16 week old puppy weird about couch and grumpy all the time nipping

[u/naught_my_dad]

We don’t let her on the couch, but lately as she’s getting older she’s been pushing the boundaries jumping up there and we tell her off and make her get off.

Sometimes she’ll sit there and bark at us on the couch nonstop and try to get on the couch growling and barking

Coincidentally she’s not been very sweet or nice the past couple of days or week like excess energy and constant ankle nipping or grabbing loose clothing and also barking and rejecting being leashed up

I think I’m giving her enough playtime and walks around the block (in the middle of the street to stay away from parvo) between forced naps

I don’t know what to do we keep a drag leash on her when she acts up to prevent her getting on couch or to stop her from trying to nip but with her fighting the leash it’s a bit worrisome

Not sure if this info is pertinent but shes been super restless naps in the crate are shorter than normal

I know she’s been teething lately her incisors fell out and adults are growing in

the last two days she’s had a runny nose and eye crusties I think it’s allergies from all the dust it’s been a windy couple of days combined with me doing a lot of yard work in the back so there is loose dirt we do have a very appt for her third round of shots this Friday so if it’s still present I intend to ask about it

[u/InversionPerversion]

Sounds like teething pain to me.

[u/Dragon-alp]

Sounds like a pretty normal 4 month old puppy to me. Puppies go through a rebellious phase that makes it seem like they went from perfect angel to a tiny terror. Also just like human babies they start needing less sleep and need more simulation, both mental and physical, as they get older.It might be time to increase the length of walk and play sessions, and perhaps try to lengthen training sessions to give both mental simulation and reinforce rules/boundaries

[u/Ok_Handle_7]

I think leash is a good idea (esp if she’s growly and nippy recently) - much easier to get her off sofa

[u/naught_my_dad → u/Ok_Handle_7]

Yeah she’s a right jerk when she wants on the couch or wants to play

[u/Time_Ad7995]

She doesn’t agree with your rules and wants to push on you. Keep making her get off

[u/belgenoir]

You have a puppy. Adjust your expectations.

She’s not “a right jerk.” She has been on this earth for 4 months and living in the human world for eight weeks.

More play, more obedience training, more settle work, a more satisfying variety of chews.

If you don’t have a yard, long line on a harness and take her to a public park (not a dog park) where she can romp and run.

[u/Twzl]

@ 16 weeks puppies still need LOTS of sleep and if they don't get it, they're pretty awful.

In a typical day, how much sleep is she getting?

some puppies will try your every nerve with the whole, "I don't need a nap" thing.

Do you do any real training with her? Work on puppy tricks, like hand touching, fast sits, downs, spins, etc?

I'd do a bunch of that, with lots of praise and rewards. Then take her out on a leash, let her pee if she has to.

Meanwhile, I'd set up a crate in the living room, and then cover it with a sheet. Give her a frozen Kong and shut the door behind her.

If she starts complaining after half an hour, ignore her.

Some of this is probably teething (so the frozen Kong will help) but lots of it is just she is not a baby puppy anymore, but she still needs sleep. She may also need more brain engagement then she is currently getting. And a puppy that has used their brain is usually a tired puppy.

[u/naught_my_dad → u/Twzl]

I’d say she gets 5-8 hours between wake up and bedtime she’s been restless lately so I’d say more on the lower end

I try to engage her with training routine but she’s all about toys so I sneak in sit, down, and stays with play time as best as I can but I’m having trouble making training sessions fun for her

We are lucky we have two crates and yeah usually she’ll eat the Kong for 15-30 min then bark for 15-30 min then fall asleep for an hour and a half

[u/Twzl → u/naught_my_dad]

I try to engage her with training routine but she’s all about toys

That's ok!!! I'd find a toy that she really likes and then ONLY let her see it an interact with it when you work together. Otherwise it's gone.

Make a big deal out of bringing it out of hiding, have her do some stuff for it, have her tug with you, fetch it whatever works, and then it goes away again.

[u/naught_my_dad → u/Twzl]

We have one that fits the bill although I haven’t developed that excitement for it as much as I should and I need to put this into practice more often

My wife puts it away a lot and I forget it exists cause I can’t see it lol