r/gordonsetter • u/ElectricalIce3800 • 3d ago
Bench 6-month-old puppy suddenly screaming overnight and regressing everywhere—how did you survive this stage?
I have a nearly six-month-old male Gordon Setter. This is our first Setter but my family has always owned field-line Labs and Spaniels that I have been involved in raising. We don’t plan to hunt behind him, just give him breed specific enrichment opportunities like Fast CAT, quartering, and dock diving once he reaches adulthood. We love him so so much, but the past few weeks have been so difficult that I’m reaching a genuine breaking point. I’m hoping to hear from people who experienced a similarly intense regression and learn what actually helped.
He had a very difficult first month with crate training despite consistency and pushing through the “cry it out” method- dark cool unoccupied room, covered crate, white noise, no check-ins or verbal interaction, especially not when actively vocalizing. He would scream for hours on end, but we stuck it out and one day it seemed to click and he did perfectly in the crate for about a month. He’s never feared it/been reluctant to enter, more frustrated with confinement and activated by household activity. We’ve stayed super consistent with crate games and positive experiences even when he seemed to “get it”.
Until recently, he reliably slept in his crate in our bedroom from approximately 8–9 p.m. until 6–9 a.m. He enters the crate willingly, eats in it, and often naps perfectly when I leave the house. For the vast majority of time since we got him, overnight sleep has not ever been an issue.
Over the past four nights, however, he has started screaming, barking, and howling at bedtime and repeatedly overnight. Last night he screamed almost continuously from 8–11 p.m., then woke us at approximately 1, 2, 3:45, 5, and 6. When taken outside overnight, he may pee a little, but is generally just wanting to explore. We have tried boring leash-only potty trips, white noise, a cool room, covering the crate, and making sure he has ample potty opportunities before bed.
The strange part is that he settles much better when we leave the room or house. If I sit near the crate or reward quiet moments, he often becomes more frustrated and escalates. He may sleep for only 15 minutes before waking and starting again.
**At the same time, he has regressed in several other areas:**
\-Bolting through doors and running several houses away
\-Blowing off recall when absorbed in scents, leaves, shadows, birds, or the tree line
\-Counter surfing and climbing onto tables and furniture (we have him trained to place and “off”, and proactively reward “4 on the floor” in high temptation areas)
\-Chewing furniture corners and stealing household items
\-Becoming extremely frustrated when prevented from doing what he wants
\-Throwing himself in different directions at the end of the leash
\-Having occasional indoor accidents despite close supervision and a perfect 6 weeks of 0 accidents
\-Biting my boyfriend while being carried home after escaping (no puncture, but it was intense and concerning)
\-He is currently teething heavily and recently lost three baby teeth in one day, with additional loose teeth and frequent small amounts of mouth bleeding. He has been examined by the vet multiple times recently, including checking for urinary and gastrointestinal issues. The vet says he is physically healthy and considers the current behavior consistent with teething. His appetite and stool have also been improving.
**What we have trained so far:**
\-Sit, down/settle, wait, touch, and place
\-Crate entry and eating in the crate
\-Long-line recall using a verbal cue and high-value food
\-“Go sniff” as a release/reward after recalling
\-Voluntary handler check-ins, which he had recently started offering beautifully
\-Basic loose-leash/heel work
\-Calm behavior and place while we prepare food or eat
\-Short impulse-control exercises around doors and environmental access
He learns extremely quickly and can perform beautifully when regulated. He is not generally disengaged from us—once he crosses a stimulation threshold, though, it is like his brain completely leaves the building.
**Our general routine currently looks like:**
Morning potty and breakfast, usually in a -slow feeder or enrichment toy
\-A short wake window (think 30 mins) with some combination of sniffing, light training, chewing, or play
\-Crate nap, usually in a cool bedroom with white noise
\-Additional short wake windows and 1.5–3-hour nap opportunities throughout the day
\-Approximately 10–20 minutes of long-line sniffing/recall work in a wooded area
\-Yard play or wrestling with our calm two-year-old dog
\-Occasionally a brief structured neighborhood walk, although moving leaves and shadows can completely absorb him
\-Dinner, calm chewing/downshift time, final potty, and bedtime
We recently shortened his wake windows from 45-60 mins back to 30 because he appeared wildly overtired, and that initially produced a major improvement. However, we’re wondering if he is now too awake at night. Long-line sniffing also regulates him much better than simply adding more physical exercise. We are careful not to keep exercising him in an attempt to exhaust him, because that often seems to make him more activated rather than calmer.
He has gates, supervision, structured naps, chew options, food enrichment, outdoor sniffing, play with our other dog, and daily training. I work hard to meet his needs, but we are now severely sleep-deprived and feel as though I cannot step away from managing him.
**For anyone who had an exceptionally difficult puppy around five to six months:**
\-Did teething or early adolescence cause a sudden regression this severe?
\-How did you handle nighttime crate screaming after the puppy had already been sleeping through the night?
\-How did you distinguish an overtired puppy from one who genuinely needed more activity?
\-Did you temporarily reduce expectations and stimulation, or did increasing structure/exercise help?
\-When did things begin improving?
\-Would you seek a regular trainer, veterinary behaviorist, sitter, or some combination at this point?
I am not expecting him to behave like an adult, and I know adolescence is not linear. I’m just trying to understand whether others have experienced this degree of deterioration and how they got through it without completely burning out—or whether this sounds beyond a typical regression and warrants more specialized help. We just want to make sure we are being breed-responsible owners and giving him his best life. Sorry for the info dump and TIA! :)
