Adolescent Dog Survival thread anyone?

[TooOldForThisWhoCares]

Apologies if the puppy thread is doing this job too but I feel bad posting on there with my 10 month ddog issues, like "yep it's still shit in 8 months time"! Just wondering if anyone would like to congregate here with their tales of woe and hopefully hints and tips of surviving the teenage dog years?

I have a 10 month old staffy cross rescue bitch. She is HIGH ENERGY. We got her at around 6 months, completely untrained. Our first dog. We must have been insane.

Lead walking is hit and miss.
We have jumping up and biting issues.
Recall is pretty good, maybe 85-90% (my hint on this is to take her out when she's hungry and she gets loads of the best treats to come back to).
Cats=terrible. Wants to chase my 2 resident cats constantly and they are separated all the time. This makes me really sad.

Anyone want to join in?

hello please can I join? I have a 10 month old chi who is springy like tigger! He constantly jumps at the glass door when they are shut in and drives my other dog nuts haha

he is lovely but DH is struggling to bond with him he's pretty scaredy of him tbh (pup not DH)

I'm open to ideas for tiring him out with games etc in the house?

Also he's peeing at night still in the house or if its wet outside its a challenge to get him to go to the loo. Thinking about crating him at night as he's in a soft crate during the day at work and settles ok.

Is anyone else finding their dog is requiring a LOT more stimulation than they did only a month or so ago?

Archie had an hours walk this morning and normally that tires him until mid-afternoon, but today he was up and full of beans at lunch. He needed a decent training session before he would chill out again, and he'll get another walk when DH gets home later.

I'm not complaining but there was a big leap in what he needs that seemingly happened overnight! I've recently been online and ordered a ton of enrichment toys and chews for him!

@adaline Dpup takes loads of mental and physical stimulation to tire him out too. He's a working breed, which is fine for us when he's fully grown as me and DH are very active and outdoorsy, but because he's limited exercise wise just now, he's always been a handful ever since we got him.

Like you, he's had a 50 min morning walk, breakfast, leadwork and recall training session, followed by playtime in the garden, he settled with a chew for an hour. Then he got a 40 mins off lead forest walk. Got home and KOd for the afternoon.

He'll get a walk when DH gets home from work, then either grooming or scent work in the evening after dinner.

Lego- yep I had the disappearing dog act today too! It's always at the same bit of a regular walk so I should maybe just put her on the lead to go past that particular spot, I don't know. But she does always come back, just more on her own time. I don't know if that's bad or good?

Hello bigfoot! My sis has a chi. Big personality in a small body (dog not sister ). She also had house training issues from memory, I think it's a bit of a breed thing? What games are you doing with her in the house at the moment?

Adaline, I think Juno will always need more mind work and exercise than average but it can ebb and flow a bit. I wonder if it's a bit like human children and linked to development stages/brain growth when their behaviour changes?

Our teendog has always had a manic period in early evening, when I’m too busy to play, then he settles down to sleep.
It’s getting worse and lasting longer and now he’s obssesively chasing his tail. He’s like an over tired toddler who can’t switch off. He gets plenty of exercise. The non stop tail chasing worries me.

Can you give him something to occupy himself with? A frozen kong or similar?

Please may I join?! I have a 17mth old adolescent...funny, bouncy, relentlessly friendly and completely gorgeous. She also has me reaching for 🍷 most days!

Any ideas when the teenage phase is likely to end? Feel as though some days I start seeing the light at the end, others she has completely overgrown puppy brain! She is totally fabulous on lead, no pulling, will focus on me. HOWEVER, I cannot let her off! Had a couple of bad experiences where she’s whizzed off after other dogs etc, played keep away etc...so now she trails a long line always currently. In fairness her recall is amazing with no big distractions - she’ll happily sniff & stay within close proximity & check in with me of her own accord. Add playful dogs, or interesting looking people & I wouldn’t risk it!!

Does this sound normal? Will she improve with age? We do SO MUCH in terms of training & I’m so terribly envious of those with young dogs happily gambolling about off lead. Rambling now, but love to share experiences!

Hello & thanks to people who directed me this way.

We have a nine-month old Irish Setter ... who behaves just as you might imagine! Everyone tells me he'll never grow up.

Old jeans is a GREAT toy tip. I have a pair he wrecked when he was still a nippy puppy. (Thank God that phase is over ...) I will resurrect as toy. Tried a stuffed Kong for first time during supper yesterday: 15 mins peaceful dog while we ate. Amazing. I swiped it off him afterwards to keep for our meal-times.

That was after he'd got a carton of milk of the side and burst on the kitchen bench ... My fault, but I was distracted by sick child. Back to obsessive surface clearing. Our kitchen is freakishly tidy.

Just bought Total Recall after so many recommendations. And little clip-on treat bag to make easier to work on lead - hard to do lead and pot of cheese and also tired of pockets being full of manky crumbs.

Dpup is still definitely on lead in public. Luckily we are very rural and have vv quiet woods and fields he can belt about in or he and I would go mad.

My teen dog has form for running after any other dog that will play. So I bought Total Recall, took on board things suggested on a thread on here. All good, we are gearing up for Total Recall training, a session with a trainer is booked, taking a ball and a squeaky toy on walks and being unpredictable (so she learns to keep an eye on where I am) seems to be working. Hooray.

But then today, she was distracted away from 2 other dogs and I really felt perhaps we were getting somewhere. Along comes a third dog, I'm leaping up and down being exciting, squeaking a squeaky thing in the manner of a mad person, whilst she hares towards it, deaf in both ears. But she didn't want to play with the other dog, just to nick it's ball! I've created a ball obsessed monster-one step forward and 2 back!

My spaniel has just turned one.
He’s a working cocker and very high drive and hunting instinct.

I thought I was getting there with the recall and keeping him close to me using a longline, I’ve recently allowed him more freedom and his recall has all but disappeared - even with the whistle which helped initially. I was crying in the park today as all he wants to do is run from me as if I don’t exist. I make myself interesting - always have treats, play ‘find it’ games and he’s just not interested.

Likes a ball in the garden but not interested outside in the real world. It’s very hard.

I feel like an idiot with a poorly trained dog that will get himself run over as he dashes away from me and into the road when we’re coming to the car park.

Apparently recall goes completely out the window during their teenage years!

Our trainer said something that's stuck with me - going off-lead is a privilege and not a right. If they ignore you and don't come back they need to stay on a lead - for their safety if nothing else.

That’s reassuring adaline! My 17mth old has fabulous recall out & about but if she spots an exciting dog in the distance she’d be gone (she’s always on long line at the moment). She’s also played ‘keep away’ in the past when she’s been off lead. Do you think that’s a teenage behaviour too?

Praying that she’ll grow out of it eventually so that I can enjoy the relaxing walks I’d dreamt about!!

I got a Thundershirt! Wow! Chilled out pooch is asleep right now in the middle of her manic time! DH reckons it's so tight it's making her snore (it's not!). But I did notice her calming almost as soon as i put it on.

Spanielmadness I have a hunting working cocker and he went from 100% to 0% recall who loved to chase deer in the forests. It did come back and now he spends all of his time trying to trip me up to get me to throw a ball even when walking very closely to rabbits and deer. It was however bloody stressful and I drank lots of and ate my weight in .

Oh @TooOldForThisWhoCares I'm so glad it worked for you as well!

Archie loves it - he stands still to put it on and he seems almost comforted by it as soon as we get it out - it's amazing!

Our pup’s recall is still good, he’s pretty obedient.
He’s a mix of active breeds but has always slept well between manic periods until now. He’s like a toddler who gives up daytime naps and now wants 16 hours of interactive play daily.

I sometimes wonder about another dog, to keep him occupied. Then I realise that exhaustion has made me lose my reason.

My Pomeranian has just turned one, and is most definitely in full on button pushing adolescent mode. Rather than running off when off lead she likes to just stop, sit down and give me a “what you gonna do now?” look. I’ve tried walking off (if we’re in a safe place), calling her, even offering treats doesn’t always work, when she’s being really stubborn all I can do is put her back on the lead to get her moving again.

Changing her diet to raw food has really helped some of her behaviour though, she’s much less obsessed with our food and doesn’t obsessively beg for treats anymore.

Bigfoot my Pom is the size of a chi, she can’t go overnight without having a wee and I’m not about to set my alarm for 3am to let her out so we put down a puppy pad and she uses that. I think it’s a case that tiny dogs just need to wee more often.

Hey my little chi is improving slowly thanks to some advice here and realising I am not alone!

I got him a hormone collar because he was getting barkie/ nippy when people come in my office and it seems to have helped he spends a lot of time relaxing in his soft cage now and comes out to play and walkies

Left him home with my older dog yesterday (they have a cat flap) and the house wasn't destroyed 😂 hubby checked on the during the day so that's good makes me more comfortable about leaving them sometimes

When I walk him at work it's quiet and I can let him off lead and his recall is pretty good

Still working on toilet training thought it had improved til I realised my new door mat has been pee'd on 🙄

I'm in. 10 months old roughly, pointer x say rescue, pointer x husky with a dash of beagle according testing.
Whatever she is I love her, but my goodness she's doing my head in today.
Her recall is maybe 10 %. So long lead on walks.
She slips harnesses and pulls like an engine.
She really is a lovely dog, great with people and other dogs.
I know that we can't undo her 6/ 7 months of life before she came to us in the 7 weeks we've had her.
I just get a bit down seeing people with their dogs walking to heel even off lead, coming back when told (she's fine at home for commands).
If we never get her off lead so be it, she'll still have a better life with us than her previous one , we'll make sure she gets all the stimulation she needs, but I hope we get to the point where walks are fun and relaxing for everyone.
She loves to run and play, we pay for sessions at an enclosed space but it's a private session so no other dogs unless we took another one with us.
I've googled secure puppy play parks and there's none near us.
I just want her to be a happy, well trained dog .
It gets better right?

I think so. Lego dog had dream recall until teenage set in. Just keep practicing and it will eventually click.

LegoDog is being fussy about food atm. The pampered pooch is raw fed but can apparently only eat the really smelly ones.

Grrr.

We’ve hit teenage HARD here! In the space of a week he has forgotten all his recall, started territorial barking like mad and cocking his leg inside (only 3 times but I’m not happy!)

He is booked in for the snip next week. He’s just over 6 months but the vet is happy as he’s been showing signs of sexual maturity for a few months now.

My question is about this indoor marking. He house trained pretty well as a puppy and I was very careful not to be angry about the occasion accident. Does the same apply now or do I raise my voice or anything. I can’t pick him up and move him outside as the whole thing takes 2 seconds. Help!

ressurecting this thread because it is so brilliant.

How is everyone's dog now? I have a 8/9 month old poodle cross and just had the third behaviourist session today. She said, no barking should be allowed ever. And gave me tips. It sounds amazing. Life without barking!

Lots of good advice from her on various matters, all positive reinforcement. Just takes a lot of work to make sure we stick to her advice, ie no patting when he greets us by jumping up at the door. Lots of leave it when he chases the cat, and positive treating when he does leave, rather than our current method which is to just separate them with a strong door...

it is tiring. luckily she also said don't walk him for too long, give him mental stimulation of being out and about, training and sniffing, but you don't need to overdo the walking. It has helped, he seems more relaxed and less hyper, and is having long sleeps.

And he has just the week started cocking his leg, luckily only outdoors. He has had the neutering injection, apparently there is a testosterone surge in week 2 before things calm down. Is this it? Help!

We have a basset hound who's nearly 1 and been around our guinea pigs all her life and we can have them out together no problem. One guinea pig has always been a bit mean to the other and recently our hound has started barking when this happens.

@Nettleskeins I have a poodle cross of the same age. Any tips for stopping the barking?

Recall is good unless other dogs or exciting people are around, he’s taken to ignoring me pretty much all the time and embarrasses himself and me daily by going loopy whenever he sees another dog (including going on his hind legs). Lead walking also isn’t brilliant. I could happily send the little sod back.