Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
The doghouse

If you're worried about your pet's health, please speak to a vet or qualified professional.

Original poster

Adolescence is making my dog a bastard!

36 replies

Alwaysgrey · 20/07/2019 19:53

8 months old and it seems he’s turned deaf. He’s on a long lead now as he seems to think every dog he sees is a long lost relative. Jumping like a crazy loon with treats and exciting toys doesn’t seem to work and even at home he gives me a cursory glance and is off on his way. I could cheerfully send him to doggy boarding school.

OP posts:
BiteyShark · 20/07/2019 20:00

Yes 8-9 months of age BiteyDog was at his worst.

At the time I seriously considered paying someone to take him on every walk as he was such an arse.

Sending you lots of WineBrewand Caketo get you through this nightmare Grin

londonloves · 20/07/2019 20:02

I didn't know this was a thing with dogs but my cat was a murderous bastard for two years when he was young.

pigsDOfly · 20/07/2019 20:09

Oh yes, 8 months and my dog just decided she could play games with me.

She wasn't horrible, she just seemed to find it endlessly amusing to come straight back when called and then run away as soon as I tried to grab her - I swear I could hear her laughing at me as she ran off - and it gets very old very quickly.

She was on a long line for months after one major incident that continued until the fortunately, fenced in dog park, was in total darkness.

Original poster
Alwaysgrey · 21/07/2019 16:32

I’m glad to hear that. He seems to have become more of a terror as he’s gotten older. He’s great at home. Chilled, good with the kids, never chews anything but outside on a lead it’s like walking a toddler whose eaten their body weight in haribo and chocolate and is off on one.

Still on the long line but it’s frustrating as he ignores me and the kids and everything is more interesting. Good job I love him. At the moment.

OP posts:
Maxineputyourredshoeson · 21/07/2019 20:07

Oh god, my boy is 6mths and this week has turned into an arsehole, who doesn’t listen, goes crazy at everything but, has decided to be stuck to me for 23hrs and 59mins a day! I love him to death but please tell me it won’t get worse than this?

adaline · 21/07/2019 20:28

Oh yes - 7-11 months were definitely the worst here!

It does get better...

Original poster
Alwaysgrey · 22/07/2019 18:56

Silently weeping in the corner with 🍰

OP posts:
pigsDOfly · 22/07/2019 22:29

It does get better, cake will help.

ParmaViolet44 · 22/07/2019 22:33

I was going to start the same thread myself today!! Mine is 15 months though and has turned into a total twat.
He eats and/or rolls in any and all fox/badger shit he can find and has just started refusing to come back to me. He used to be such a good boy. I could happily drop kick the little fucker over a hedge at the moment.

pigsDOfly · 22/07/2019 23:41

@ParmaViolet44 Get him on a long trailing lead.

Saved my sanity.

Original poster
Alwaysgrey · 23/07/2019 08:47

He woke me up at 2am crying and whining. I left him until 4am when he was still going and I assumed something was wrong as he sleeps through. Nope little sod just wanted to play. Put him back to bed and he started up again and has then barked when my husband went down to get something at 7 ish and left him shut downstairs. Could happily strangle him as my dc woke me up at 2am the night before.

OP posts:
GreengreenSofa · 23/07/2019 09:06

What breed is he Alwaysgrey?

adaline · 23/07/2019 09:51

It goes get better! Mine woke me up in the night on occasion until he got to about 8/9 months and then he stopped. He sleeps through from when we go to bed around 10.30-11pm until we get up.

He's eighteen months next week and like w totally different dog - much calmer (though he still has his moments) and much more obedient too. Just persevere - you will get there :)

MarleyMooChick · 23/07/2019 10:13

Mine is 15 months and I've given up walking her in parks at the moment as she likes to run up to people from behind, especially men & run through their legs - I swear I can see her laughing! I spend my time yelling at said men, but most have earphones in & can't hear me.
Luckily there is a nature reserve 10 mins walk from me so can avoid parks for now.

Original poster
Alwaysgrey · 23/07/2019 10:44

He’s a poodle. Very loveable but a monkey.

OP posts:
ParmaViolet44 · 23/07/2019 11:13

Doesn't the long trailing lead drag on the floor though? I've seen them on a couple of dogs in the park and they just seem to get tangled up. Plus one lady's dog dragged it through some long grass and it got covered in poo that some arsehole owner hadn't picked up.

I'm all for trying it, at this point I'll try anything! (Tempted to look for some tranquiliser darts.)
I read that puppy "rebellious stage" can be any time from 6 to 18 months so that will teach me to have smugly thought we might have got away with it! Apparently not Hmm OP you have my sympathies!

pigsDOfly · 23/07/2019 12:24

Yes the trailing lead does drag on the ground and it can be a bit unpleasant at times, but it gives you a way to train your dog and gives you a lot more control. It also needs to be attached to a harness, so if you don't have a harness that's yet another thing to buy.

It's not ideal but it works for very many people.

Original poster
Alwaysgrey · 23/07/2019 14:21

We use a long line. It’s a pain if he ends up playing with another dog but he’s quick to shoot off even on a long line so I have a bit more control. Not much as he still looks like a nutter and I’m fairly sure he doesn’t like me that much at the moment.

OP posts:
ParmaViolet44 · 23/07/2019 15:15

Ok I'm sold. I'll be giving that a try.

Fingers crossed they grow through it sooner rather than later. I've been reading up on it and he's definitely showing quite a few of the "rebellious behaviours" that are listed. They say "rebellious" and "challenging". I'm sticking with 'twat' for the time being Grin

pigsDOfly · 23/07/2019 18:16

Oh they definitely grow through it sooner or later. My dog is 8 years old now and calm as can be.

Although having said that I do wish she would hump her toy sheep in the garden.

pigsDOfly · 23/07/2019 18:16

Oops, wish she wouldn't hump her toy sheep, that should be.

AgathaF · 24/07/2019 07:39

Long leads are definitely worth getting. Ours does get into a soggy/muddy/sometimes shitty mess but I just put it through the washing machine when we get home.

WiggleButt · 24/07/2019 10:55

WigglePup is 11 months and is back on a trailing lead because he also desperately wants to play with every other dog he sees and his recall goes out of the window. He's on track for his Good Citizen Scheme silver award and is beautifully behaved in a training environment (completely ignores the other dogs) not that you'd bloody know if you saw him on a walk but if we're in the open he's an entirely different beast.

The problem is, he's big (31kg or thereabouts), incredibly quick, and very strong. Generally he's good as gold, we throw the ball around, play chase, and do recall training. If I see him get distracted a tiny tug is normally enough to remind him I exist and he comes running over to play with me. However, yesterday there were two dogs he decided he reaaaaally wanted to play with. I stepped on his lead when he clocked them but he went tearing off and sent me flying, giving me rope burn on my ankle. I yelped which much have startled him and he stopped and started trotting back to me. I picked up his lead to untangle it when he reached me and was sniffing around for his ball, but one of the other dogs barked and he went tearing back off to them while I was holding it. Instinctively my hand tightened (despite knowing that's the worst thing to do!) and now I have friction burns all the way across my palm and fingers.

I think I'm going to trade my nylon one in for a biothane one which should hopefully minimise the risk of it happening again, and there's the added bonus of it being waterproof and not absorbing gunk and water from the ground.

They're great if you use them properly but don't hold it if there's any risk of your dog running. It bloody hurts! Sad

adaline · 24/07/2019 12:09

If it makes anyone feel better, I took my 18 month old pup to the beach this morning with a friend and her dog and he was excellently behaved - off lead the whole time, good recall, excellent play - I'd never have thought he'd be like that six months ago!

It does get better - lots of persistence, practise and repetition and it will work - chicken or ham as treats works too!

FoxesAreFabulous · 26/07/2019 11:09

Alwaysgrey I feel your pain!! We have a miniature poodle (what size is yours? Photo please!!) and he was an absolute arse at that age.....lost all his recall, became selectively deaf and appeared to have forgotten all his training. We honestly felt like we could have sold him to the next passer-by for a fiver Grin - he was a total sod. I don't think it helps that poodles are so clever - as you'll undoubtedly know, they are the second most intelligent breed after collies. What we didn't know until our puppy class trainer told us is that the red ones are the cleverest of the lot and also quite highly-strung!! What colour is yours?
It does get better again - ours is now 3 and is (mostly) a delight to walk and to train - they do need things to get that poodly brain working so you might want to look for some brain games to do at home, if you haven't already. Also - is there something your dog really, really loves? Ours is tennis-ball obsessed and although we have always been careful not to let that develop - so he doesn't often get a call thrown on walks as he'll then bark non-stop if we put it away - a ball was our saviour for recall as he would always come back if we shouted 'ball' Grin

Swipe left for the next trending thread