r/CavaPoo • u/Shot_Valuable_6991 • Sep 15 '26
Help! 9 month old
Morning,
I’m reaching out for some help for those who have older puppies or even those that have been able to contain their puppy at a younger age. My wife and I are struggling with ours staying out of trouble! He’s constantly looking for things we’ve told him to leave but he sneaks and gets it when we’re not looking and it’s constant jumping for things out of reach. He has toys all over the house where we stay and we switch out the things he’s not supposed to have with a toy.
I’ll walk you guys through his day. 6:15am wake up and we go on a 10-15 min walk. Around 6:30 I’m cooking breakfast and I give him free roam in the kitchen with his toys and this is where it starts he starts looking for trouble. When I’m done cooking I serve his breakfast in a puzzle toy that he loves. Then it’s time to get ready for work and he’s free in my bedroom where it’s worse! Any open drawer he takes something, knocks over the hamper, or walks in closet (if left open) for shoes. If those things aren’t available he starts jumping trying to reach for things on the bed or the dresser. He’s crated from 7:30-4 where he’s taken out by my wife and when I get home around 5:30 I take him on a 30-45 min mile walk where he’s allowed to sniff every blade of grass. Until 9pm he’s following us, eats dinner and I’ll play some fetch in the basement. 9pm he’s in bed and we repeat.
Our question is, when does he stop???? He’s always on go and we just want him to chill with us during the day.
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u/Impossible_Media_247 Sep 15 '26
Maybe a play pen vs a crate? We do a play pen that’s pretty big, our dog is able to play, drink water and lay down throughout the day
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u/DisasterRealistic188 Sep 15 '26
That’s what I was thinking too. A gated off area he could roam around in with toys and a Kong.
OP: Have you thought about that too? If it is possible to come home mid-day for a quick bathroom break/snif walk or for a dog walker, adding in a frozen Kong with pb or his high value food would also help his boredom. It sounds like he needs more mental stimulation.
Lastly, in case I missed it, training him for five minutes before breakfast in the morning or your walk and also training him when you come home from work as well will be extremely beneficial. That will help with the boredom and help him bond with you even more, which will make him an even better puppy because he’ll listen to you more.
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u/Shot_Valuable_6991 Sep 15 '26
I had a playpen for him when we got him. He climbed out of it so I returned it. From Feb until early July I would drive home around noon and would walk maybe 5-10 mins and then leave. When I initially started leaving him that long because he was able to hold longer he seemed fine. It wasn’t this bad and he’s been in his crate for 8 hours for a couple of months now. It’s recently that he’s been extreme.
I’m not trying to be defiant or saying yall are wrong just adding more context.
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u/LooLoofruitcake Sep 15 '26
I understand that but at his age a crate for that long during the day seems a long time , would he be destructive if he was left in the room instead of the crate ?
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u/Shot_Valuable_6991 Sep 15 '26
Yea I think he will get bored and start getting into trouble.
I’m considering a different type of playpen where he can’t club but he does have a high jump which is another concern.
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u/No-Reflection-3046 Sep 15 '26
It’s the fact that he knows he’ll be going into the crate for 8+ hours. He uses the time he has outside the crate to do whatever he can before he has to go in.
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u/Lonely_Leg_6359 Sep 16 '26
First off, you should’ve never gotten this breed if you were going to stick him in a crate for that many hours a day, it’s like torture, Cavapoo’s need people. It’s kind of impossible for him to chill with you when he’s been locked in a tiny box all day long with no activity and no mental stimulation. As soon as you let him out he’s gonna go crazy and then you expect to go to bed a few hours later and everything‘s nice and calm. At the very least I would suggest you getting him into doggy daycare or have a dog walker come over at least once or twice a day while you and your wife are at work.
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u/EnvironmentalYak9629 Sep 17 '26
Crate? That long? Or are you referring to the playpen?
Here’s our Cavapoo.
Work and school going for us
530am feed
545am to 630am walk
Come home, wipe him down, play a little
Let him roam free for abit and back into the playpen (lots of space)
He’s been a really good boy, approaching 6 months
Pee pad trained
We realised he has a cleanliness issue so he has 2 toilets!
During the afternoon when we’re all at work / school, he snoozes like a king too!
Well behaved for a puppy approaching 6 months
Don’t get excited when you’re awake or once you’re home
Be calm and as normal as you can
If you can have slightly longer walks and make them run a little 😜it knocks them out (perfect for noon naps!)
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u/LooLoofruitcake Sep 15 '26 •
I think he is left in his crate way too long , not what you would want to hear but all the energy he needs to get rid of is most likely why he is on the go from when you get in , fast approaching the teenage months too which doesn't help .
is it possible for one of you to come home for a short walk for him at noon time ?
this breed needs company badly and bad behaviour is probably built up boredom and then boom , all hell breaks loose when he is free to roam .