Can we have an "older puppy" support thread? [grin]

[Nettleskeins]

My puppy is seven months. He is a poodle bichon cross, and we are riding the roller coaster at the moment. So many improvements in his behaviour and then some new behaviours to throw us!

The latest is frenzied barking at the cat next door and attempts to frighten our rather miserable convalescent cat that he wants to play with.

Being woken early because the room is too light, we have had to install blackout.

Insatiably interested in food, and keeps trying to steal things when we sit down for example with a piece of toast.

Jumping up when food is being prepared.

Nipping me to tell me he wants a walk (this is in the afternoon)

Tell me I'm not alone!

pluses are, perfectly housetrained, very friendly and sleeps everywhere. Can potter and does not need fussing over.
Brilliant on long walks
Very good at playing with other dogs
Excellent recall.

[werideatdawn]

11 month old lab. Bit of a dickhead. Likes long walks, jumping up, stealing food any food even things that aren't food, (ate an entire bag of sprats recently) and eating wallpaper.
Also soppy, rarely barks, house trained very quickly, amazing with our young children and super friendly with other dogs. That helps us forget the dickish behaviour

[LittleCandle]

Ten month old Westie. Was slow to toilet train, barks for the sake of hearing his own voice. Hopeless recall. Kleptomaniac with anything that isn't nailed down. Bugs his big brother endlessly. Cried at night for a while.

Plus side is he eats pretty much anything. He has stopped pogo-ing while we're preparing his meals. Can be incredibly sweet and loves a cuddle. Now sleeps without crying upstairs. He has cracked toilet training and has started cocking his leg. Hilariously funny at times. Is super good at catching his tail and spinning around with it in his mouth until he falls over.

[AgathaF]

Just turned 1. Generally really good in the house apart from barking and something and nothing in the garden which started around 3 or 4 weeks ago and we're trying to get on top of.

Recall is shite though. He just wants to meet and greet, and most importantly play, with any other dog he sees. We keep working on it and I hope it will improve as he matures.

[Nettleskeins]

maybe when I said excellent recall, I meant, AFTER he has met and greeted...so maybe not such excellent recall. However, being a poodle he cannot actually run that much faster than me, so I can generally intercept him.

I take it back about the sleeping too. He is now very hyper (after a walk and supper and a pee) and won't settle and just keeps barking and jumping up. I've put him in a quiet dark room with a reindeer antler..

[Lau123lau]

11 month old whippet. Also has non existent recall, utterly obsessed with other dogs/joggers/cyclists, rolls in anything disgusting such as last nights incident with the cow pat and also loves to steel food/raid the bin and has an obsession with removing insoles from shoes.

On the plus side, he is incredibly cuddly, amazing with the kids, house training was a breeze, he loves his sleep and will happily snooze until 11am given the chance. Doesn’t chew (except the insole removal) and can be left home alone for 4-6 hours no problem (flat out on the sofa usually)! Love him to bits and couldn’t imagine life without the little buggar

[agirlhasnonameX]

9 month old lab cross miniature poodle. Pulls on his lead no matter how tired, rolls in anything disgusting, zero recall when another dog is around, howls when someone leaves the house, even when he's not alone. Jumps up, chews toys, steals food when he has the chance, walks all over you when sitting on the couch, hates when DP and I kiss, makes us look like a couple of idiots who don't care about training despite spending the last 6months doing nothing but.

Positives- he's cute and amazing with young kids, very friendly and cuddly, have never heard him growl, easy to toilet train sleeps great, is a bundle of fun.

That looks so bad compared to the negatives 😂😂😂

[MattMagnolia]

One year old so should be grown up but still changing daily. His latest phase is barking at any person or dog who is standing still while we are out. This is very minor compared to our main problem, which is his barking at every sound, indoors or out.
It’s summer and the windows are open so barking a hundred times a day. We stop it immediately so not continuous barking, just over and over again all day.

[percheron67]

Nipping you for any reason is quite out of order! He must be taught that humans are not for chewing. Nips grow into bites - you are supposed to be the one in charge.

[Nettleskeins]

today's latest, hates the hose when I water the garden, and then tries to drink from it, as if its a drinking fountain.

I've planted up some snapdragons today, and I've had to put them out of reach until they are completely anchored into the soil, as he will dig them up otherwise.

Interested in the nipping issue. Does no-one else''s [terrier] dog still nip at this age. He is only nipping me not anyone else in the family, and it seems to be to do with attention (ie I want a walk,], not fear. I immediately do timeout or send him to bed for a sleep, or get up and walk away. It seems to be what he does when he plays with other dogs too, so I wonder whether he thinks I'm his playmate.

[percheron67]

He is controlling you. If he nips again, tell him in a very stern tone "No". Nipping/biting are never acceptable If you send him for a sleep how on earth is he suppose to know he has been naughty. When you have ticked him off, ignore him for a while for him to absorb what he has done. Call him then, and if he when he comes over, insist on no jumping up and then praise for being a good, calm boy.

[AgathaF]

The other thing we're really struggling with is stopping him from jumping up at visitors. He's really good for delivery people - sits behind me at the door when I take a parcel and doesn't move until released. It's just when people cross the threshold that all hell breaks loose and he thinks they have been sent purely for him to bounce all over. It's not just familiar people either, he did it to the guy that came to read the meter last week. Have tried house lead on and standing on it to keep him down, verbal commands (used consistently), removing to behind a dog gate in the kitchen until he is calm (he just either remains excited or gets excited again if released to them). Any ideas or suggestions?

[Alwaysgrey]

6 month old poodle cross. Wants to greet every dog he sees, pulls on his lead and jumps at visitors (people ignore the ignore him until he’s calm as he’s very cute).

Pros he’s great with the kids, very sweet and generally quite loveable. Well until I take him out on a lead and want to strangle the little sod.

[agirlhasnonameX]

Interested in the nipping issue. Does no-one else''s [terrier] dog still nip at this age.
Mine nips when he's excited (strangely never the kids), but not because he wants something. I use 'ah-ah' sharply and turn away from him until he's calm.

[ChestyNut]

nettle I was just re reading the puppy support thread and wondering how everyone’s pups are!

8 month old Staffordshire bull terrier......favourite past times include digging oh so many holes in the garden, pulling branches off trees and eating them.
Favourite snack.....goose poo
LOVES people and other dogs!
Very polite, submitted to a passing Pomeranian on a walk the other day

agirl Chestypup has a crazy half hour every night she starts by gently nibbling my elbow and pawing me to rough play, if I say “Ah-ah” to her she turns into a Tanzanian devil running around the house barking!

[percheron67]

I think the secret is that when you say No! in a stern voice they will get the message and stop. Keep on until they do. Saying Ah ah isn't definite enough. My next door neighbour's dog is a menace. He barks and barks and they never give him a definite command. They keep saying Sh Sh and I am convinced he thinks they are playing trains. If you are not clear about what you want the dog to do he can't be blamed for not getting it right.

[Nettleskeins]

Agatha I've been thinking a lot about what Percheron said. It doesn't sit well with me just to impose rules, I wonder if the answer is to redirect the dog when he is doing that. Ie could he do something else that occupies him equally excitingly when visitors come. Ie kong, game of fetch, hunt something.

I've been thinking over the last few weeks and the dog's behaviour re: nipping. It is all related to ditching the crate and getting what I now perceive is incredibly overtired, what with early morning wakings etc. He only really nips when he doesn't have any control over his impulses, ie when he is really tired or really bored. It reminds me of children when they are melting down, it doesn't do any good to tell them off, but you have to think how to head off the behaviour BEFORE it happens, through sleep, exercise, play routines.

I've tackled the blackout in his sleep room. He has been sleeping longer till 8.30, which is good. But I think I need to go back to more regular walks at set times, and regular sleep patterns in the day too, it is a bit too free at the moment, as he seemed to be happy enough pottering and then racing around in the park. But it doesn't work when you also have an impulsive adolescent's trying to figure out what is happening next and when and battling their own emotions.

I don't think saying No is any use if a dog or human is beside themselves needing something biological..It is up to us to get something symbiotic going, not just try and control them.

[Nettleskeins]

There is a barky dog over the way from us, a border terrier. He is 5, and his owners constantly tell him off and say no. But he is still barking. They take him for walks and adore him, but the "telling off" when he jumps up is certainly not working, they complained to me they didn't know how to make him behave despite very sternly ordering him not to do things.

I don't believe in Supernanny. I think she only gets the results she does because she involves herself with the children and gets down to their level, not the naughty step business and consequences at all.

[BiteyShark]

I honestly don't think it matters whether you say 'no' or an 'ah-ha', sternly or not. I could say anything as they simply just associate a 'word' with a behaviour. Obviously if you just say the word then it's meaningless as there is no 'behaviour' just a random human word.

Mine used to be bitey at that age when he was overtired and just being an arse. A simply timeout did work for us because he just wanted our attention so that was the ultimate punishment for being bitey as he couldn't be with his humans and calmed down. You just need to find out what works best.

and for everyone as I remember the teenage phase vividly

[Soddingsoda]

Ah this makes me so happy.

I'm currently sitting with my 14-year-old poodle. He's now salt and pepper with his hair. Still can't really be trusted off the lead as he loves other dogs too much (also with a poodle you shouldn't let them off the lead as our past poodle died when muled by a different dog). It took him months for him to walk on the lead as he'd just sit there. He still barks at the mower, vacuum and postman. Your dog will mellow and get into a routine. Mine gets me into bed around midnight as he refuses to go to bed by himself and makes it perfectly clear that he's ready for shut eye. Poodles are very very smart and they'll try to rule the roost as much as they can. Mine occasionally gets told off (he knows the rules) which is a firm NO with a finger or sent outside if he's been really bad.

The toast makes me laugh. I still give mine toast as he'll be excited to receive it then the face of disappointment that it's only toast. Never give them food before you've finished eating and it goes straight into his bowl to stop the begging (he begs with certain members of the family but never me).

[Nettleskeins]

Thanks Bitey - I think this thread is about reassurance and hand holding and actually liking our dogs

[Nettleskeins]

Soda I think the terrier bit of him has coped with the lead! But yes, he does the lying down in the road thing quite frequently. Often he is just reminding us that his pace is different from ours, which is fair enough. Or that he has only just had supper, why would he go for a walk now, again fair enough. [human error, rather than dog disobedience)

We never ever give dpoodle snippets from the table. [I think he would be sitting at the table with us before we knew it, tucking a napkin under his chin and telling funny stories!!

[Thisisthelaststraw]

Will be watching this thread. Ours is 7 months and very trying at the moment. The good far outweighs the bad but my goodness my patience is thinning by the day.

Can’t stay on long at the moment but wanted to post a link to a video that has really helped us and has worked in a couple of days.

I forget how to make a clicky link but will try. Be back later.

[]

[agirlhasnonameX]

The 'ah-ah' thing supposedly works because it's a quick sharp sound rather than a meaningless word, but totally get it doesn't work for all dogs. If I say 'no' sternly to mine he looks at me wagging his tail. Same if I tell him off in any other way.

Have also heard that time outs don't really work other than to calm them down though, as dogs don't remember what they did five mins ago so don't associate a 'punishment' with their bad behaviour? Immediately ignoring or re-directing seems to be the advice?

Ddog finds random things around the house and brings them to the middle of the living room floor a lot, just leaving them there, not to chew, anyone know if this is an attention thing?

[AgathaF]

Soddingsoda your comment on not letting poodles off lead puzzles me. Whilst I appreciate that you have had an awful experience with your previous poodle, I don't think it is a breed problem. I grew up with toy and miniature poodles, and we have had standard poodles for years and never had any trouble letting them off lead. Our current older pup is just very excitable around other dogs though, hence the lack of recall. I'm hoping he'll grow out of it....

[Nettleskeins]

dog has had a very long walk today (with rests) and then a 2 hour sleep in a darkened room. He is now being amazingly easy. Pottering around with a nylabone, the edible kind, having tried to bury it first and then dug it up, no jumping up and nipping at all when I prepared suppper I did a bit of treating him and praising him for sitting before he jumped up, I don't know if that helped. He hasn't even barked at either cat.

So...will ponder. And try same tomorrow. Usually there are a lot of people coming and going and he never really gets that extended deep sleep he obviously needs.