10-week-old puppy turns into a biting, humping land shark after walks / before bed. Feeling the puppy blues and need advice.
Hey everyone,
I’ve had my puppy for 5 days now (he just turned 10 weeks old today), and honestly... the puppy blues are hitting me so hard right now. I’m just feeling so overwhelmed and exhausted.
To be fair, he is actually a very good boy in many ways and so much is already going great:
He sleeps through the entire night.
He already lets us know when he needs to go outside for a potty break.
He has plenty of rest phases throughout the day.
He already accepts short periods of spatial separation (like being alone in a room for a bit).
But there is one thing that is absolutely driving me crazy and making me despair: After walk, usually right in the morning and then again in the evening about an hour before bedtime, he completely loses his mind.
He enters this extreme "zoomie/psycho" mode. He starts barking/whining, attacks our ankles, tries to bite heavily, goes after the furniture, and even starts humping me. It feels like he is completely red-lining and I cannot get through to him.
I’ve tried everything the internet suggests:
Saying a firm/loud "No" or "Ouch" (he completely ignores it or gets more hyped).
Standing up and walking away / ignoring him (he just follows and bites my calves/wades).
Gently pushing him away (he thinks it's a wrestling game).
Nothing seems to work and I’m at my wits' end. I know he is probably just overtired and overstimulated, but in those moments, I feel so helpless and honestly just want to cry.
Has anyone dealt with this? How do I actually stop him or get him to calm down when he is in this state, especially since we don't use a crate? Any advice or words of encouragement would mean the world to me right now. Thanks.