Forgive me if this is the wrong place, but I couldn't find a section on just pack structure, lol!

First, I have ordered the dvd, so just waiting on its arrival. In the meantime, we have a 10 mth old pug, just came on Saturday. We've been following the directions in the ebook, keeping him crated unless taking him out to potty, and taking him out leashed to me for time in the yard/house. Problem I'm having is that he gets completely hyper when in the house. Great in the yard, but in the house he's trying to run around, jumping up, etc. Does this mean he needs more time in the crate, that he hasn't grasped the pack structure yet, or is it simply a normal 10 mth old reaction? He's like a mini tornado on a leash in the house Doesnt get far, but definately wound up.

I don't think it's a pack structure issue.
I don't see any mention of exercise. Whatever he's getting now is probably not enough.

Mike

 Quote: Mike Armstrong

I don't think it's a pack structure issue.
I don't see any mention of exercise. Whatever he's getting now is probably not enough.

Ditto! At 10 months old, he's still got more energy than he knows what to do with, and if he's not getting good long walks or other tiring activity, all that energy just unleashes itself as soon as he's not being engaged or distracted by something. I'd start with more exercise and see if his activity in the house changes. A tired puppy is a good puppy.

~Natalya

Duh, should have explained. When we take him out for potty, its at least a 20 min walk, and thats at least 4 times a day, since we also bring him out when we're taking the kids to the park. Sorry, didn't occur to me that taking him out for potty wouldn't automatically include a good walk

Melissa, it sounds like you're doing a good job of establishing pack structure.

 Quote: melissa charles

Does this mean he needs more time in the crate, that he hasn't grasped the pack structure yet, or is it simply a normal 10 mth old reaction?

A tired puppy is a mellow puppy. I agree with Mike. It sounds like he has a lot of pent up energy that he needs to burn off. At 10 months old, he has a fair amount of energy and stamina.

My 5 month old pup's schedule goes something like this:
I wake up at 6:30 am to get ready for work.
Around 7:00 am, I take her out for her morning potty. Once she's gone potty, I'll toss a ball around for her for about 20 mins or so, then I have to leave for work.

When I leave around 7:30, she goes back into her kennel until after my husband and son get up and have their breakfast.

Around 9:30 am, she comes out of her kennel to eat her breakfast. She goes out the door as soon as she finished the last bite of breakfast, for a potty break. Once she has pottied, my husband brings her in and lets her lay on her dog bed, leashed to my husband, for an hour or so. This is so she gets used to interacting with my 4 year old son.

Around 11:30, my husband takes the pup for another potty break and then puts the pup back in her kennel so he can make lunch.

The pup usually stays crated until I get home from work at 5:00 pm. When I walk in the door, I great my husband, my son, and then I let the pup out of the kennel. We got straight to the back door, and into the yard. She goes potty, and then I play with her for about an hour, I'll usually work on her heeling and obediance for 20 to 30 minutes, and then just play for about 30 minutes. By the end, she's pretty worn out, and I take her back into her crate so the two-legged pack members can cook and eat dinner.

After dinner is done, and our son is in bed, around 8:00 pm, the pup comes back out of the kennel. She eats her dinner, and then goes outside. I vary her evening outside time. Sometimes we play "hide and go seek", because we're establishing ground work for SAR. Sometimes we take a walk. Other times we might do some obediance. Many times, I just let her run and sniff as she pleases, under my supervision.

The second she acts bored, we go inside and she lays on her dog bed until my husband and I go to bed around 11:00 pm, and she goes in her kennel...

Your pup is twice the age of mine, and likely needs twice the exercise.

 Quote: Melissa Charles

Duh, should have explained. When we take him out for potty, its at least a 20 min walk, and thats at least 4 times a day, since we also bring him out when we're taking the kids to the park. Sorry, didn't occur to me that taking him out for potty wouldn't automatically include a good walk

Melissa,

Does the pup get chances during the day to really RUN? Can he play fetch in your yard, or at the park, allowing him to really tire himself out? Sometimes even a lot of little walks aren't as good at running the tank down as a good zoom around the lawn, or chase after a favorite toy... it sounds like you're giving him lots of good time practicing leash walking and being out and about with you, but when my dog was that young a few opportunities to tear around a big open space were MANDATORY every day - for both of our sanity!

~Natalya

I agree with Mike. My dog was the same when I first got him in 06'. As soon as I began taking him out for walks, he was much more relaxed when in the house. It will take weeks or perhaps, months for your dog to view you as his/her pack leader. It all depends on your consistency. If you stick with the program with consistency, that will lead to faster results.

Julio, I did reply and explain that he gets at least 4 walks a day. We take him for walks for potty, not stand him in the yard My fault for not explaining that in the OP. To me, potty = walk so I didn't think that anyone would think otherwise, lol!

He does get time in the yard to run about, dragging the leash. I'll make sure that I ramp that time up, thanks for the suggestion!

 Quote: Melissa Charles

. . . I did reply and explain that he gets at least 4 walks a day.

Well, there's walks and then there are walks. I don't know what yours are like.

When I have my GSD out for a walk that lasts 40-60 min., she gets the opportunity to pee/poop a couple or three times and then maybe one or two 15-sec. stops to sniff and investigate. The rest of the time it's a fast paced walk - no distractions allowed. Anything pace less than that won't have any effect.

Mike

Mike, I have a pug, so he's not as physically demanding as a GSD. Our walks (around actual potty breaks)are at a pretty good pace for him. Because of his breed, I am aware that over exertion can be a danger to him, esp with the warmer weather we're having. The whole 'pushed in face' issue.

What I'm trying to say is that we do make sure that he gets GOOD walks...although to a GSD it would be nothing, lol! We have a sizable park and do at least 2 laps of it.

I'm just finding that being in the house, outside of the crate tends to flip the "time to be a tool" switch on for him, and wondering what if anything to do. Coming in to the house after a walk, he'll start bounding around...if I put him in his crate he'll crash right away, but leave him tethered to me and he's wired, until he's in his crate.

Oh, I did spend time in the yard with him after my last reply, and so far this dog appears to have no prey drive at all. No interest in balls, tug toys, nada. Sticks to me for the most part, if he's exploring and I walk away from where I was standing, he zooms right over without me saying anything, so I'm taking that as a good sign of pack structure taking root