Is the the teenage phase?

[ImBrian]

My puppy has just turned 6 months old, he's humped and leg cocked for months and is booked in to get neutered in a couple of weeks.

He's picked everything up I've taught him quickly and his recall has been spot on till the last couple of days when apparently no longer exist! He will come back but if here's another dog or an interesting smell he's off.

So what do I do? Back on a long line till he gets through it? Will it improve once he's 'done'? I feel awful keeping him on his lead but can't risk him running off.

I went back to using a long line when our dog did this when he was about 10 months old. He was already neutered (not my choice, he was a rescue and came to us neutered, I would've waited until he'd reached full maturity) and the neutering made not one jot of difference to his recall, he was just being a bugger and testing boundaries. A few sessions on the long line and he's been as good as gold since.

Sorry, that sounded a bit preachy. I am being 'helped' to write by my collie who is waving her poorly, bandaged paw under my nose at every opportunity .

Sounds like adolescence,Eric went back on the long line until he got rid of his selective hearing. He wasn't a humper but it did seem as though every command was met with disdain or refusal for a while. Thankfully it only lasted until he was about a year old

Have you tried a water spray? Eveytime he does something naughty he gets a quick spurt of water. I promise you it will stop the humping. Mine was a rescue and liked to hump his bed but after two days of the water spray he has stopped (although he could be doing it when no one in in the house though...). Six months is still very young. Is he cocking his leg when weeing?

Yeah he's been cocking his leg for a couple of months and humped since I got him at 6 months.

Sorry 11 weeks!