Teenage dogs are horrid aren’t they!

[3ormoredogs]

Please remind me that this will pass

Mines gone from almost perfectly behaved, putting my old dog to shame even to a hormone fuelled lunging barking lunatic with no recall whatsoever

Today’s activities consisted of lunging at every dog we have passed despite my offerings of ham/chicken for a nice sit. Chewing my bannister and wall when I was putting out the washing and spending the second walk trying desperately to puff himself up and cause trouble with another young male dog who was also doing the same on the other side of the field
He’s also woofed at just about everything that’s passed terrifying most of my small village in the process as he is not a small dog!

Previously he’s never even given dogs a second look so I’m presuming it’s hormones and the dreaded teenage phase, he’s 13 months and I thought we had escaped unscathed until now.

Trainer has been called and we are back to class this week. Only stopped 2 months ago as he was doing so well and we were finding it too boring.
It’s also back to single walks as him behaving like this and my other dog together are too much to handle which means 4 walks a day for me...joys!

Is anyone else in the same boat who wants to cry about it with me

Yeah they're nightmares.

My dog is nearly 2 now and I would say he's better than he was but still has his moments!!

This is my thread. 10 month lab here, beautifully behaved until about 2 months ago .
Today he slipped his training lead and bounded over to a group of small dogs and owners , luckily they were ok but I was mortified. Then ( before I could catch him) he saw a fellow puppy school pup and ran as fast as he could. Fellow puppy school pup also ran and the 2 buggers ran round and round the forest and neither of us could catch them .

It’s like I don’t exist any more , and no treats ( I had ham and chicken ) were interesting, nor was his ball.

He’s now lying flat out asleep looking as innocent as a baby , clearly working out how to embarrass me tomorrow 😂

Felicity - he sounds great!

4 ddogs here. Walk them in 2's as worried I won't be able to poop scoop and remain in control...

Like I ever really have control...
Dpuppy is 18 months.

Nice at last!!

Dining room on third replacement wallpaper...

I’ve just adopted a teenage lurcher 😬

I now understand why my older dog has zero tolerance for any dog she thinks is a teenage one 😂

So glad I found this thread. Our delightful rescue is now around 3 years old and has recently decided to bark and lunge at everything! The poor postman and delivery drivers are terrified of him. If another dog approaches they cross over because he looks so menacing but that makes him worse; he's fine if he's allowed to say hello. He has been an absolute angel until the last few weeks... How long does this stage usually last? I'm going through treats at an alarming rate

I think I’ve found my people

We’ve worked on the lunging for days and I’ve managed to walk past 50% of dogs without madness. The other 50% of the time he’s bouncing like tigger but I’m hoping we can get through this to the other side ASAP!!

He did get aggressively charged at by a poodle yesterday which didn’t help as it set him off but he did calm relatively quickly after that I did at one point think it was going to get squashed though!!!

The seperate walk thing is hard. When I leave the other dog the home I can hear it howling coming up the drive I’ve made a huge mistake walking them together since day 1 haven’t I!

Fingers crossed for the rest of you!!

The seperate walk thing is hard. When I leave the other dog the home I can hear it howling coming up the drive sad I’ve made a huge mistake walking them together since day 1 haven’t I!
Is it because the dogs are separated or because you and the dog are separated? Maybe some separation anxiety training would benefit both?

I feel you on the 50/50 lunging. Same with us. Either he’ll want to be bessie mates with the dog or he’ll want to tear it’s head off. Can’t determine what makes him react this way so just having to keep him away from all other dogs as it’s too stressful now.

So you’re all telling me I’ve got months and months more of this behaviour? Snooppup is only 8mths, his behaviour has gone backwards and his attitude matches that of my teenage son 🙈😬

My teenager has been an absolute wanker this evening. A bitey hyper wanker with very selective hearing. He's a massive twat!

@MangoSeason

16 month old lab here. He is such a pest. He needs heap of exercise and the best way for him to get that is free roaming in off-leash parks. But most of the time he has to stay on leash because I won’t allow him to be a play bully. He can’t be trusted not to play too rough with small dogs, old dogs and reactive dogs. He doesn’t read clear dog signals that even I can read and I am not of the same species. Occasionally we come across a suitable dog and, after consultation with the owner, he can play. But it’s not enough. I keep telling him to stop being a play arsehole and he would have so much more fun.

Our lab is only 7 months and sounds similar. We’ve been taking him for regular play sessions with other dogs in a rented enclosed field. It’s pandemonium for the first 10 mins with them all zooming around, but it gets so much of his energy out!

Ih my goodness I am glad to have found this thread!

ZombiePup is a nightmare at the moment, just coming up to 11 months, and thinks every dog is his playmate!
Strictly on lead walks at the moment, back to basics to try and stop the pulling...

I haven't helped myself with having doggy play dates with colleagues, as I think that has fuelled dogs=playtime to him 😩😩

Going to his bed currently means he looks at it and sits nearish but not on it...luckily no destruction or thievery though!

Is this why my 8 month old cocker spaniel is so destructive? He rips everything if I don't watch him like a hawk and even so he has managed to chew the corners off my cushions. His toys are in shreds. He has plenty of things he can chew but he's not interested in them. He used to be good such a good sleeper too but I'm awake now because he's whining in his cage. I've taken him out for a quick wee and I am sure he's not ill or anything. He's driving me mad atm.

@Anna713 yep that sounds like a teenager! Apparently it's a phase... could last for a year!!

My twat lab has recently eaten one of my son's trainers (they were vile and needed chucking), killed a cushion and constantly tries to hump my older lab, particularly when out on walks. She's being spayed next week so hopefully that will calm her down. She hasn't chewed anything before!!

I was just about to post but saw this thread. My lab pup is 5 months but I think it’s starting.

He wee’d and poo’d on my floor after he was perfectly trained, now he wee’s anywhere he likes - is this regression normal?

Also getting very wilful and ignoring me.

I’m not loving the idea of these upcoming stages.

Is a two year old still a teenager? She was a delight til the puppy came home 4 weeks ago and now she’s horrid. Selectively deaf. Surly. Just vile. I was relying on her to model good behaviour and instead I‘ ve got Kevin.

@MikeWozniaksGloriousTache all of the dogs are fine in the house if I’m around, they will sleep in seperate rooms or one is happy to play outside of the other is in etc. They are also fine when I’m out and I leave them alone (I do have 3 so old dog is usually asleep in a corner somewhere!) but if I take any combination of 2 out and leave one dog home alone hell breaks loose- it does not matter which ones are out and who is left...dog 3 will howl and cry.
I can take 1 out and leave 2 alone no problem but that means 3 walks

I am a bit concerned about what will happen when the old dog does go and Im left with 2 I can’t separate as hes 12 now which is a fair age for his breed but hopefully he hangs around for a fair while yet

Teenage dog is full of himself again today. We went to training last night and he slept while the other dogs were barking/jumping around. So bizarre as there’s no pattern to it!!

I have two seven month old terriers.....terrorists more like at the moment.
The house training had gone out of the window. They have two speeds, flat out asleep & 100 MPH usually charging in & out of the house, round the sitting room across the backs of the sofas. Nothing is safe, they’ve chewed coffee table legs, all the cushions, the skirting boards, the fireplace despite having an absolute houseful of toys mostly inherited from the older dogs. They mug my old lady till she snaps, one convinced she’s a surrogate mum, licking her face to try to get regurgitated food. The other throws herself on the floor trying to squirm underneath my old girl despite her being tiny.
One was at the vets last week to be made sick following a suspected swallowed stone which they are always finding outside despite the flagstones being brushed & hosed so they shine like never before & the rest of the garden being behind a gate & stone wall.
I’ve had LOTS of puppies over the years but only two others in the past quite up to ( down to?) these two’s manic loopiness

Mine has gone from bad ( ignoring recall , generally finding me boring) and has now added on lunging barkin and growling at some dogs , whilst trotting past like an angel others and ignoring some who are lunging at him . Makes no sense ! I spoke to the owner of one he was a neutered male so it’s not like they’re all intact .
Only when we’re walking towards , tried turning and walking away , is dragging really , won’t take treats past a certain level - clearly over threshold- but some situations have no choice but to continue on the road . Not sure if this is part of adolescence which he will grow out of or some kind of reactivity . Will ask for help from a trainer when home
He has also started barking at some men - no real reason . Again refused treats
Hope is adolescent fear period

Our last puppy never made it to adolescence so feel a bit out of control now !

I have been a bit back footed, as my last two dogs have been labs and they live to eat, so treats have been a useful element re control and obedience.

This one:
Me: sit.
Her: shan't.
Me : sit.
Her: won't. I'm going to go over here, just to be contrary.
Me, with treat in hand: SIT.
Her: sod you and your treat. I'm going to stand just here and grin at you.

I adopted DDog when he was in the midst of the teenage stage, though I didn't give that fact much thought at the time - to me, he was an untrained dog with twatty tendencies.

He started to get nice(r) when the hormones started to wear off a bit. I nearly took him to the vet - I couldn't understand why he was being much calmer

So true....DPup is 7.5 months and I have started the call to the breeder daily about returning him (in my head - in truth, I wouldn't want to miss him for the world, but don't tell the little bugger that).

He was a fabulous boy, picked up things super quick, was off lead with good recall at 3 months, slept through the night at 4 months etc etc...

All I can think is that I inadvertently took his evil twin home from the park one day, about two weeks ago.

I now have a hormone filled humping machine that assaults his soft toys, his bed (but not people) and the cat... His recall cannot really be called recall because he decides when he wants to rejoin me, he barks at other dogs (preferably big ones!) which he has never done before etc etc...

oh, and his other commands? nah...

Me: Sit
DPup: Yeah, that's cool but Imma gonna lie here
Me: Drop it
DPup; sorry, couldn't here you because I was eating this stick/mud/poo/dead thing I found

Yes to the commands
Our recall is now ..
Dog come or blow whistle , sound enthusiastic and happy

Dog looks around suspiciously wondering what really exciting thing I’m trying to recall him from before he decides to come and get a treat if he doesn’t spot any thing
Aargh !