1. Try the crate next to your bed. If she still howls then move the crate into a garage that is cool enough with our summer heat, or somewhere to the other end of the house where you can't hear her.
2. Doggy daycare or a young teenager / tween (too young to have a real job yet but old enough to be responsible to come in for a few hours each day) are wonderful things. Doggy daycare could be a couple of days each week just to take the boredom factor out of things. And a repsonsible young person who maybe can't have a dog of their own would probably work for very little $$$ and still be thrilled to have the job. You might try checking with friends that have children who use babysitters. They are often some of the best dogsitters. Ask what your friends pay per hour for a babysitter and offer that as an hourly wage for dogsitting.
3. Crazy hyper...she's a puppy. They have endless energy after they've had hours upon hours of downtime while you're at work. And she loves you, spending time with you, being your buddy. More exercise would be the key. And there will come a day when you wonder what happened to that "crazy hyper dog."
4. Walking nicely on a leash is just a matter of practice and training. And getting that initial burst of energy out. I usually play with my dogs in the backyard for a bit before we go on a walk. Seriously, if the dog has been alone all day sleeping then a walk is like taking a hungry child into a candy shop. I totally believe in taking my dogs out of the yard and house every day for mental and physical stimulation. The same 4 walls and the same squirrels in the yard get old after a day or two. Think of this as money you are saving since you don't need to go to the gym. Your dog's needs can be your own exercise as well as hers. We get up at 5AM in the summer so that we can take our little dogs on a 3-mile hike into the foothills around our house. But any walk would do. If the weather is cool enough in the evening we walk them again, trying to stay off pavement heated by the heat of the day...look for grassy areas to walk or try finding the local dog parks. And really, the fresh air and sunshine is good for us as well as the dog. I think you might even feel increased energy if you got out and walked / played with your dog. Try just sitting in a lawn chair at first and throwing a ball or playing withwater from a hose...before going on a walk.
I hope you keep the pup if she makes your heart happy and provides you companionship. But shelters and breeders actively discourage "gifts" of dogs for the very reasons you are expressing. Often the "giftee" does not have the time or energy in their lives at the time to feel good about owning a dog. Use your judgement. But think of this as a benefit to your own health. It is very true that owning a dog adds years to our lives and life to our years.
2. Doggy daycare or a young teenager / tween (too young to have a real job yet but old enough to be responsible to come in for a few hours each day) are wonderful things. Doggy daycare could be a couple of days each week just to take the boredom factor out of things. And a repsonsible young person who maybe can't have a dog of their own would probably work for very little $$$ and still be thrilled to have the job. You might try checking with friends that have children who use babysitters. They are often some of the best dogsitters. Ask what your friends pay per hour for a babysitter and offer that as an hourly wage for dogsitting.
3. Crazy hyper...she's a puppy. They have endless energy after they've had hours upon hours of downtime while you're at work. And she loves you, spending time with you, being your buddy. More exercise would be the key. And there will come a day when you wonder what happened to that "crazy hyper dog."
4. Walking nicely on a leash is just a matter of practice and training. And getting that initial burst of energy out. I usually play with my dogs in the backyard for a bit before we go on a walk. Seriously, if the dog has been alone all day sleeping then a walk is like taking a hungry child into a candy shop. I totally believe in taking my dogs out of the yard and house every day for mental and physical stimulation. The same 4 walls and the same squirrels in the yard get old after a day or two. Think of this as money you are saving since you don't need to go to the gym. Your dog's needs can be your own exercise as well as hers. We get up at 5AM in the summer so that we can take our little dogs on a 3-mile hike into the foothills around our house. But any walk would do. If the weather is cool enough in the evening we walk them again, trying to stay off pavement heated by the heat of the day...look for grassy areas to walk or try finding the local dog parks. And really, the fresh air and sunshine is good for us as well as the dog. I think you might even feel increased energy if you got out and walked / played with your dog. Try just sitting in a lawn chair at first and throwing a ball or playing withwater from a hose...before going on a walk.
I hope you keep the pup if she makes your heart happy and provides you companionship. But shelters and breeders actively discourage "gifts" of dogs for the very reasons you are expressing. Often the "giftee" does not have the time or energy in their lives at the time to feel good about owning a dog. Use your judgement. But think of this as a benefit to your own health. It is very true that owning a dog adds years to our lives and life to our years.
