Teenage puppy support thread ‘you’re not the boss of me now’

[GolightlyMrsGolightly]

Anyone else need a bit of support with adolescent dog? Ours is just having first season at 9 months. She’s being a bit of a mardy so and so and stopped listening.

[TrufflePioneer]

Ooh ooh meeee. I have an 8 month old terrier and he's being an insufferable arse. I'm delighted the crazy biting and puppy phase is over, but this is a new hell.

I shouldn't moan too much I suppose, he's not THAT bad.

[BreathlessCommotion]

We have a 13 month old dickhead, I mean labradoodle. She is doing my head in. I swear she actually rolls her eyes at me.

[TrufflePioneer]

Haahaha @BreathlessCommotion, same...his backward glances have a "whatever" vibe about them.

[GolightlyMrsGolightly]

The side eye...you want me to do what..?

[LBee2020]

Ooh yes! This is what we need. We're not quite at adolescence with our 6.5 month old lab but we've solved all the usual puppy issues (toileting, sleeping, biting) so are now moving on to the next range of issues - so far seeming to be patchy recall, lead pulling and barking at the door!

[GolightlyMrsGolightly]

The answer to all of the above @LBee2020 according to our trainer, is treats!

Ours recall isn't too bad, but I think she's starting to push back on it now.

The barking at the door - trying to train her to go to her bed when the bell goes. She has massive FOMO and curiosity though... doesn't want to miss a thing.

[AnnPerkins]

I think I'm going to need this thread. Our mini poodle is just over 7 months old and I'm starting to detect some stubbornness, particularly when we're out. If he doesn't want to walk he plans his feet and gives me a look.

His recall is also patchy. I've invested in a biothane longline so I'm not made to look a fool trying to catch him in front of other puppy owners again.

I'm trying to encourage DH and DS to teach him things to keep him occupied. They like to have a play or a cuddle but all the training seems to have fallen to me.

[Motorina]

Ohhhh God yes. My 18 month old proper tantrums if she doesn’t get what she wants right now. If the horrible animal doesn’t grow up soon I swear she’s going on eBay.

(I love her really.)

[champagnemum1]

Thank god I'm not alone! I was just thinking of starting a conversation about "when do they settle down as I'm losing my mind" but obviously I've got a long way to go 😂 my lab is 7.5 months and we are so lucky that he has been house trained from a very young age. He now sleeps from 9/10pm until after 7am which is brilliant but the constant whining, mouthing/biting for attention and selective hearing is driving me mad! I'm hoping now that my children are back to school we can settle into a routine but having 2 teenagers in the house and an adolescent puppy (and a husband that works away mon-fri) my patience is stretched 🤯

[Motorina]

In my experience (third time around) beagles - my breed - are adorable but all the usual hard work as puppies, turn into selectively deaf little shits at a year and a bit, and settle down at around two.

In fairness, my current little horror is actually the best I've had. She's mostly lovely natured, able to settle, recalls 90% of the time, and will listen and learn. It's just the impulse control! If she wants it, she wants it now, and she howls til she gets it.

(I love her to bits but...)

[MrsTumbletap]

Mine is 7 months and she is fabulous, I'm dreading what is to come!

She sleeps well, her recall is good, and she rarely barks. She isn't a teenager yet is she? What's the worst bit about their teenage behaviour?

[GolightlyMrsGolightly]

Ours went a bit fearful around stuff that had never caused an issue before, ran off, was cranky (normally really gentle), and woofed and snapped at puppies she’s normally friendly with. All to do wth her being 8n season I think. She’s calming down now, it was only for a few days....

But there’s more on the way I think as hormones start surging.

[BorisandHarriet]

Love my idiot to death but he’s scared of everything that isn’t scary, yet of course not scared of traffic or big psycho looking dogs or eating rancid shit. He thinks he can catch any bird anywhere so if off lead he legs it after them whilst leaping in the air and if on lead he leaps around twisting himself and almost breaking his own neck. Like @GolightlyMrsGolightly he has massive FOMO and follows us round expectantly waiting for something amazing to happen all day.

[BorisandHarriet]

I should add he’s incredibly gentle, tolerates my kids and many friends playing with him and never growls or looks remotely aggressive towards any dog. He’s just an idiot in most respects. But he’s my idiot and I love him --more than-- as much I love my kids.

[billybagpuss]

Is 2 1/2 year old teenage arsehole too old for me to join in too?

She is starting to settle but we still have so many issues, she’s reactive to bikes and runners, which we are working on so it is improving.

@GolightlyMrsGolightly re the barking at the door, one thing that we always did, that is turning out to be a real godsend is whenever anyone comes to the door we get her to sit on her step (the bottom of the stairs directly opposite the front door). She’d get treats and she isn’t allowed off until the person is inside and either gone to where they need to be or happy to say hello to her. I could never have anticipated how useful this has been, she’s been quite on edge during lockdown where more people are out and about, and need barking at, she will now go to her step to calm herself down. If someone is outside and she doesn’t like it, she’ll come and tell us and then wait on her step for us to have a look. This can be irritating when it’s a cyclist half a mile a way, but it’s reduced the barking massively.

[GolightlyMrsGolightly]

@billybagpuss. That sounds brilliant. How long did it take? And how did you do it?

[billybagpuss]

We've been using the step when people come to the door pretty much since we've had her, over 2 years now and it very quickly became habit when people came to the door, it gives her a focus and routine which collies particularly like, door knocks, she barks, then goes to step and stops.

With the calming herself, during lockdown she got really agitated with the increase in people, joggers, cyclists, dogs, hedgehogs etc outside so we started using it more, send her to the step, look out of the window to convince her all ok. It took a few weeks but she's much easier to calm down now. All with lots of treats of course.

[billybagpuss]

As for how to do it, I think we started by an 'on your step' command, similar to teaching 'go to bed' and never open the door until she's on it. I teach from home so everyone is used to having to wait a couple of moments before I open the door.

[vodkaredbullgirl]

My 1 yr old lab is a pain in the arse most days, she wont leave her uncle alone. She is really bratty, barks at you for no reason. She has started to hump both my dds legs, hopefully next week when she gets done she will calm down. She is good at going for a walk, will come back when told (treats work)

She is asleep next to me, as butter wouldnt melt.

[rosesinmygarden]

Ours is 15 months are a complete pain in the area. She's our second dog and I do not remember it being this hard with the first!

She's reactive to all kinds of things and lately is just ignoring me. She can jump 6 feet in the air and gave dh a fat lip when she headbutted him by accident last week!

She's being spayed next week and I am praying it calms her down a bit!

[vodkaredbullgirl]

I hope it does too, with mine @rosesinmygarden

[Girliefriendlikespuppies]

I could do with some support/reassurance! Our dog is now 15 months but seems to have regressed loads. He now wakes up most nights wanting a wee which is really annoying as he can easily go through the night and has done for months!

He has also decided to put the brakes on whenever there's another dog about and won't move for love nor money 🙄

Give me strength!!

[billybagpuss]

@Girliefriendlikespuppies

I could do with some support/reassurance! Our dog is now 15 months but seems to have regressed loads. He now wakes up most nights wanting a wee which is really annoying as he can easily go through the night and has done for months!

He has also decided to put the brakes on whenever there's another dog about and won't move for love nor money 🙄

Give me strength!!

How long has the night time wee been a problem? that might be worth a chat with the vet if its out of character, alternatively has anything changed, maybe a neighbour having a new outside light thats waking him up or something?

Also when you get up for him I'm sure you're not, but don't give him any attention etc. outside, wee back to bed.

Good luck

[BreathlessCommotion]

We need to sort out the barking. I was too complacent as our dog growing up never barked. This one barks at the door, at anyone walking past, a cat on the other side of the town etc etc.

She's had ear issues which probably haven't helped. She's far too big for a bottom step though, so maybe her bed.

[StillMedusa]

Mine's 15m old and following a horrible second season in which she became reactive to everyone and everything (slowly coming back to normal..bloody hormones) she has been a complete dick this week.
I'm back at school (TA) and she is sulking .

DS2 walks her in the morning after I've left and she took 25 minutes to get to the end of the street ( a 3 min walk) as she just kept lying down and refusing to budge. Then harrassed the cat. Then refused breakfast and has refused every day this week.
She's not left alone as DS2 works late shifts.. she's not abandoned.. she's STROPPING!

Oh and recall that went AWOL at 8 months is still very much 'I heard you... nope...'

And I just caught her clearing the cat food. She absolutely KNOWS she's not allowed.. but she just gave me the side eye and stalked off!

Git...