Could you afford doggy daycare, even just once or twice a week? I would check out places carefully as some are just inexperienced dog lovers chucking groups of dogs together without the skills to spot problems brewing, but I've heard fab reviews of some. That way he can burn off some of his energy, socialise with other dogs, and it gives you a break to get on with your work!

I agree with all the suggestiong so far. Don't make the mistake of trying one thing a couple of times and deciding it doesn't work, then moving onto something else too soon. This will confuse your boy.

6 weeks isn't really long enough for him to settle into a new home, routine, new family etc. It doesn't matter whether you have a garden or not as you know from your own experience, you can take the dog out.

As already suggested, scentwork, searching or tracking will make him work for food. My oldest GSD has just started tracking so his breakfast is usually spread all over the floor - he has to find it!

how old is your boy? If he's old enough, you may want to get him involved in agility. He's obviouasly very quick physically and you say he's able to learn new things quickly. Agility would give him the opportunity to run off some of his excess (what I call "silly") energy whilst using his brain at the same time. You should find that he'll slepp soundly after a good session.

Do you have friends, family or neighbours who have dogs he could walk and be friends with? You could train him so that if you walk with someone else and their dog, and he gets out of hand, the walk finishes and you go home. If he behaves the walk continues and he canplay with his doggy friend.

I'd also think about clicker training. Personally I could never get the timing quite right but if you are able to, dogs can excel at it.

Also you say you've trained him at home. What sort of training do you do with him? Is he registered with a local training class? If not I'd recommend this. It would mean that you have a trainer you can talk do (without having to pay for 1-2-1 time) and also you can get tips from other dog owners.

Dogs can change their behaviour. it just takes time and patience as someone else said. Try changing his diet (maybe a food specifically made for lurchers would be more suitable?) and give him the time to learn from you and I'm sure that by Christmas, you'll have a dog whose behaviour is vastly improved.

Good luck.

Laura xx

Hey feel for you , not a good place to be but you will get good advice and support on the forum, I was going to add that one from Moon's Mum , I have a lurcher and a grey and he needs far more mental stimulation that my grey , I bought Nina Ottoson puzzles for him , taught him how to unroll a rug etc and do brain games with him a couple of times every day to tire him out , he loves the find it game too in the house but if you dont feel you can give him the time he needs , maybe give it a couple more weeks, 6 weeks is early days and he may settle, try the things people have suggested and make the decision that is right for him and you as hard as it may be.

I think you need to do what is best for you. My dog isn't really suited to me and the first few months were a total nightmare, I've invested an awful lot of time and money to get him to where he is today. I don't regret it for a minute, but if I hadn't been able to turn him around and things had continued how they were - both me and Cain would have been miserable.

I really hope you can give it more time and things work out but at the end of the day it needs to be a situation where both you and your dog are happy and if you feel that you are not the right home for him then I think it's quite admirable that you are going to over rule your heart and try and do what's best for him.

Either way, I don't envy your choice. Be comfortable with whatever you decide, just do it for the right reasons

tip; I taught my dog 'calm' and it was well worth it

I think only you (op) can make the final decision here. Good luck with him and I hope whatever choice you make, its the right one for both of you

what part of somerset are you in tessarc? if by chance your not far from me, (bos) I'd offer to do some walking as I've a three legged lurcher x that needs to be tired out daily! I hope you didn't adopt from bath btw.