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Originally Posted by Sweet Girls  I'm sure that those with more experience will be able to provide more advice, but the one thing that came to mind while reading your post was...Does your puppy have a "safe spot"...i.e. crate, ex-pen, room etc that he can go to, to get away from the kids if he wants? And with such a young dog...I'm also wondering if you need to enforce a "rest" period, much like you would for a human toddler. As you know, young children can go, go, go...and often get so wound up they can't settle again. I would think you need to help your puppy learn "to settle". And that might require some enforced quiet time, either in his "safe spot" or tethered near you on his bed...where he can be part of the family, but not in the midst of all the chaos young children can bring.
BTW, sorry to hear about your recent family stresses...I'm sure your puppy is also just picking up on some of the tension that must be in your home right now. |
I agree, your puppy is likely responding to the tension, as well as all of the activity, especially from the children, and has become highly excitable.
A safe spot is an excellent idea and a schedule, routine, that includes down time.
In that schedule, include basic obedience training, trick training for treats.
Enlist the help of your sons to train. Check out some books on positive reinforcement training or show your sons how to find videos on YouTube. This will give you the opportunity to show your sons and the pup how to interact in a more constructive manner that will lead to a calmer and better behaved pet.