My 5-month-old puppy’s hyperactive behaviour

Thanks for your reply, we’re definitely in a similar boat! It’s true that he’s got much better self-control with me; I ignore him for five minutes in the morning and then I’m the one who decides when to give him a fuss once he’s calmed down (in a ‘sit’). But he certainly tries his luck with my wife in a way he doesn’t with me anymore; it’s up to us to sort that out and make sure we’re both being consistent with him. I’m really looking forward to starting at the dog training club, I think that’ll definitely help. Cheers!

Hi Oxmo, We’re in much the same boat with our Rhodesian Ridgeback pup who’s nearly five months old! He also has this massive burst of joy in the morning when we come downstairs: he starts boinging around like a mountain goat, trying to run up the stairs, jumping all over us, and mouthing us non-stop. In short, he really struggles to keep his cool. He also has a proper mad half-hour in the evening, usually after his evening walkies. He goes absolutely mental, running like a maniac and leaping about like a kangaroo. It seems to be settling down a bit now, but last month it was quite something to behold! We take him out at least three times a day, for anything between 20 minutes and an hour, so it’s not necessarily a lack of walks... I’ve also noticed that even when he’s genuinely knackered after a longer trek, he still has these moments. Mind you, if you look at it from his point of view, he hasn’t seen you all night, he’s thrilled to have you back, and he probably knows it means breakfast followed by a walk—basically all his favourite things! Puppy excitement can be almost uncontrollable sometimes. Just like some children, they just don't know how to stop and calm themselves down on their own. So, I’m following the same logic as you: teaching him to settle and stay calm by making him realise he ONLY gets attention in return if he chills out. I use "sit" a lot as he’s mastered that one, and "don’t jump, sit" as soon as he starts winding himself up to leap. Bit by bit, he’s getting better at resisting the urge to jump; he just does these little hops on the spot now. If he jumps, I turn my back and give him a firm "sit". I don’t turn back around until he is sitting. As soon as his bum is on the floor, he gets a cuddle. You’ll need to explain all this to your wife and daughter so that everyone is doing the exact same thing. I’ve got the same battle going on at home; even this morning, my 9-year-old son spent five minutes with his back turned, frantically shouting "Siiiit!" at the dog who was jumping all over him... As for the biting, it’s a bit trickier for us. Even this morning, he was so wound up that I let him mouth my hand; he doesn’t put much pressure on, and as soon as it's too much, I yelp "Ouch!" and he’s starting to let go quite well. Plus, I imagine he’s losing his puppy teeth at the moment, just like ours is, which isn't the easiest phase. I think at five months it’s a great idea to start proper training, because once "sit", "leave it", and "stay" are mastered, you can use those commands to help him settle down. On the other hand—and more experienced owners might have a different take—I wouldn’t personally send him to his bed just for being happy (albeit over-excited) to see you. He might take it as a punishment, which could damage the bond and trust you have with him. Unless, of course, he’s totally losing the plot and just won't settle. It's more about showing him that you'd prefer him to show his joy in a different way. We can keep each other posted on our progress if you like!