My dog Rosie is a staffie cross, a little over a year old. She's a rescue dog, we've had her since she was about 5 months. She's such a good dog, doesn't have a bad bone in her. She is quite stubborn though, and crazy energetic so she's been a bit of a handful but she's getting there and is mostly very well mannered now. The only problem we have now is how she behaves around other dogs inside the house. She's generally very good with other dogs, she never gets aggressive. When we're out and about, she plays with them a bit or sometimes just ignores them. But when we're inside, it's a totally different story. She just can't calm down and leave the other dogs alone, she keeps licking their faces like crazy, bounces around and acts like she just wants to play. And there's just no way to calm her down. Anyone has any experience in dealing with this sort of behaviour? Any tips?
I have a puppy that does the same thing, So I crate her in the living room where she can see the other dogs but it encourages her to lay down around them because she can't play with them.
It sounds like normal puppy behavior, and her energy should be starting to decrease. The best way with dealing with an energetic puppy is really simple, outdoor play and exercise. If you have an off-leash dog park in your area, i'd suggest you take her there for an hour or so (until she tires out). If you don't then a half-hour roller-blading or a long walk would be an ok substitute. Also, if you could arrange it so that the people with the other dog meet you at the end of the walk, it will decrease the excitement of having a new person in the house.
i've worked with dogs for years, and the best thing i have come across is something like "doggy daycare". It's usually inexpensive, and gives your dog a few hours to run around with other dogs. In this setting they have more of a "pack mentality" and socialize with other dogs while learning their place. I take my puppy to daycare maybe once a week, and when he comes home he is better with the two older dogs, some of his energy is taken care of, and he knows how to act with the others. Its all about getting the puppy familular with many different settings and animals.
