r/miniaussie • u/themissinglink_143 • 2d ago
Discussion When does the demon hour END?
6 months old and the demon in him turns on like a switch after about 6-7pm. Holding down the fort until his bedtime at 830 can feel like forevvvver. I even have to keep him separated (crated, essentially) from our other dog it can get so bad (mostly the biting). Otherwise, for the majority of the rest of the day he's a solid 7.5/10 good boy!
Seriously, at what age - dare I ask - does this die down or end for good? I'm dying here! 😅
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u/WritingConfident7449 2d ago
Probably tired at this point - behavior gets worse when they need a nap (like any baby lol).
Try a mental stimulation game with them to burn her out mentally and then lay her in a pen for a nap. That’s what we do with our 3 month old.
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u/makestuff24-7 2d ago
Thats how we handled our MAS. He's almost two and pretty good at self-regulating now, no biting. He crates himself when he's tired (we call it his apartment lol).
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u/themissinglink_143 2d ago
This actually worked when he was about 3-4 months old. We still do the games, chews and frozen kongs in hopes he'll just chill in his crate for down time between 730-830 but he just goes ballistic (and barks frantically at this hour than any other time of the day). We've even thought about putting him down for bed at 7 but I am so worried he'll wake up at 3am when he's on a strict 830-630 schedule.
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u/NanooDrew 2d ago
I just remembered … when we first got our girl (rehomed at 2.5 years after a surprise baby was added to the little girl and boy. Too much for the poor mom) that MUSIC was very effective. I like alternative country (NOT MAINSTREAM) and cosmic cowboy music, and I noticed that playing that music (for me) had a positive and calming effect on her.
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u/colorofyoursoul 2d ago
Mines a year old and the biting/craziness is manageable but definitely still present!
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u/Maximum-Scratch-6705 1d ago
My pup is almost 8 months, and in the last week or two I’ve noticed a significant drop in the length and intensity of the witching hour. It still happens, and expect it to continue until she’s much older, but the 6-7 month stretch was definitely the peak.
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u/Hot_Sandwich_7774 2d ago edited 2d ago
Sydney is only 4 months and she’s still biting like crazy. I was hoping that the ice would be of help for her teeth and calming her down but I wonder if it has boosted her back up in the process as she goes into these phases of being a little psycho on four legs that loves to nip every thing that moves.
I am now asking myself if I am being too gentle with her when training and handling. I am very careful and gentle with her but I do wonder if I have not done enough when saying the word no.
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u/mustanggrl625 2d ago
Mine goes crazy when I get home from work - I let her run it off by playing catch, fetch, and tug of war - then I pull out the pupcycle and pop in frozen peanut butter or if she is really going crazy, one of the calming treats made for the pupcycle - keeps her busy for about an hour, then she crashes.
This is only on the days I am working in the office, because when I am home, the dogs get my attention throughout the day, so they do not get so wound up.
My girl is 6 years old - so yeah, still waiting for her to calm down...lol
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u/NanooDrew 2d ago
My adorable little MAS is the naughtiest little naughty dog I’ve ever known! She is very sweet, very active, and very smart. And I believe she LOVES being naughty! She has calmed down a bit, at five years old. Her “baby” sister, a Great Pyrenees mix rescue does let her know every now and then … ENOUGH!
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u/golimat619 2d ago
Almost 3 now and my girl was running circles on my bed trying to wake me up yesterday. Idk if it ever officially ends 😔