Just RELAX!!

Whispered

About 2 months after Phoenix's arrival and the two boys have adjusted to each other wonderfully. We have had no problems at all, besides one teeth gnashing incident The only area I am at a loss is trying to encourage them to relax together.

They will both relax when the other is not there, but when they are both in together it's all play. No matter how tired they are. This is fine 99% of the time but it would be lovely for us all to be able to relax in the sittingroom together. The only time I have seen them not play in each others company is when they are sunbathing So any tips?

Discodog

Yep a bit of discipline. Your existing Angel is already trained to go on his bed ...........isn't he ? . So start training Phoenix to stay on his bed, in a crate if necessary. You can't blame him - EGAR's fault - she's too busy doing the voice overs as Helga on the Lidl adverts

My little guy used to be the same & he has two dogs to play with but I quickly established "bed" as one of his first commands. Teaching dogs to chill is so important for them & your sanity !

mymo

I would agree, bed is the command I use when my two get too carried away.
I then get them sitting together in the one bed (they each have their own and won't sleep together, but will sit together when sent to bed), looking at me with the big sad eyes for spoiling their fun:rolleyes:
But they calm down and go back to normal then (which is mostly snoozing or being nosey).

Whispered

Funnily, Phoenix is very happy to curl up on his pillow. It's Harley who is starting the games usually. It ranges from shoving his rubber leg into phoes face, to bowing in front of him groaning like a bear.

So I took both of your advice, and told both in a stern voice to "STAY" (phoe knows this too) Phoenix grinned up at me, waggled his bum and curled up on his pillow, harley looked at me, attemped a step forward off his bed, was put back, lay down and started groaning. This was ignored for a good 10 mins, during which time we went back to watching our tv programme.

I heard Phoe moaning. Harley was on his back (still on his bed) writhing around and smacking phoe with his paws while poor little fella tried his best to ignore him. :rolleyes:

So he was corrected and asked to sit, beds were moved further apart, both went back to bed and within 5 mins harley had stretched his head across to phoes pillow and was nosing him. Still with the majority of his body on his own bed. I got fed up at this stage and put him into his crate so Phoenix could relax in peace.

Tonight I'm going to try beds on opposite sides of the room. But I can't see it working to be honest.

mymo

Cheeky little sods at times aren't they:D

My bigger dog gets very excited at times and I send him to bed, he tries just the bum in the bed, or sometimes sits with one paw on the bed, so I say "bed" again and he gets a bit more of him in the bed, sometimes it takes 3 goes to get all of him in the bed. :rolleyes:
You can't let him off once or he'll be worse next time.

Whispered

Beds on opposite sides of the room and a stern "stay" to Harley seemed to work this evening Do you think that if I do this for a few evenings and consistently have them relaxing and only relaxing in the sitting room, they might start doing it automatically?

ppink

If you manage to crack this I am bringing one of mine to you for boot camp:eek::D
If I move at all, any time day or night, she is like a rocket up after me. I cannot even stand up from any chair without having her on my tail. I have tried but I have to admit she has won. I just have not got the energy any more:(
She is wired, not relaxed and I am wrecked from it;)

Whispered

Well we have cracked it (and because I've said that they are going to revert back immediately!)

I ignored them for most of the day while they were playing and interacted with them while they relaxed. Then alternated them in the sitting room until they both, individually understood that the only way they would get attention in there would be to lie down and relax.

When I brought them in together it took only one mild correction to Harley and two to Phoenix, and they got the message. I've spent the evening lying on the couch watching a film, with food on the coffee table (usually impossible with phoe) and both boys asleep by the fire. I'm absolutely delighted.

This is the first time I've tried to establish proper rules around how they behave together in a certain place, I'm amazed at how quickly it has worked.

Thank you for the tips!!

Whispered

ppink wrote: »

If I move at all, any time day or night, she is like a rocket up after me. I cannot even stand up from any chair without having her on my tail. I have tried but I have to admit she has won. I just have not got the energy any more:(
She is wired, not relaxed and I am wrecked from it;)

Is she young, or a new addition? Harley was the same, I asked on here how to help him relax and I was advised he would grow out of it. He has (a year and a bit on). He now groans when I come downstairs in the morning.

ppink

Whispered wrote: »

Is she young, or a new addition? Harley was the same, I asked on here how to help him relax and I was advised he would grow out of it. He has (a year and a bit on). He now groans when I come downstairs in the morning.

nope she is 8 this year and we have had her from puppyhood:o
she is the shorthaired GSD on my pics and lives to run, but has that spondylosis. anyway she has adapted well to house all the time and lead walking for short periods but rarely relaxes and if I move at all she does not just stand up she jumps and races after me. she has always been like this and I do make her stay etc but it all happens over the next time I move.
i think she thinks she is a husky actually and dreams of her own team:p


It has worked so quick for you whispered! It is great, you will have to post up the relaxing pics:)

Whispered

ppink wrote: »

It has worked so quick for you whispered! It is great, you will have to post up the relaxing pics:)

Oh it worked for one night. That is no indication of how long it will continue to work . It's a start though, and I least I know what to do now.

I can see why your GSD would be wired.
Have you tried any dietry supplements to help her relax, like kalmaid. As far as I know it's suitable for long term use, and it's natural, so nothing too harsh in it.

ppink

I did try kalmaid alright but she did not like it! This dog would eat raw onions if I left her and I could not believe she would not touch her food with that stuff in it!
I might try it again adn try to disguise it better, not easy with her nose though;). Her personality is very intense anyway, even when she was healthy. she would often spend 30mins in the fields retracing the footsteps of our other dog who lost her kong while on a walk, and she never came back without the kong......relentless;)

our 3 others are on the same routine as her now and they spend most of the day slobbed out:).