Why is my dog so attached and misbehaving? Does he need attention?

This is definitely a difficult situation, because you have a dog (with the mindset of a puppy) that has a normal amount of energy for his age and seems to view the crate as a negative place to be. The crate should be a place that the pup likes to go to, so there is a great deal of training that will be required to get him to associate the crate with good thoughts (like treats). Also, the crate should not be overused. If a dog is spending more than 8 hours a day in a crate, then there's a good chance that they will eventually go stir-crazy. The other thing that needs to be addressed is Ollie's energy. The best way to release this pent-up energy is regular exercise. In his case, it may be best to have exercise where he is running - like when playing fetch at a dog park. I recommend starting two hours of this (AM and PM) to start with. He may need more. Working seven days a week and raising young kids must make free-time for training and exercise very difficult. If you are able to hire help (i.e. a dog walker, or trainer), then this may be your best option. If it is not possible for the dog to get adequate exercise and training, then the only other option I can think of is a consult with a veterinarian, or a veterinary behaviorist. Sometimes medication is needed for certain circumstances in order to facilitate training. I hope that helpful for you. Good luck and I hope all goes well with Ollie.

For his age the time he spends at a stretch in a crate is fine. You're doing a great job with making sure he gets out to go potty and exercise. When he's at the park, make sure he plays hard and gets tired, so throw the ball or run with him to make sure he gets tired. Making sure he gets plenty of exercise will ensure a little destructive behavior as possible, since a tired dog is a happy dog. Get him some kind of toy to keep him occupied in his crate as well. Kong toys are fantastic, they offer heavy-duty chewing and can also be thrown for him to fetch, dogs will even entertain themselves with a Kong toy by dropping it, the shape makes it bounce erratically. In time, he may be able to come out of the crate as he comes to understand that you will come back to him.

This is normal puppy behavior. I would increase the exercise outside and leave him alone when he’s doing this. You don’t want to encourage biting or not listening so just let him run around and make sure he has his own toys available when he does this. He’s burning up excess energy and will outgrow this phase in a few months. Again take him for lots of walks and play with him in the yard until he’s tired and you will see less of this behavior. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Ozzy.

Hello, thank you for your question about Moose. I have provided some information from a handout on crate training, it can be tough and challenging but you are doing a great job already! Moose is likely exhibiting these behaviors because he knows you are leaving him and he is trying to do anything to get you to stay and take him from the crate. Why should I crate train my puppy? Crate training is a great way to limit your puppy’s access to your house while he learns appropriate behavior. It will cut down on the number of “accidents” while your puppy is learning to be housetrained, and will reduce destroying and chewing of furniture or other household items. It will give you more peace of mind and freedom to be away from home during your puppy’s growing up period. If your puppy is used to being crated it will also be easier and less stressful for him to travel, to be in a cage at the veterinarian, or to be confined for any other reason in the future. You may choose to continue to use the crate into your dog’s adulthood as his very own comfortable “room”. Why does it work? In the wild, dogs naturally seek out dens for sleeping quarters. Presumably this is because they are closed with only one entrance, giving the dog a sense of security. Dogs instinctively do not like to soil in their dens and will go outside to eliminate. Crating your dog is simply using his instinct not to soil in his den, and so therefore allowing you to gradually teach him that your whole house is his “den” and to only eliminate outside. Some people feel apprehensive about crating their dog, thinking that it is mean and that their dog won’t like it. However, since dogs seek out dens on their own, a crate is both natural and comforting to a puppy. How do I choose a crate? Both wire and plastic crates are available. Both work well, so it really depends on your personal preference. Keep in mind that plastic crates can be used for airline travel while wire crates may be collapsible, thus easier for storage. Getting the right size is very important. Your dog should be able to stand up and turn around freely in his crate, but it should not be big enough for him to have a separate toilet area. If your puppy is going to grow a lot more, get a crate that will be big enough for him as an adult, but block the back area so it is not big enough for him to have a separate toilet area now. How do I crate train my puppy? First, make sure the crate is comfortable by placing a towel or bed inside. Place the crate in a common area and put toys and treats inside for your puppy to discover. Don’t ever force your puppy into the crate, as going in should always be a positive experience. Praise him every time that he goes into the kennel. After he is comfortable going inside his crate for treats, beginning feeding his meals inside the crate. Start closing door while he is eating, but open it before he is done. Next, leave the door closed for longer increments of time, building slowly. Never open door when he is whining or scratching, but only open it when he is quiet. If he is consistently whining, he is being closed in for too long, so go back to an amount of time he tolerates well and increase more slowly. After that, start crating him at other times besides his meals. Always give him an incentive to go into the crate (treats, food-filled toys, such as a Kong®, toy etc.). First stay in the room with him and then start leaving the room for short increments of time, building very slowly. Once he handles this well you can start leaving the house for short periods of time, again slowly increasing length of time. The length of time it takes for a puppy to learn varies from dog to dog, so remember that patience is key for your puppy’s success!

Hi. It sounds like sparky has more attachment syndrome/separation anxiety and attention seeking behavior rather then disease related to head-pressing (which is what you were referring to). I would be much less worried about an internal health issue and focus more on his behavior. You can try positive reinforcement for him when you are home and when you leave him alone so he knows you are coming back. You can reward him for good behavior that involves giving you a little bit of space when you need it - like in the kitchen. You can give him activities and things to do while you are home so he can be more self-entertained rather then all of his focus on you. You can also speak to his veterinarian about some medications that can help with anxiety and these types of behaviors if you are interested. Best of luck!

It would help to know how old Caramel is - from your description of the issues he's having, I'm going to guess that he's an adolescent around 6-12 months of age. To prevent him from tearing the house up, he needs to be confined to a dog proofed area when you aren't able to watch him. If the destruction is mainly happening when you're not home, this is probably due to separation anxiety - in that case leaving him something to keep him busy, such as a Kong toy stuffed with peanut butter, can help tremendously. A DAP pheromone collar along with a natural calming supplement like Zylkene or Composure may also be helpful. For biting during play, make sure that you are always using a toy when you play with him - no wrestling or games of chase. Make sure also that he has a variety of different toys to provide an appropriate outlet for this behavior - long floppy rope or fleece toys for tugging, plush toys for biting and carrying, and smaller toys or balls for chasing or fetching. If he bites you during play, redirect to one of his toys and use that to play with him instead.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Oreo. I would place him in the area you want him to sleep as an adult. If you start with clear expectations, it will help him to adjust. If he has a crate, place him in there on the very first night. You can add a bed or toys to comfort him. He may need you to comfort him several times throughout the night, but should adjust to his new surroundings. As far as potty training, puppies do not have full control over their bladder and bowel until at least 4 months of age. Prior to this age, you are trying to be consistent so he understands what he is to do when he is old enough. Take him to the same place outside every time. Give him a command such as "go potty" and give him a treat afterwards. Do not punish him for accidents. Just clean up the mess and move on. If you catch him going, tell him "no" and rush him outside. Give him his command and hopefully he will finish outside. This will help him to understand. I hope this information helps!