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Original poster

Anyone else with a teenage dog?

72 replies

Muddypup · 19/02/2020 19:23

I started with the puppy thread when I first got my pup at 8 weeks old. It was such a great support. Just wondered if anyone else would appreciate the same kind of thread for slightly older puppies?
My spaniel is just about 9 months. I’ve been feeling quietly smug that she’s been pretty easy so far.
However, we’re on holiday at the minute and she’s been a holy horror Confused. She’s peed twice in our holiday home and her recall has totally disappeared.
We took her to a beach today and she took off after a bird, frightening us to death, only to trot back 5 minutes later as though nothing had happened.
Hoping it’s the holiday thing and that as soon as we get home she’s going to turn back into our reasonably well behaved girl rather than the start of teenage attitude!!

OP posts:
talia66 · 19/02/2020 19:59

Yes! I totally empathise. My pup is 7 months old and has just started deciding that he likes to stay in the garden however long he wants. He will only come back once he has sufficiently terrorised any birds (especially pigeons) and rolled in anything that looks gross.

Original poster
Muddypup · 19/02/2020 20:32

Thanks @talia66, don’t know if that’s reassuring or not...I guess at least I’m not the only one!!

When is it going to end?? Is it unreasonable to just keep her on her lead for the rest of her life?Grin

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Halfcharged · 19/02/2020 20:33

Our pup is coming up for 7 months old, the dirt bag took great pleasure in licking the nether regions of a Great Dane today. The only thing that could stop him was a piece of hot dog shoved under his nose whilst simultaneously attaching his lead and dragging him off!

Toria70 · 19/02/2020 20:44

I've got 2 spaniels.

I could lie and tell you they get better.

Grin
Original poster
Muddypup · 19/02/2020 20:48

@Toria70 please tell me it gets better. Just a little bit better will do. Just coming back when she’s asked would be great (oh and not scratching at the windows if there are birds in the garden...oh and walking nicely on her lead).

Come on, be reassuring!
@Halfcharged that made me smile! Mine isn’t too interested in other dogs currently...just bloody birds!

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Fizzlestix · 19/02/2020 20:51

Ours is just 5.5 months and is an absolute terror all of a sudden
She doesn’t care about anything I say
She’s picky with her food
And she does NOT want to come back to us ever.
We miss having her off lead, or just being able to go out and trust that she will behave.
I feel like we had perhaps two weeks at most when it wasn’t puppy training on high alert, she new all the commands and was listening to them and no accidents
And now we’ve got a naughty pre teen

Original poster
Muddypup · 19/02/2020 20:56

@Fizzlestix we’ve ok until this point so maybe we’ve just been lucky to get to nearly 9 months. Do you just keep yours on the lead then? At home we have a pretty safe beach so have been letting her off there but now I’m so nervous of her running off.

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lazzaroo · 19/02/2020 20:58

We've adopted a 9 month old, peek teenager! Trying to work out if some of her behaviour is learnt, teenage rebellion or stress of moving in to new home is proving taxing! I'm on a bit of an emotional rollercoaster!

Original poster
Muddypup · 19/02/2020 20:58

Does anyone know if they do always come back to where they left you or do some just run and run forever?

At the moment it seems like mine pretty much knows where we are and does rock up eventually. It’s so scary though.

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Original poster
Muddypup · 19/02/2020 21:03

@lazzaroo I can’t imagine how I’d feel if mine had just arrived like this. I may be sorely tempted to return her. Lucky for her we’ve had her since she was teeny and we all love her completely Blush

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8paws8legs · 19/02/2020 21:20

What breed of dog is it? I have 2 one whose very trustworthy off a lead hes a cocker spaniel and a beagle who can only be let off in safe spaces, he's 8 and a couple of years ago he had done amazingly well at recall for a good year or 2 before that and one day he took off chasing a deer he was gone hours it had gone dark and I really thought we might not find him it was awful, so no not all dogs get it and keep it up unfortunately.

lazzaroo · 19/02/2020 21:27

@Muddypup trust me, the words "she'll have to go" have been said many times!! We're giving her a fair chance to prove herself, she's very lovely in lots of ways and deserves a home to stick with her.

Original poster
Muddypup · 19/02/2020 21:29

@8paws8legs mine is a cocker spaniel. She’s never really ventured too far until this week. She disappeared round the headland after a bird. She was only gone for a couple of minutes before she came trotting back but it was really scary while she was out of sight.

I suspect she’d always come back fairly quickly but don’t know if I dare risk it.

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8paws8legs · 19/02/2020 21:35

I'd trust her they are bred to retrieve so should come back, I hate that we can't just have both ours off it's much better exercise both mentally and physically to be off lead but try not to panic, a dog knows your voice and can hear from further away than you would think, sometimes I wonder if they think one minute mum, I know where you are this fox poo/smell/bird etc is great fun I'll be back in a minute give me chance 🤣

Original poster
Muddypup · 19/02/2020 21:42

That’s reassuring @8paws8legs. I kind of feel that’s what’s running through her mind too.
It’s just so awful not to be able to see her. Maybe I need to man up. I keep looking at those gps tracking things and then have to tell myself to stop being ridiculous Grin.
She’s our first dog and she’s been so good. I’d hate for anything to happen to her.

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CoffeeBeansGalore · 19/02/2020 21:48

I have a 14 month old madam, and her attitude over the last few months has been rather defiant at times. She has definitely got worse in the last month but she is due in season any time now. We will be getting her spayed 2 months through the other side of it. I always say once they reach 2 they will be lovely (I have been right in the past!) We have her uncle (same fantastic breeder, a pup couldn't ask for a better start) and he was obnoxious through the "teenage" stage. We had him neutered at 20 months. He's 4 now and lovely.

8paws8legs · 19/02/2020 21:50

Our beagle was our first dog too and boy were we in for a shock, he definitely doesn't care if your worried about him, he is just stuck in the moment however the spaniel was part rescue/kind of needed a home and picked us, he's really attached to me so know he wouldn't go too far, he goes off into the bushes then pops his head around to check where I am then carries on and does the same again.

Eckhart · 19/02/2020 21:56

Have you got a dog whistle? Just in case she does run off and forgets where she left you. She'll be able to hear a whistle from much further away than hollering.

Original poster
Muddypup · 19/02/2020 21:57

Ooh @CoffeeBeansGalore spaying is another question I have. My vet said to have her done ASAP and that there was no need to wait for her to have a season first. My dog daycare man (who is fabulous and has lots of qualifications in dog behaviour etc) says to wait til she’s had at least one season. Any thoughts?

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Toria70 · 19/02/2020 21:59

My eldest (cocker) is now 6. Between 9 and 18/20 months, he lost all recall. After a horrific experience with him nearly running into a busy road after a pheasant, he went back onto a long training line. And he didn't come back off it until I had 100% trust in him that he'd come back. Mine isn't food motivated at all, but we use an Acme whistle and a squeaky ball/tennis ball in my pocket is a miracle at grabbing his attention. I also keep a bear bell/hawk bell on his collar so that if he does go off after a bird, I can still hear him even if I can't see him.

Our puppy is 14 months (Sprocker) and her recall is amazing, she's a completely different dog to the cocker. She has never wandered far from our side and I have complete faith in her recall. Chewing on the other hand............ she's slowly but surely destroying the kitchen Shock. Skirting boards, kick boards, stools, cupboard doors........ you name it, it has tooth marks in it. I'm so so longing for this phase to be over.

I'd highly recommend Total Recall by Pippa Mattinson pippamattinson.com/total-recall/
And there are some really good groups on Facebook - I'm on one called Working Cocker Spaniels that has given me a real lift when I've been feeling low with training. Training never ends with a spaniel - but they truly are the most rewarding dogs.

Original poster
Muddypup · 19/02/2020 21:59

@Eckhart, yes we have a whistle which, up until this week she responded to pretty instantly. Today she has completely ignored it. I can see that she could probably hear that better than me shouting though so will stick with it.

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CoffeeBeansGalore · 19/02/2020 22:17

@Muddypup We waited as ours are a larger breed and so were advised to wait until at least 18 months. This is because the hormones strengthen their bones as they are growing. I think you should go with your breeder's recommendation (if a good reputable one) as they should have specific breed knowledge rather than the general vet advice. Every breed is different. But if you are waiting until after the first season, leave it 2-3 months. This reduces risk of haemorrhage & complications. Also spaying negates the risk of pyometra which can be fatal.

copperoliver · 19/02/2020 22:45

As for peeing in the holiday home she is just marking her territory probably as it's not her home. X

pigsDOfly · 19/02/2020 23:50

A long time since she was a teenager but I remember it well.

And yes, some of them do just keep running and get lost, a long trailing lead is your friend. Mine was on one for months until I could trust her to come back and stay with me when her recall completely disappeared.

heatseeker14 · 20/02/2020 09:45

Please can I join? My pup is now 7 months, and over the last few weeks I have noticed a few changes. He is now cocking his leg quite a lot on walks. Sniffing has ramped up significantly. Yesterday he switched his ears off when he found a particularly enticing smell. Even ignored a dog that walked past! He is still on the much hated long line because I don’t fully trust him. Last time he was off he ran halfway across a large field to say hello to a friend. 🙄 He came back okay but the speed he ran off at scared me. Later on the same walk he looked me in the eye and ran off out of sight round some bushes. I wasn’t too concerned as the field is very quiet and away from roads. I got my own back on him by hiding from him. Two can play at that game! He has kept a close eye on me since then! I can’t wait for the day he can be let off the long line for good. There are so many walks that wouldn’t really work whilst he is on it.