Restless at a certain time

[silke]

I wonder if someone can suggest something to help us with Charlie (9 months old). He is lovely  , but always incredibly restless at a certain time. He is exercised three times a day, I train him and we play with him. He also plays with our older dog. On quite a few evenings, though, when OH and I eat our dinner or watch TV, he suddenly gets incredibly restless, and starts wondering around aimlessly, chewing at things, like furniture, scratching at baskets/furniture etc. He would have had his walk/training/play/dinner etc by then. We have tried giving him a nice pigs ear, or a chewie or stuffed toy, but nothing seems to interest him. 

Does anyone have any suggestions what we could do?? I wondered if it might be attention seeking, because we are not focused on him? We've tried to 'settle' him, by putting him on a lead, but he seems so restless, that he just can't settle down, and just seems to get himself wound up.

Thanks a lot!
Silke

[Cazzie]

My lot always have a mad half hour 1st thing in the morning after they have been out and after teatime again after they have been out or sometimes it can be during the day. I think when they are young they are alway looking for something to get up to and its just a normal behaviour for a young dog. Does he have a crate you can put him in when you are having you're tea or when you do want him to settle for a while? 

[LurcherGirl]

Is there anything in the neighbourhood happening that unsettles him? E.g foxes or cats going past, someone walking dogs nearby, neighbours coming home?
Vera

[silke]

Thanks for your replies - I don't think there's anything unusual happening outside (not that I can tell anyway ). We did have a crate for him while he was little, but OH has recently dismantled it and put it in the shed. I did wonder about giving him something he just can't refuse, like a juicy bone, but the last time I gave him one, it upset his stomach quite badly, so I'm a bit worried to give him another one. I think he's more restless when he's got wet on the walk (even though we dry him, he stays slightly damp for quite a while  ) - it's not necessarily linked to that, though.

Silke

[jann]

  It does sound a little as though he's not comfortable enough to settle for some reason !

Has he just been fed maybe and got a bit of tummyache?

does he need to go out for a poo ?

or maybe he doesn't like to be a bit damp ? coould you use the hairdryer on him ?

You say you have put his crate away recently, maybe he is missing his own little space ?

[Magic Star]

I wonder if hes just getting excited with the smell of the food your eating?

[silke]

Just to report that Charlie was much better last night. I took him and Jessie for a good long walk and we all got soaked (I didn't think to bring a raincoat ) OH and I tried the hairdryer on Charlie and it seemed to work - he quite enjoyed it, I think.

His restlessness doesn't just happen, though, when he's wet, so it's still a bit of a mystery.

Silke

[spanielcrazy]

Sometimes they are like little children when they get overly tired, but they don't know it themselves. Kids get whiny and restless and cry easily, and it's that they are just tired.

Also at nine months he is still going through growth phases and may get sore joints, growing pains, which might make him uncomfortable enough to appear restless.

It may seem counter-intuitive, but you might try a little less excercise, training and play, just cut a few minutes off of each thing and see how he does.