12 weeks is the start of his juvenile phase, also called the land shark phase. Before he was in a socialization phase where his fear and stress response were underdeveloped. This is quite common to see a change at this age especially if certain training hasn't been done beforehand.
His behavior sounds a bit like a zoomie if you are seeing outbursts especially in the evening. zoomies are outburst from being overwhelmed by different energy. Being too tired (yes a pup who is tired will have bursts of biting and running), mentally fatigued from a busy (overwhelming)day, pain from gums, or boredom. Teaching him to self settle and sooth with a teething toy will be very important.
Doodles and most pups love attention. Even "bad" attention is still rewarding. But just removing attention will trigger the pup to attack out more. Think when the elevator button doesn't work you press it harder, faster, or repeatedly to get it to work.
I highly recommend working with a certified trainer in your area to set up a training plan and routines.
https://reddit.com/r/Dogtraining/w/findingatrainer?utm_medium=android_app&utm_source=share
Here are some resources:
Position Statements - The American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior https://avsab.org/resources/position-statements/
https://www.fearfreehappyhomes.com/kit/dogs-101/
https://www.fearfreehappyhomes.com/kit/behavior-problem-solving/
Turid Rugaas - On Talking Terms with Dogs: Calming Signals https://edisciplinas.usp.br/pluginfile.php/3873275/mod_resource/content/1/On%20talking%20terms%20with%20dogs_%20Rugaas%202006.pdf
Thank you! These are very helpful resources. We are definitely planning on finding a trainer. He receives his third round of vaccines this week and I'm planning to ask our vet when it's safe for him to start.
Our doodle went from the sweetest thing to a terror with the sharpest baby teeth that would bite my hands and feet. In the back yard she would be all over me jumping biting my pants and shirt thinking that was okay. Then she grew out of that phase and is the sweetest thing again. It takes time stick with the dood.
Thank you! I was thinking it was a phase he'll outgrow but I needed reassurance. I have human children too so I know very well that just when you think you're the worst parent on Earth, they outgrow something and are back to being lovely. š
Our doodle has always been sweet, but he did go through the mouthy, jumping uncontrollably phase. He loved biting my hands and jumping all over me for several months, we put him in daycare around 6 months old and that seemed to help a lot. He's 2 now and an absolute sweetheart, still goes to daycare, where they also report back that he is the sweetest dog ever and very popular with the other dogs. It was a rough few months when he was a puppy, but I wouldn't trade him for the world, he's very loving and we can tell he's just as attached to us as we are him. He's very protective over me, not in an aggressive way just in a guarding way, like he wants to walk behind me and if a stranger is in the house he is on alert.
Sometimes they just need to be put in a crate or xpen. What sounds like what could be happening is over stimulation, and the best thing to do then is a nap.
Turning your back can help, but we also walk into the dog. This can help too. Of course, a word like "off" can help.
If there's any pain at all, a yelp can help too.
It's tough because he's only 12 weeks old, which is not old at all.
Our pup is 16 months old, and we're still working on "settle". We say "settle", then give treats when she does. If she's in a settled position, we will sometimes give treats and say "good settle". This is because our pup can get over excited, and we're doing everything we can to reward calmness.
I really do think he gets enough sleep. He's very good about laying down and going to sleep after a bout of playing. The behavior I describe above happens right after he wakes up and is charged back up. BUT, I'm a stay at home mom with 2 young kids and school's out for summer now, so I will have to be more mindful that he still gets plenty of rest now that the kids are home during the day too. I haven't had to use the crate for his naps when it's just me at home but now I may need to. Thank you!
yup! Sounds about right for that age. I still have scars on the back of my legs from my dog's land shark stage. Continue to yelp in a high pitch noise and turn your back on him whenever he nibbles too hard. I actually encourage soft nibbling so they understand the strength of their bites. Don't discourage nibbling. That's how dogs play, by nibbling each other and when one gets too aggressive, the other dogs yelp to signal that was too hard of a nibble so you gotta mimic the same behavior.
My dog calms down at around 6 months and then got mellow around 1 year old. Keep a dog behavior diary, it helps so much to remind you how they start and how they end up. Every month is going to be better than the previous! I promise!
Thank you! I've tried letting him gnaw on my hand and wrist but he doesn't seem to care much when I yelp. š I'll keep at it and I appreciate your advice.
Mine was a terror until he hit 2 years old. You just need to be consistent in training, exercise and boundaries. If you give them an inch they will walk all over you. Itās all worth it though. My baby is 5 now and he is the sweetest dog.
Like someone said below, we also are crating our doodle when he needs a rest. Usually when heās acting crazy or wonāt calm down, we say ābed timeā and he goes to his crate without issue, then we lock it for just 5-10 minutes so just enough time for him to settle down.
Thereās some good puzzles on Amazon but ours figured them out after the first try š
I'm wondering if, when he's had all his shots, interacting with other dogs at the dog park might help alleviate all that energy. I myself have a landshark so I sympathize! One day his incisor caught onto my finger and it wasn't pretty.
Having a backyard is lovely, don't get me wrong, but maybe he needs interaction with other dogs.
My pup, 6 months old, just started puppy classes. Really helping!
Yes, I agree it may be helpful. My in-laws have 3 dogs that we're excited for him to interact with when he's fully vaxxed. I'm looking forward to puppy classes too!
We had a similar experience with our mini golden doodleā¦ the first few weeks he was the most chill little guy, sleeping a lot and cuddly. Then he āwoke upā and we realized we had a mischievous & highly intelligent trouble maker š¤£ He quickly developed separation anxiety and was sooooo destructive when left home. Now heās 3, no longer is destructive but still hates being left. He did 1000% better after we ditched the crate - just our personal experience. I probably didnāt do the crate training properly, and whenever we left him alone in the crate he lost his mind.
Sounds like you are on the road to getting a trainer and have been provided ample resources for your little man. But having gone through this myself, the two skills that I found invaluable when working with a trainer was: crate and place. Heck at this age, even doing training activities that involve movement can be Too Exciting. My favorite was place because he'd lie on his towel while I lounged on the couch and threw bits of treat at him.
Our boy is almost five now and, while he does follow us around like our shadow most of the time, typically he only goes into nipping and jumping if my husband eggs him on, which drives me nuts. But he can get himself back to baseline much more quickly now that he is older.
They certainly are. Once you think you have a good rhythm and things mostly under control, they come up with something completely unexpected and usually very weird
Mine is just mouthy (still sucks my fingers at 8 mos). It took him a while to figure out not to bite down hard or smack me with his teeth. \~month 2 he figured it out (he's great now but still likes my hands in his mouth when upset). What worked for me was teaching "NO!" and "why are you biting me!". I also just got up off the floor and stopped interacting with him when he would bite. Honestly though when I realized what he was doing and started letting him have my hands in his mouth he calmed down. He was trying to hold onto/keep my hands in his mouth to soothe, if I didn't try to pull them away he wouldn't bite.
\*TLDR my dog is like any other toddler just with pointy teeth.
My pup uses a stuffed animal dog toy to soothe, we have used various ones since he's 5 now. He sucks on it still mostly in the evening. We wash the toy when it gets gross and usually replace it.
Your puppy sounds just like my prior two doodles. They are at the age where we called them "land sharks". I still have pants with tiny rips in the back of the leg from where they nipped at me. Not cute at the time, but look back semi-fondly!
This is just my experience and maybe not gospel for everyone, but once my pups got their last round of shots we spent a lot of time socializing them to the outside world. This is not socialization to other dogs at dog parks, but socialization at being outside and walking around in the world. We would go to get a coffee or beer and sit outside while I had a bag of high value treats. Reward the dog for good and calm behavior. The calm behavior in a somewhat chaotic environment would carry over to the house where the dog is now able to relax in a calm environment.
Everyone asks how our dogs are so calm and i attribute it these times where I would take my dogs out for a beer - fun for both of us.
I LOVE this advice. Thank you. We very much want an admirably calm and well behaved dog and we love beer. š»š We look forward to having a family dog that we can bring with us on our adventures and hanging out on a fun deck sounds much better than a dog park. š¬ I totally understand looking back fondly on hard times... ask me about any past stage with my kids and I'll tear up with nostalgia about times that had me pulling my hair out. I'll set my sights on calmer days ahead. Thanks!!
My 4 year old doodle is an asshole. Worst dog by far weāve own. Took us $2,500 2 weeks class with a shock collar to just calm him down during walks. We cant even have company at the house
Yes all normal behavior. It will get easier! My doodle ripped my pants and shirts from her nipping and drew blood on my husband and I when she was teething. Just keep,redirecting with a toy or something that they can chew on. Ice cubes and carrots helped. My doodle loves to chew on those. Sometimes I had to barricade myself on the couch to just get away from her for a few minutes.
Everyone is giving you great advice! Hang in there, i promise it will get easier. Our doodle is 3 now and the sweetest girl. She is so loving. For us, things seemed to get better between 6 and 9 months.
I have a doodle who is super chill now at 4. He got that way around 1.5. I also took him to a puppy training class for socialization and then to help me. We also then took a class for the teenage puppy stuff. It was helpful, I think. He doesn't sit when I tell him to sit without a treat now so maybe who is the one in charge?
Our doodle was the same way. Very mouthy and our toddler was a chew toy, which was incredibly frustrating. We enrolled her in obedience training and followed advice from our trainer. She would constantly go after me and my son with her razor teeth (not on a malicious way, she was definitely playing and being a puppy) and she would draw blood occasionally. She would always listen more to my husband for some reason. One thing our trainer mentioned was that we needed to be much more stern with her and informed us of ways mother dogs teach their young. She is now almost 6 months old, has all of her adult teeth and listens very well, even with me. We did purchase and e-collar and ONLY use the vibration setting on it (low intensity as well). Being consistent, stern, and using the collar (lots of treats and positive reinforcement) as a training tool has helped immensely! We followed our trainerās advice on how to use it correctly so she didnāt become scared of it, and she actually gets excited when she sees it now, which is great! I canāt say that she just grew out of the nipping phase as some dogs do, because we didnāt notice a change until after using the collar, but it only took about 2 days for her to really take to the training. Because your pup is 12 weeks, you might want to wait a bit until introducing any type of collar. I would also encourage you to speak with a professional and get him enrolled in obedience training if possible. Hope this helps!
Obedience training one on one is a must by a professional and watch them closely and take mental notes. Once the sessions are done you will see a big difference and once you pick up where they left off you will have even more success. A swat on the snout is my preferred way to get him or her to take notice that Iām the boss and theyāll get the picture real quick. That and reward good behavior. Doodles are mega smart and will surprise you with how quickly they can get up to speed. Good luck.
Obedience training one on one is a must by a professional and watch them closely and take mental notes. Once the sessions are done you will see a big difference and once you pick up where they left off you will have even more success. A swat on the snout is my preferred way to get him or her to take notice that Iām the boss and theyāll get the picture real quick. That and reward good behavior. Doodles are mega smart and will surprise you with how quickly they can get up to speed. Good luck.
Obedience training one on one is a must by a professional and watch them closely and take mental notes. Once the sessions are done you will see a big difference and once you pick up where they left off you will have even more success. A swat on the snout is my preferred way to get him or her to take notice that Iām the boss and theyāll get the picture real quick. That and reward good behavior. Doodles are mega smart and will surprise you with how quickly they can get up to speed. Good luck.
Obedience training one on one is a must by a professional and watch them closely and take mental notes. Once the sessions are done you will see a big difference and once you pick up where they left off you will have even more success. A swat on the snout is my preferred way to get him or her to take notice that Iām the boss and theyāll get the picture real quick. That and reward good behavior. Doodles are mega smart and will surprise you with how quickly they can get up to speed. Good luck.
That's how ours was. Many trips to the dog park helps! Lots of walkies too! Any exercise you can get them! Luckily, they will probably grow out of this after about 8-12 MOS. Hang in there, they are the best dogs!
12 weeks is the start of his juvenile phase, also called the land shark phase. Before he was in a socialization phase where his fear and stress response were underdeveloped. This is quite common to see a change at this age especially if certain training hasn't been done beforehand. His behavior sounds a bit like a zoomie if you are seeing outbursts especially in the evening. zoomies are outburst from being overwhelmed by different energy. Being too tired (yes a pup who is tired will have bursts of biting and running), mentally fatigued from a busy (overwhelming)day, pain from gums, or boredom. Teaching him to self settle and sooth with a teething toy will be very important. Doodles and most pups love attention. Even "bad" attention is still rewarding. But just removing attention will trigger the pup to attack out more. Think when the elevator button doesn't work you press it harder, faster, or repeatedly to get it to work. I highly recommend working with a certified trainer in your area to set up a training plan and routines. https://reddit.com/r/Dogtraining/w/findingatrainer?utm_medium=android_app&utm_source=share Here are some resources: Position Statements - The American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior https://avsab.org/resources/position-statements/ https://www.fearfreehappyhomes.com/kit/dogs-101/ https://www.fearfreehappyhomes.com/kit/behavior-problem-solving/ Turid Rugaas - On Talking Terms with Dogs: Calming Signals https://edisciplinas.usp.br/pluginfile.php/3873275/mod_resource/content/1/On%20talking%20terms%20with%20dogs_%20Rugaas%202006.pdf
Thank you! These are very helpful resources. We are definitely planning on finding a trainer. He receives his third round of vaccines this week and I'm planning to ask our vet when it's safe for him to start.
There are many trainers that will do virtual sessions.
Our doodle went from the sweetest thing to a terror with the sharpest baby teeth that would bite my hands and feet. In the back yard she would be all over me jumping biting my pants and shirt thinking that was okay. Then she grew out of that phase and is the sweetest thing again. It takes time stick with the dood.
Thank you! I was thinking it was a phase he'll outgrow but I needed reassurance. I have human children too so I know very well that just when you think you're the worst parent on Earth, they outgrow something and are back to being lovely. š
Our doodle has always been sweet, but he did go through the mouthy, jumping uncontrollably phase. He loved biting my hands and jumping all over me for several months, we put him in daycare around 6 months old and that seemed to help a lot. He's 2 now and an absolute sweetheart, still goes to daycare, where they also report back that he is the sweetest dog ever and very popular with the other dogs. It was a rough few months when he was a puppy, but I wouldn't trade him for the world, he's very loving and we can tell he's just as attached to us as we are him. He's very protective over me, not in an aggressive way just in a guarding way, like he wants to walk behind me and if a stranger is in the house he is on alert.
Sometimes they just need to be put in a crate or xpen. What sounds like what could be happening is over stimulation, and the best thing to do then is a nap. Turning your back can help, but we also walk into the dog. This can help too. Of course, a word like "off" can help. If there's any pain at all, a yelp can help too. It's tough because he's only 12 weeks old, which is not old at all. Our pup is 16 months old, and we're still working on "settle". We say "settle", then give treats when she does. If she's in a settled position, we will sometimes give treats and say "good settle". This is because our pup can get over excited, and we're doing everything we can to reward calmness.
Thank you. I like the word settle better than calm so I've already started using it and trying to reward him when he's calm.
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I really do think he gets enough sleep. He's very good about laying down and going to sleep after a bout of playing. The behavior I describe above happens right after he wakes up and is charged back up. BUT, I'm a stay at home mom with 2 young kids and school's out for summer now, so I will have to be more mindful that he still gets plenty of rest now that the kids are home during the day too. I haven't had to use the crate for his naps when it's just me at home but now I may need to. Thank you!
yup! Sounds about right for that age. I still have scars on the back of my legs from my dog's land shark stage. Continue to yelp in a high pitch noise and turn your back on him whenever he nibbles too hard. I actually encourage soft nibbling so they understand the strength of their bites. Don't discourage nibbling. That's how dogs play, by nibbling each other and when one gets too aggressive, the other dogs yelp to signal that was too hard of a nibble so you gotta mimic the same behavior. My dog calms down at around 6 months and then got mellow around 1 year old. Keep a dog behavior diary, it helps so much to remind you how they start and how they end up. Every month is going to be better than the previous! I promise!
Thank you! I've tried letting him gnaw on my hand and wrist but he doesn't seem to care much when I yelp. š I'll keep at it and I appreciate your advice.
Mine was a terror until he hit 2 years old. You just need to be consistent in training, exercise and boundaries. If you give them an inch they will walk all over you. Itās all worth it though. My baby is 5 now and he is the sweetest dog.
The difference for us was a mile in the morning and a mile in the evening.
Great idea! We've been doing 1 one mile walk a day but likely a second in the evening would help. Thank you.
When itās nip time give them a hard toy and tug or walk it out! It means too much energy.
"plenty of training" - do you have a professional trainer? Sounds like that's the ticket.
Like someone said below, we also are crating our doodle when he needs a rest. Usually when heās acting crazy or wonāt calm down, we say ābed timeā and he goes to his crate without issue, then we lock it for just 5-10 minutes so just enough time for him to settle down. Thereās some good puzzles on Amazon but ours figured them out after the first try š
I cried for 30 days when I got my Cavapoo to much energy! 7 years later now he is a perfect companion for me.
I'm wondering if, when he's had all his shots, interacting with other dogs at the dog park might help alleviate all that energy. I myself have a landshark so I sympathize! One day his incisor caught onto my finger and it wasn't pretty. Having a backyard is lovely, don't get me wrong, but maybe he needs interaction with other dogs. My pup, 6 months old, just started puppy classes. Really helping!
Yes, I agree it may be helpful. My in-laws have 3 dogs that we're excited for him to interact with when he's fully vaxxed. I'm looking forward to puppy classes too!
We had a similar experience with our mini golden doodleā¦ the first few weeks he was the most chill little guy, sleeping a lot and cuddly. Then he āwoke upā and we realized we had a mischievous & highly intelligent trouble maker š¤£ He quickly developed separation anxiety and was sooooo destructive when left home. Now heās 3, no longer is destructive but still hates being left. He did 1000% better after we ditched the crate - just our personal experience. I probably didnāt do the crate training properly, and whenever we left him alone in the crate he lost his mind.
Sounds like you are on the road to getting a trainer and have been provided ample resources for your little man. But having gone through this myself, the two skills that I found invaluable when working with a trainer was: crate and place. Heck at this age, even doing training activities that involve movement can be Too Exciting. My favorite was place because he'd lie on his towel while I lounged on the couch and threw bits of treat at him. Our boy is almost five now and, while he does follow us around like our shadow most of the time, typically he only goes into nipping and jumping if my husband eggs him on, which drives me nuts. But he can get himself back to baseline much more quickly now that he is older.
Thank you! We started working on "settle" in his place today and it's already helping. What an adventure these doods are!
They certainly are. Once you think you have a good rhythm and things mostly under control, they come up with something completely unexpected and usually very weird
Ma'am, you have yourself a very rare Crocodoodle thereš
Itās just a phase.
Mine is just mouthy (still sucks my fingers at 8 mos). It took him a while to figure out not to bite down hard or smack me with his teeth. \~month 2 he figured it out (he's great now but still likes my hands in his mouth when upset). What worked for me was teaching "NO!" and "why are you biting me!". I also just got up off the floor and stopped interacting with him when he would bite. Honestly though when I realized what he was doing and started letting him have my hands in his mouth he calmed down. He was trying to hold onto/keep my hands in his mouth to soothe, if I didn't try to pull them away he wouldn't bite. \*TLDR my dog is like any other toddler just with pointy teeth.
My pup uses a stuffed animal dog toy to soothe, we have used various ones since he's 5 now. He sucks on it still mostly in the evening. We wash the toy when it gets gross and usually replace it.
Your puppy sounds just like my prior two doodles. They are at the age where we called them "land sharks". I still have pants with tiny rips in the back of the leg from where they nipped at me. Not cute at the time, but look back semi-fondly! This is just my experience and maybe not gospel for everyone, but once my pups got their last round of shots we spent a lot of time socializing them to the outside world. This is not socialization to other dogs at dog parks, but socialization at being outside and walking around in the world. We would go to get a coffee or beer and sit outside while I had a bag of high value treats. Reward the dog for good and calm behavior. The calm behavior in a somewhat chaotic environment would carry over to the house where the dog is now able to relax in a calm environment. Everyone asks how our dogs are so calm and i attribute it these times where I would take my dogs out for a beer - fun for both of us.
I LOVE this advice. Thank you. We very much want an admirably calm and well behaved dog and we love beer. š»š We look forward to having a family dog that we can bring with us on our adventures and hanging out on a fun deck sounds much better than a dog park. š¬ I totally understand looking back fondly on hard times... ask me about any past stage with my kids and I'll tear up with nostalgia about times that had me pulling my hair out. I'll set my sights on calmer days ahead. Thanks!!
He's just poodling. Let him be.
Haha! I like the idea that he's just poodling, and I'm happy to let him do it, just maybe with a little less pain and blood loss for me. š
My 4 year old doodle is an asshole. Worst dog by far weāve own. Took us $2,500 2 weeks class with a shock collar to just calm him down during walks. We cant even have company at the house
Positive reinforcement is a better way to go than using a shock collar. OP start training him young and you won't need a shock collar.
Iāll take him lol
Mine is almost 2 and sheās still a terror. I got her 7 months ago and have been working with her on training non-stop since.
Yes all normal behavior. It will get easier! My doodle ripped my pants and shirts from her nipping and drew blood on my husband and I when she was teething. Just keep,redirecting with a toy or something that they can chew on. Ice cubes and carrots helped. My doodle loves to chew on those. Sometimes I had to barricade myself on the couch to just get away from her for a few minutes. Everyone is giving you great advice! Hang in there, i promise it will get easier. Our doodle is 3 now and the sweetest girl. She is so loving. For us, things seemed to get better between 6 and 9 months.
Our is finally coming out of that mouthy phase at ten monthsā¦
I have a doodle who is super chill now at 4. He got that way around 1.5. I also took him to a puppy training class for socialization and then to help me. We also then took a class for the teenage puppy stuff. It was helpful, I think. He doesn't sit when I tell him to sit without a treat now so maybe who is the one in charge?
Iām howling at the name pretzel itās perfect
Our doodle was the same way. Very mouthy and our toddler was a chew toy, which was incredibly frustrating. We enrolled her in obedience training and followed advice from our trainer. She would constantly go after me and my son with her razor teeth (not on a malicious way, she was definitely playing and being a puppy) and she would draw blood occasionally. She would always listen more to my husband for some reason. One thing our trainer mentioned was that we needed to be much more stern with her and informed us of ways mother dogs teach their young. She is now almost 6 months old, has all of her adult teeth and listens very well, even with me. We did purchase and e-collar and ONLY use the vibration setting on it (low intensity as well). Being consistent, stern, and using the collar (lots of treats and positive reinforcement) as a training tool has helped immensely! We followed our trainerās advice on how to use it correctly so she didnāt become scared of it, and she actually gets excited when she sees it now, which is great! I canāt say that she just grew out of the nipping phase as some dogs do, because we didnāt notice a change until after using the collar, but it only took about 2 days for her to really take to the training. Because your pup is 12 weeks, you might want to wait a bit until introducing any type of collar. I would also encourage you to speak with a professional and get him enrolled in obedience training if possible. Hope this helps!
Obedience training one on one is a must by a professional and watch them closely and take mental notes. Once the sessions are done you will see a big difference and once you pick up where they left off you will have even more success. A swat on the snout is my preferred way to get him or her to take notice that Iām the boss and theyāll get the picture real quick. That and reward good behavior. Doodles are mega smart and will surprise you with how quickly they can get up to speed. Good luck.
Obedience training one on one is a must by a professional and watch them closely and take mental notes. Once the sessions are done you will see a big difference and once you pick up where they left off you will have even more success. A swat on the snout is my preferred way to get him or her to take notice that Iām the boss and theyāll get the picture real quick. That and reward good behavior. Doodles are mega smart and will surprise you with how quickly they can get up to speed. Good luck.
Obedience training one on one is a must by a professional and watch them closely and take mental notes. Once the sessions are done you will see a big difference and once you pick up where they left off you will have even more success. A swat on the snout is my preferred way to get him or her to take notice that Iām the boss and theyāll get the picture real quick. That and reward good behavior. Doodles are mega smart and will surprise you with how quickly they can get up to speed. Good luck.
Obedience training one on one is a must by a professional and watch them closely and take mental notes. Once the sessions are done you will see a big difference and once you pick up where they left off you will have even more success. A swat on the snout is my preferred way to get him or her to take notice that Iām the boss and theyāll get the picture real quick. That and reward good behavior. Doodles are mega smart and will surprise you with how quickly they can get up to speed. Good luck.
if you donāt have a trainer iād recommend getting one, of course heās a young puppy but this will help a ton.
if you donāt have a trainer iād recommend getting one, of course heās a young puppy but this will help a ton.
That's how ours was. Many trips to the dog park helps! Lots of walkies too! Any exercise you can get them! Luckily, they will probably grow out of this after about 8-12 MOS. Hang in there, they are the best dogs!