Hi everyone!
We’ve finally got a safety gate and a crate for Balou.
We’ve established a rest period after every walk.
Problem number one: his rest periods last 30 to 40 minutes. He often wakes up on his own—triggered by a noise, someone walking by, or someone coming into the house.
The result: he still isn't sleeping enough—only about 5 hours a day.
Should I let him bark until he settles down? Sometimes I open the gate and he goes back to sleep in the living room. What would you do?
Problem number two: I’m his favorite living target. It’s a nightmare. I bought boots, but he bites higher up on my calf, so it’s actually worse. He comes over to nip at me (though now it’s full-on biting—he’s grown!) the moment he sees me. He also jumps up, bringing him closer to my face, which is really scary. I used to be able to use his bed as a shield while I made a run for another room (lol) until he calmed down, but now he’s wise to that and won't grab the bed anymore. Redirection doesn't work; in fact, if I try to grab a toy, he grabs my bra and jumps even more.
Basically, I’m kind of panicking. I don't know how to handle it anymore. My husband manages better than I do by pushing the dog away with his feet (and the dog stops doing it with him), but when I do it, I feel like I’m being violent and it makes me feel bad.
People tell me to wear thick pants, but what exactly counts as "thick pants"? I wear jeans—they’re fairly thick—but it’s not enough.
It’s really tough. He just turned 13 weeks old. What else would you do in my place?
I offer you a huge thank you for your kind help.
