Adolescent phase?

[rosesinmygarden]

Mad puppy is 5 and a bit months.

She's driving me round the bend! She just seems to have stopped listening to me and ignores commands. She tried to chase a jogger today, who shouted repeatedly at us and tried to kick her in the head! She's never chased joggers before so this cake as a bit of a shock and was really embarrassing. I asked him to stand still so I could grab her but he carried on jumping about and yelling which didn't help. Arghhhhh.

Obviously will be keeping a closer eye on her on walks and keeping her on lead etc. But what else can I do to help during this stage?

I should say, completely understand the jogger was annoyed I would be too! Puppy didn't touch him, but did run near him.

Mine's 6 months and has also just started giving me the side eye rather than running back to me. I don't want to have to have her on the lead all the time so I am:
Taking her out at quieter times as much as possible so that she is more likely to focus on me
Making myself ridiculously fun to be with..running away, balls, and squealing, hiding behind trees...and with VERY high level treats... dried sprats, sausage etc.. grim but it really reinforces that it's worth coming back.
Using a whistle... it means the tone is consistent and doesn't sound like I'm panicking (even if I am!)

Basically reinforce, reinforce and reinforce some more!

I also bought a Tractive tracker, (£50 plus a £3 a month gps subscription) because I thought her recall was pretty good... until three muntjac deer appeared in the fields we were in..and she was GONE... like a fuzzy assed Usain Bolt. Out of the field, under a hedge and away into another field..by the time I'd scrambled through she was out of sight. Thankfully the whistle brought her back, but the little GPS tracker is attached to her harness and means should the worst happen I can track her.

MOST of the time she is pretty good..runs ,plays hunts in the bushes, but I am really trying to reinforce it as it's only going to get worse...!

OMG, so scary what happened with the deer. The GPS sounds like a great idea!

I now your advoce is really sensible and I'm now just feeling really silly that I let this happen. We'd had a really good walk and so I'd let her stay off lead a little further than normal. I now know better. And am hoping the people who saw me madly calling her to come back don't ever see me again!