Hi again! I have found this board to be so helpful. I am still struggling with Murphy. We are having better days, but...
He is in his crate for about 8 hours during the day, but I come home at lunch for about an hour and feed/play with/walk him. At night, we go for another walk, then he is on his long lead in the living room for "family" time (me and sometimes one of the cats). He has a big bed, and he lays on his spot and will chew a bone or a toy...but that's it. 2 hours, still chewing. Occasionally a FRAP, then back to chewing. I had him out for most of the evening tonight. Whenever he would start to get nippy (he is still doing that), I would take him for a quick trip around the block, out into the yard to pee or play frisbee, inside for a drink...Then he'd go back to chewing. The problem is that he won't ever settle down outside of his crate. He stays up and plays to the point of being nippy and cranky. I don't want to have to keep him in his crate so often, but it is the only way he'll settle down and sleep and stop biting me. I am starting to accept the fact that I did not get the dog I had hoped for. I love him dearly and accept that he's not a lap dog. Sitting or laying to be petted once in a while would be nice. (I wanted a dog, not a roommate). He is not allowed on the furniture, we do all of the NILIF stuff (even to the point of sitting for each bite of food). I read the other post about biting when corrected, and he does this, too. More snapping and jumping back, then snapping and jumping back again. But, I can take toys and put my hands in his food while he eats. He, too, is aggressive mostly when being corrected. I take him to training classes....I guess I just want to know if this is a puppy thing he'll eventually grow out of. He is very independent, and may stay that way, but I've never had (or heard of) a dog that doesn't try to be petted once in a while. I figured at some point he'd settle and lay down. He has slept in the car, but that is the only time he has slept outside of his crate since I got him. Is this normal?
He is in his crate for about 8 hours during the day, but I come home at lunch for about an hour and feed/play with/walk him. At night, we go for another walk, then he is on his long lead in the living room for "family" time (me and sometimes one of the cats). He has a big bed, and he lays on his spot and will chew a bone or a toy...but that's it. 2 hours, still chewing. Occasionally a FRAP, then back to chewing. I had him out for most of the evening tonight. Whenever he would start to get nippy (he is still doing that), I would take him for a quick trip around the block, out into the yard to pee or play frisbee, inside for a drink...Then he'd go back to chewing. The problem is that he won't ever settle down outside of his crate. He stays up and plays to the point of being nippy and cranky. I don't want to have to keep him in his crate so often, but it is the only way he'll settle down and sleep and stop biting me. I am starting to accept the fact that I did not get the dog I had hoped for. I love him dearly and accept that he's not a lap dog. Sitting or laying to be petted once in a while would be nice. (I wanted a dog, not a roommate). He is not allowed on the furniture, we do all of the NILIF stuff (even to the point of sitting for each bite of food). I read the other post about biting when corrected, and he does this, too. More snapping and jumping back, then snapping and jumping back again. But, I can take toys and put my hands in his food while he eats. He, too, is aggressive mostly when being corrected. I take him to training classes....I guess I just want to know if this is a puppy thing he'll eventually grow out of. He is very independent, and may stay that way, but I've never had (or heard of) a dog that doesn't try to be petted once in a while. I figured at some point he'd settle and lay down. He has slept in the car, but that is the only time he has slept outside of his crate since I got him. Is this normal?
