Raising a puppy is not easy!!

[DeeDeeNY]

We got Gemma when she was 8 weeks old and weighed 4 pounds. She is now 8 months old and weighs over 30 pounds, with boundless energy. Taking her for daily walks does not seem to tire her out much. Hiring a dog trainer helped, especially with toilet training, but she continues to chew up plastic bags and paper products of all kinds, as well as things like shoes and reading glasses and anything else we forget to move out of her reach. She has a crate for sleeping and when we leave the house, and we've got gates all over and are constantly moving things to where we think she can't get to them. But her legs and her reach keep growing. We don't know what her eventual size will be, because she's a rescue and we're not sure of her breed, although we know she's part beagle. She is vey sweet and we love her, but it's been very challenging. She is like a canine Dennis the Menace.
I welcome advice from anyone who's been through this.

[jls4561]

1. Is there a good off leash dog park nearby where Gemma can make friends and play with them?

[hlthe2b]

2. As soon as she's through her initial puppy shot series, puppy training classes and doggy day care...

Nothing tires them out more than stimulation from OTHER dogs when you can do so safely from an infectious disease POV.

[CentralMass]

3. We had a Golden Retriever that chewed when he was a pup.

I think it was separation anxiety. My wife and I bothe worked during the day. We would come home and find items missing like the TV remote or a calculator from the table. We had a raised hearth with a slate floor in front of of it that he liked to sleep in front of. He'd wrap himself up in his blanket on front of the stove. We would typically find the missing items chwwd up under the blanket. I think it's because he missed us and smelled our scent on the items. He grew out of the chewing.
Try giving him chew toys (play with him with them when you can) and spend as much time as you can with him. Walks and play time are good. They are social animals
You need to be patient with them.
Crating is another option, if done right. But they need/want a lot of attention when you are home.

[littlemissmartypants]

4. I'd give anything to have a puppy right now.

[DeeDeeNY]

8. I understand.

I had an older dog who passed away at the beginning of this year and who had very little energy towards the end. So I want to appreciate the puppy energy while it lasts and am not complaining. But when we got the other dog she was already full grown, so I was unprepared for the destructiveness of the puppy phase and just looking for advice.

[littlemissmartypants]

12. Button training?

https://www.democraticunderground.com/116196435

[DeeDeeNY]

14. That could work

My neighbor mentioned it to me also. Thank you.

[Cowpunk]

5. My wife and I are also raising a puppy.

You're right, raising a well adjusted dog takes a lot of work. Our dog Nux is a border collie/whippet mix, with lots of energy. He is almost 8 months old now. I would suggest that you have a lot of different toys around for her to pick from. Destruction of toys is inevitable, so try not to make a fuss. Benebones last a long time and our dogs don't get bored with them. Bully sticks are certain to keep them occupied. For a while I was giving Nux every paperboard box I would normally recycle so he could shred it. Messy but it kept him from otherwise wreaking havoc. Being around other dogs is important. We don't take Nux to parks, but we have 2 older dogs and they both play with him. It looks like you understand that a tired dog is a good dog. They need to run; walks usually won't cut it. Spending a lot of time working/playing with the pup is also necessary. My wife is heavily into dog sports, flyball in particular. Getting involved in a canine training/sports club is very helpful.

[littlemissmartypants]

9. Flyball video...❤️

00:04:44 runtime

?feature=shared

[DeeDeeNY]

10. Wow. This is amazing

I never heard of this but will check it out. Thanks.

[DeeDeeNY]

15. Excellent suggestions.

Having 2 older dogs must also help a great deal. But that is something I can't do.

[DBoon]

6. We raised a puppy, here is what we found

Get her a neighborhood playmate, and let them go berserk in a fenced yard

For chewing, pull the offending object out of her mouth and very sternly say "NO" then give her an authorized chew toy. When she starts chewing on the toy, praise her endlessly.

We found "Puppies for Dummies" to be a very good guide

[chowmama]

18. The substitution technique is a good one

Known around my place as "Don't do that, do this, good dog." Repeat approximately 10,000 times. Eventually they get it.

But the important point is to let them know not only what they can't do, but what they can do. Praise the desired behavior a lot. Like a kid, the attention is the important part - if the choice is between good attention and bad attention, they choose the good attention. If it's between bad attention and no attention, they choose the bad attention.

[Cowpunk]

7. My wife says I should also mention...

Brainwork can be just as tiring as running and playing can be. If the dog is only getting a physical workout, it increases their stamina, making them need even more exercise to get tired.

[DeeDeeNY]

11. Thank you all for your suggestions.

Much appreciated!

[SARose]

13. We have two dachshunds

Smart as anything and stubborn.

My old guys love

Kong with a chew stick inserted in Kong peanut butter

Snuffle mat - Amazon has these. When they are sooooo bored we put their supper (kibble) in the mat. Make them work for it.

We have these small mats and we put a smear of pumpkin on them. Again make her work.

In the Summer my old guys love small bits of fruit/veggies frozen in water. Licky heaven.

Good luck!

[mitch96]

16. I had very good luck using this book. "The Art of raising a Puppy" by the Monks of New Skete

A religious order that are long time breeders and have a bunch of books out on the "art"
One collie/Shepard mix and two very stubborn Rhodesian Ridgebacks turned out fine...
You can get the book at other places and a quick search found this...
m

https://www.amazon.com/Art-Raising-Puppy-Revised/dp/0316083275?source=ps-sl-shoppingads-lpcontext&ref_=fplfs&psc=1&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER

[3catwoman3]

17. Here's an interesting thing about plastic bags (found using Google).

*Cats and dogs sometimes eat plastic bags because they are attracted to the scent of beef tallow, a type of animal fat often used as a slip agent in the manufacturing process of plastic bags, which can be appealing to their sense of smell, making them lick or chew on the plastic.

*Paragraph 8 from this article - https://www.petplace.com/article/cats/pet-behavior-training/plastic-bags-and-cats-a-love-affair

Animal Fat
Most plastic bags are made with slip agents to reduce the friction in the material; these slip agents are often made of beef tallow. Tallow is very nutrient dense because it contains conjugated linoleic acid, antioxidants, fat-soluble vitamins, and omega-3 fatty acids. If you’re wondering what tallow is, the Ultimate Paleo Guide provides an excellent comparison. “Pork is to lard as beef is to tallow.” So your cat may be licking your plastic bags for that yummy beef fat.

I looked this behavior up a few years ago, as one of our 4 cats, our 14 lb black-and-brown tabby guy, absolutely LOVES plastic grocery bags. If there is one in the house, he shows up immediately He usually chews the handles off it we don't catch him at it right away.