but then he escalates until I have to intervene. At that point he is calmly led to his kennel and when given the command goes in and will immediately be calm and nap/chew on Toys.
If instead of just releasing him after we finish playing, I try practicing getting him to just lay down, putting him in a down by my feet if I'm at the computer or craft table or sitting with me if I'm on the couch and rewarding with treats or pets for laying calmly but he won't stay for long. If he has an edible chew of some kind he'll lay down until it's done or he's bored of it, but then get up and try to get my attention in a more engaging way.
I've tried doing more obedience or playing with him, figuring that he must not be as tired as I thought he was. But he won't be able to focus, and he gives up on playing within a couple of minutes so I really don't think he still has much energy. It honestly reminds me of a child acting out when they're tired because they don't want to go to bed (but I'm trying not to project and anthropomorphize haha).
I feel bad that he has to be locked in his kennel if I'm not giving him all my attention, but if I want to do anything that's not playing/training him, I don't see any other option. I'm worried I'm reinforcing that the kennel is the ONLY place to relax. Is this normal for his age, or is there something else I can be doing to help with it? Thanks!
I will play with him until he's practically too tired to play anymore, intermixing obedience practice with it, or finish with obedience. If he's put into his kennel afterwards he lays calmly with chew toys or will nap.
But if he stays out he will start looking for ways to get in trouble to get attention. He'll jump on tables/counters, dig up the couch, try to get through the gate to the bedroom or kitchen, chew on furniture, ect. As soon as I get up to correct him, he immediately stops and just wants attention from me. When it's something that isn't destructive I try to ignore it so I'm not reinforcing that bad behavior gets attention, but then he escalates until I have to intervene. At that point he is calmly led to his kennel and when given the command goes in and will immediately be calm and nap/chew on Toys.
If instead of just releasing him after we finish playing, I try practicing getting him to just lay down, putting him in a down by my feet if I'm at the computer or craft table or sitting with me if I'm on the couch and rewarding with treats or pets for laying calmly but he won't stay for long. If he has an edible chew of some kind he'll lay down until it's done or he's bored of it, but then get up and try to get my attention in a more engaging way.
I've tried doing more obedience or playing with him, figuring that he must not be as tired as I thought he was. But he won't be able to focus, and he gives up on playing within a couple of minutes so I really don't think he still has much energy. It honestly reminds me of a child acting out when they're tired because they don't want to go to bed (but I'm trying not to project and anthropomorphize haha).
I feel bad that he has to be locked in his kennel if I'm not giving him all my attention, but if I want to do anything that's not playing/training him, I don't see any other option. I'm worried I'm reinforcing that the kennel is the ONLY place to relax. Is this normal for his age, or is there something else I can be doing to help with it? Thanks!
Learning to be rest outside the kennel
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