HELP!! Maltese Gone Wild

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HELP!! Maltese Gone Wild
by annie & chloe
ORIGINAL MESSAGE:
HELP!! Maltese Gone WildChloe is 9 months old and the sweetest little girl. She was born with a heart murmurer which the vet said she would outgrow. Well I think that is happening as the last week she has just been out of control. Is this the terrible 2's?? She is wild. Yesterday she destroyed her foam bed by biting at it. It looked like it had snowed in my living room when I got home. Foam everywhere. She also roughed up 2 throw rugs, a towel, her bed blanket -- all in 3 hours. She also wet on the carpet, which she never does. She has a pad in the kitchen and usually holds it until I come home. Has anyone else experienced this at 9 months--she will outgrow this stage right??? Help!

DISCUSSION:

Annie: Yes, she will outgrow this stage. I've been through it with my oldest two girls, and am now going through it with my youngest who is 7 months old. She is wild too. I think it is just like a baby going through the terrible twos. Hang in there:-) Your wild one will calm down eventually. Take care!
Angel

A simple answer to your questions is "Yes". I have had two maltese and each one has gone through the terible two's at the early age of 8-9 months, but don't dispair it will get better and oh what joy your little one will bring!
cloe's mom

Hi Annie, Sounds like Chloe needs some exercise. When Bailey was around the same age I made a point of it to get her out and let her run as fast and long as she could. It really would help alot because she was then too tired to be destructive. Well, now she's 1 and it seems (I hope) that stage has passed. Just have patience and try the exercise. Hope this helps.
Robin D.

Tasha is a little over 8mos. She has a habit of closing the bathroom door on herself and then has a fit to get out, well the other day I was on the p.c. and she locked herself in the bathroom, so I left her there, well bad mistake, a whole roll of toliet paper all over the bathroom, this has happened twice! Mommy's fault, solution close the bathroom door! Other than that she's been good, but we never know do we?
Dottie

Annie-- Your Chloe sounds like she's having fun. Can't say that you are thrilled by that. I don't remember Cubbie doing any of this. He never roughed up anything. In fact, I remember being puzzled....did I have a puppy or is this some kind of alien? I thought all puppies went through a wild stage, but not the Cubster. Chloe is making up for his low key puppy-hood. She'll settle down I'm sure.
Felicia & Cubbie

Sounds like your little is in a normal adolescent stage which she WILL outgrow, but may make your life tipsy for awhile! I would do my best to keep the upper hand and not let her get into too many bad habits during this.
anne

Anne is right. It is an adolescent stage. Noah has gone through it too. My sister-in-law lent me the book, "Surviving Your Dog's Adolescence", by Carol Benjamin. It has a lot of great tips and realy helped me with Noah. At 14 months, Noah is back to his sweet self.
April B

Hello!! Sunny went through this. It was like he was forgetting everything I taught him. He was using the bathroom everywhere, chewing on things and #1, messing with toilet paper. So, Dottie I can relate. At least they're too small for bird baths, huh. And come to think of it it was between 8 and 9mos. old. Terrible! Well, now he is 11mos. and so much calmer and listens better. So don't worry, Chloe will snap out of it.
Charlynn

I adopted my baby at 1-year old from a great breeder. He was already crate trained. At first, I thought this was cruel. But, the more educated I became on the subject, the more I realized it was better for the dog. He is allowed anywhere when we are home, including on mommy's bed. When he is home alone, he is put in his crate. He consider's it his own space, and even vountarily rests in there when the door is open. We have comfortable padding, blankets, water, toys, etc. in there for him. It just prohibits him from tearing up something that could harm him or harm others. It also is a good place to keep him from getting underfoot when cooking a large meal (he likes to sit right under the oven door) I put him away so he does not get hurt.
Linda

I agree with Linda that keeping your little one in a crate while you are away can keep your pup safe and possibly it can prevent some of this behavior. It sounds like the pup gets lonely when left alone. Crating definitely keeps your pup safe, and it actually gives them a safe feeling because they need a place they can call their own. My girls often sleep in their beds while we are home. This is not at all uncommon to find them there. I cannot remember my little guy I had several years ago doing this at a specific age, but, of course, he also had a playmate which may have helped.
Cindy

It hasn't happened to me but I think she will grow out of it. But until then I think you should keep anything she can wreck out of her reach.
Anne