# Could I be creating a monster?



## doglover (Aug 4, 2009)

I have mentioned several times how insane Clyde is. I could take him out for 2 to 3 hours and when we get home he does not so much as lay down. He just follows me everywhere. On the other hand there are times when I go to work and call home to see how things are going and my family tells me Clyde has been asleep for 2 hours! This has NEVER happend for me unless I kennel him which I often do for 1.5 hours in the afternoon just so I can get a break (when he is kenneled he sleeps, no problem) I am the only person in the house that exercises him. I am wondering if he associates me with walks, fetch and dog parks and that is why he is always so hyper when he is around me. You know like your kids, if they always get a toy when they go to the store, they come to expect it and are obnoxious when they do not get their way. If this is the case, how do I fix it? Exercise him less? (He gets a couple walks around the block and 2 hours at the off leash dog park usually everyday.) The exercise helps his naughty behavior like the jumping, chewing etc. But it sure would be nice to just have him lay down. I am not kidding when I say around me he NEVER lays down! Not even if I lay down, last night I thought I will lay on the floor to see if he will just lay next to me but he just stood over me! I thought I was going to get this little cuddle bug but he can't sit still long enough. He is now 8 months. Maybe it's his age and if so what age will he start to take naps? I hear of all these other dogs who sleep all afternoon in the sun spot. When will I get that? OK I am done rambling, am I creating this monster? What would you do?


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## madaboutvizslas (Nov 12, 2008)

You are spot on with your analysis. You are the alpha male and action man. All the good stuff happens when he is with you. Being at home sucks! Mine follows me everywhere as well. She did start to settle down heaps from about 15 months. But if I so much as rattle my keys, get any of my hunting gear out or even take a few steps real fast she is right with me.

You just have to submit... 

They reckon gun dogs can easily do 14km plus in a day. Mine only gets tired after a full day out in the field when she probably does about 4x more mileage than I do as she is always poking around and then returning.


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## gunnr (Aug 14, 2009)

Clyde has picked you as "his person". He is going to be "on for you" at all times. This is a good thing and a bad thing, because as much as Clyde needs his execise he also needs his down time to recover.
Dogs don't really have an "agenda", so I don't thinkk there is any forethought to his actions, or that he associates you as being a fun time only. He's patterned himself off of the regualrity of your day, and in his mind he believes that this is what you expect of him.
I've had to put my dogs in their crates many, many times simply because they just wouldn't shut down. They were obviously exhausted but kept pushing themselves because of their desire to please.
Put Clyde in the crate and cover it with a breathable fabric so that he becomes conditioned to "building" downtime into his day. Do it at the same time every day, as often as you can, same as you would put a child down for a nap. 
It's not being mean, or neglectful. He needs to rest just as much as he needs to run.

You'll get the "sunbeam dog", so no worries there. Even Gunnr moves around the house looking for the sunbeams to lay in now. 

I've said it before, so I'll say it again. From everything you've posted about Clyde and your relationship with him, you are going to have one heckuva dog in a year or so. He's just needs a little more age under his belt.
You're on the right path with him.


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## bridget247 (Feb 4, 2010)

Our oldest Vizsla (now 6+) used to be insane - very much like Clyde. He had so much energy that we ended up putting him in daycare a couple days a week - it totally, completely calmed him down. What really helped was when was old enough to run with me - that tuckered him out for the rest of the day. He still follows us around and he loves his walks/runs, but he generally prefers to sit on the couch and sleep the day away.

Our 20 week old puppy associates me with play, fun, walks, treats, training etc. If I am not devoting all of my attention to her, she has moments where she literally goes nuts - she runs figure 8s around the living room, jumps over everything, skids across the floor, barks. I try to work through it (I work from home) . . . when she starts to calm down, I quietly approach her and whisper "shhhhhh," sit next to her and let her crawl into my lap. She almost always falls asleep for the next two to three hours. 

I would try approaching Clyde in a very gentle and calm manner, rub his belly, massage his ears, etc and sit down next to him. See if he calms down - it might take a few times, but instead of associating you with crazy fun, he will start to associate you with quiet time as well. If he continues to go nuts while you are sitting with him, I would stay put and remain calm . . . V's are pretty awesome at reading our body language.


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## doglover (Aug 4, 2009)

Thank you all. I just needed that reassurance that this is puppy stuff and not what I will be dealing with for the next 15 years. Everyone is so inlove and passionate for their V's that I knew it had to get better. Not that I don't love him but it is A LOT of work and so far I do not feel like a getting a lot out of it because he does not settle down enough. 

Bridget247 I think you might be on to something. I guess I am a little like Clyde in that I never sit down. In the morning I am cleaning, cooking, doing laundry etc, in the afternoon I take him out for a couple hours then my three kids come home and you can imagine what that is like. I usually get everyone to bed and then around 10:00 I like to sneak downstairs and watch a little TV. I think how great would it be to get him out of the kennel and have him lay on the couch with me but no he runs out goes in the kids rooms, finds a stuffead animal runs around the house thrashing it or else he just wanders, jumping on counters or else on the table. He just can't settle but maybe I need to put more into encouraging this behavior. 

It is just frustrating because I take him out 2-3 H for the purpose of settling him and now I have to do even more! Most days this dog gets more of my time and attention the anyone else in my family. But it is going to get better


I tried daycare but he is not fixed so our local daycare will not take him. Thanks again for the help!


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## Mercutio (Jan 18, 2010)

Hang in there doglover! I distinctly remember sitting on the kitchen floor in tears one night because the kitten had just scratched me and the puppy was trying to jump on me and wouldn't settle and I just wanted to sit down for half an hour. They were both 6 months at the time.

I also clearly remember the first time I sat down and Mercutio sat (actually sat quietly) next to me and I could put my arm around him and give him a hug - he was nearly a year old and I had nearly given up on ever being able to pat him because being touched seemed to get him really worked up.

Now he is two and if i sit on the floor he crawls onto my lap and snoozes and loves rolling over for tummy rubs. Following on from Bridget247, there is an animal massage method called Tellington Touch (t-touch) that is supposed to be good for calming them. I don't know much about it but I'm sure you could find out more details if you wanted to try it.

By the way, my husband was not keen of having our V neutered either - until the vet mentioned testicular cancer.


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## doglover (Aug 4, 2009)

Thanks again for all the support.


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## Blaze (Aug 6, 2008)

It will get better!. Big difference in Blaze between 1year of age and now on the cusp of 2. He gets 45 -60 minutes running with me off lead most days tops. I wish I had 2 hours to give him! But with 3 young boys, all in hockey, yadayadayada that's all I have for Blaze. But he sleeps quite a bit in the day now. And loves his sun spots. He follows me around alot also but he lies down alot too. He'd lie on me during the day if I had time to do it with him. He lies down on the mat behind me while I cook, he lies down in the bathroom while I dry my hair. He lies down on the boys beds for bedtime stories. You get the idea. Clyde will get there. They do need their exercise tho'. It's a big daily commitment .


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