Am I being a good owner?

Hi guys so Abby is an absolute delight the majority of the time however I have a concern as to whether I am giving her enough attention. A prime example is this evening:

She woke up at 5PM let her out her crate and fed her, took her out for a 20 minute walk at 6PM where she was shattered and could hardly stand when she got back. Put her back in her crate 7PM and she completely bugs out in there from being over excited or over hyper. I can't have her on the couch with me because she's so hyper and needs a constant hawk eye and I need to make, eat my dinner and relax a little myself!

Am I doing this all wrong or do I just need to suck it up a bit and ignore the moaning?

She has no problem with her crate and will happily chill in there most of the time.

Oh and a picture for you all

what happens the rest o the day as you only mention 5pm onwards

Morning she gets a 20 minute walk, playtime feed and kong. Then intervals throughout the day when my dad or the dog walker is about she'll be out for an hour at a time and then 2 - 3 hours kip.

Is she going in the crate a lot? If she' being put in there just to stop her bugging you, then yes that's wrong. 

mikec wrote:Morning she gets a 20 minute walk, playtime feed and kong. Then intervals throughout the day when my dad or the dog walker is about she'll be out for an hour at a time and then 2 - 3 hours kip.

I assume from this then Mike you work all day and your Dad comes to the house and helps you out with her ??

I actually moved back in with him as he is retired so she wouldnt be on her own for extended periods.

Also I don't put her in the crate when she's bugging me it's only when no one else is about and I have to do something where I can't keep my full attention on her. Such as make or eat dinner without her going for my shoes or trying to get into mischief.

If she's really hyper when you put her in the crate, then you really shouldn't put her in there. She'll end up with a complex about it.

The only way to ease the hyper activies (other than decent food) is to tire her brain out!

Abby is very cute! I would think that if you are home, and in the house she should be able to run around free. If she needs a sleep, she'll sleep. The crate door doesn't have to be shut. Crating in my opinion, should be used at a bare minimum (or not at all). An alternative would be to enclose her in (safe) a laundry area where there is more room to move and play if she is awake.

Hi, Thistle is nearly 4 months old now, and I need eyes in the back of my head, she has a crate in the kitchen, but having taken advice from people on this site I don't put her in it for time out anymore, she is very happy to retreat to her crate if she wants to, she also has a basket in the living room. I carry on as normal around the house and leave her to play, I feel that she has to learn to play by herself sometimes, she can't always have my attention. When she decides to chew what she shouldn't, jump on the furniture when she shouldn't, generally do everything she knows she shouldn't to get my attention I tell her to leave, or off or whatever the command, if she doesn't I put her in a room, the kitchen usually and leave her for a bit, she will tear up her newspaper, but thats not the end of the world, then give up and settle down, I then open the door and carry on as normal, no praise, sometimes I have to do this 3 or 4 times, and it can be exhausting when I have stuff to do, but I will stick at it as it is working and she will just potter about in the kitchen while I'm cooking etc, she doesn't take any interest in my food because I never feed her or * bit her. I have started leaving her crate door open at night, and for a few hours in the day when I'm at work, and it seems, because she has the choice that she just comes out to play with her toys, or have a wee, goes back to her crate, she hasn't destroyed anything YET I feel I just have to trust her, and give her some responsibility. In the evening we have an hour of 'cuddles' on the sofa then she has to get off and go to her basket.

Thank you for that advice Nuala that was exactly what I was looking for. I'm glad someone is experiencing the same. I think I just need to get over my wrapping in cotton wool complex and let her get on with things in the kitchen which is fully puppy proofed when I can't watch her every waking minute.

You're welcome Mike, I think it helps to share our experiences. It doesn't help when they look at you with those accusing eyes:D BTW I have taken to wearing my wellies in the house to protect my legs, ignoring her biting is all well and good but it bloody hurts!

Exactly! Unfortunately sometimes you can be seen to be doing the wrong thing when really you are just being overprotective and it's helpful when people point that out rather than thinking you are being malicious to a pup!

It's all a learning curve and to be honest I'd rather start out doing things a bit wrong by being over protective learn from other's experiences than dump her out in the garden tied to a pole and not give a toss about her!

Hi, I have a crate for Tash and as a puppy we only used it for when we were out or at night. Maybe you could keep her occupied with stag bars, boomer balls or frozen kongs. Staffies need mental stimulation as well as physical or they will go hyper. Ours has all of the above and will spend hours playing with her boomer ball.

jules