Problems After New Baby

[twild]

We have a 5 year old goldendoodle that we have had since he was a puppy. He has always been excitable in certain situations. Usually he is calm and lays around, but when he gets very excited, he won't stop jumping and/or humping. We tried many things at first. Turning our back didn't do a thing, he would just jump or our back and/or continue to hump. It wasn't a huge problem so we didn't worry much about it. But 2 1/2 years ago, we had a baby. Since then, he gets very anxious in certain situations. He used to be a good car rider, but now he will bark the whole entire time. We have tried puppy pills, chewable tablets, and a thunder shirt. None of them made any difference. He also has started stealing food off the counters. He is very jealous of our son. We try to include him as much as possible, but when playing with our son, our dog gets very excited and will jump, hump, and just get crazy. He also steals food from our son. Because of these things, we have to either put him outside or in a gated area if we are running around or if our son is eating. I know that separating him is just increasing his anxiety. We don't want it to keep getting worse. Please help! Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

[milos_mommy]

It sounds like he could use some more exercise, for sure. If he's been getting less physical exercise or mental stimulation since the baby has been born, it could contribute to his behavior.

Once he's well exercised, mentally and physically, it will be easier for him to calm down. You can teach him a command to lie in a certain spot, like on a mat, small rug, or towel, so he isn't in the baby's face. Reward good behavior, and when he's misbehaving, remind him gently what he should be doing instead (lie down, sit and stay, go-to-your-place, etc.). If he isn't listening, crating him or gating him somewhere, with something to do like a bone to chew or a kong toy, will be your best option when it's something he's over-excited about (the baby's meal times, for example, or if you're playing with the baby on the floor).