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The doghouse

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

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Original poster

Difficult dog

37 replies

Piggy42 · 05/08/2021 19:38

Hi, please can I have some help. I picked my dog up from holiday care last week and it’s still playing on my mind. She’s a 9 almost 10 month cockerpoo. Anyway when I picked her up, the feedback was brutal. She’s never known a dog like her. She wouldn’t relax in the evening, the other dogs would settle on their mats but she wanted to play, would take things out of the dog play box. On a walk, she would recall but would be the one to push it, go further than the others. She’d take stuff. She’d chew up leads in the dog walking van. She jumps up. Obviously she isn’t welcome there again! I have taken her to puppy classes, and have contacted a behavioural person to help. The evening settling is a pain, but she will sit for half an hour chewing a frozen Kong and I have her on the lead next to me. I feel like the worst, most irresponsible owner in the world right now, with the worst puppy. Can anyone advise. Should her recall and not jumping up be perfect by this age? Can anyone help with the evening settling? I know im not doing well and want to do better.

OP posts:

Aztec283y · 05/08/2021 19:45

All I can tell you is that at 10 months old our dog was an absolute nightmare. Zero recall, pulled like a train on the lead, would bounce up and down to great people, mega zoomies in the evening. He's nearly 2 now and so much calmer, a different dog altogether. It's not because of any specific training we've done, he's just matured and calmed down.

SoddingWeddings · 05/08/2021 19:48

Eh? Sounds like a perfectly normal pup of that age and breed.

spinningspaniels · 05/08/2021 19:48

You need to enforce time out and not letting them get over stimulated.

Most dogs that age are a nightmare, and I'd expect that of a 10 month old puppy. Let alone out of their own environment.

It's a very testing phase. Most come out of it by 18 months/2 years.

Quickchangeartiste · 05/08/2021 19:51

I got similar feedback when my 10 month lab stayed at a home boarder. She actually texted me to tell me she had talked to a vet and he needed neutering. He came home covered in bites from her dogs. I truly think she didn’t know what she was doing. He has since been at lovely kennels where I am told he is really chilled and lovely.
Don’t be downhearted , your dog is just young and maybe had some separation anxiety. But look for alternative care for next time.

UnoriginalPenguin · 05/08/2021 19:55

I think its the dog sitter not your dog that's odd. Your dog sounds like a perfectly normal 10 month old - how the heck is she supposed to know, for example, that once it is past 7.30 pm she can't take a toy out of the box????

gardeninggirl68 · 05/08/2021 19:56

i have found that 'dog people' are not very dog friendly!!

is your pup exercised, got a routine? our boy was similar but at 20 months has settled better.

NiceTwin · 05/08/2021 20:05

Is the dog boarder licensed?
If she is licensed, she should have an enrichment plan for puppies because they do need more input than the older dogs.

Find yourself a nice, small kennels where they will definitely have an enrichment plan and ask them what it is.
I wouldn't be worried about her, at 10 months she will have loads of energy, maybe she needs a mad half hour in the evening before she settles. As long as you don't mind, it is fine.

Dr1nkmorewater · 05/08/2021 20:26

We are learning how to train our puppy and also finding it difficult, but we've been watching the programme "Dogs behaving badly" on 5 catch up really helpful, with tips on how to encourage good behaviour. Good luck with your pooch OP

FudgeFlake · 05/08/2021 20:39

Dog walker and daycare and overnight provider here. I would have expected all of the behaviours reported from any pup who is still adolescent and frankly if your pup's holiday home wasn't expecting all this at her age one has to question how experienced she/he is. When we apply for registration as dog boarders with the local council we do get checked over big time for insurance, garden security, gates to any road (need to be double) etc, hygiene, all sensible things. But stuff like dog first aid, psychology, behaviour - none of that is addressed.

Veterinari · 05/08/2021 20:48

Sounds like a perfectly normal 10 month old cocker poo 🤷‍♀️

None of those behaviours are dangerous/of concern - totally normal young working dog exuberance.

icedcoffees · 05/08/2021 20:57

Was this person licensed to look after your dog?

Because it sounds to me like she has absolutely no idea about the nightmare that is the teenager years 🙈

Our dog was a nightmare as a teenager and as a dog walker myself, every single dog regresses around 8-18 months of age, with most settling down properly between 2-3 years old.

I would be very concerned that she doesn't know that and why she expected a 10 month old to understand that she couldn't use a toy box. If the sitter didn't want the dogs to play she should have removed the toys!

Veterinari · 05/08/2021 21:10

@Dr1nkmorewater

Please don't use this programme as a guide. Pack theory/dominance is about 60 years out of date and most trainers that appear on tv have very little actual understanding of dog behaviour

www.cbtdogbehaviour.com/dogs-behaving-very-badly-a-review

Veterinari · 05/08/2021 21:11

@Dr1nkmorewater
Read in defence of dogs by john Bradshaw and look for an APDT trainer instead

Dr1nkmorewater · 05/08/2021 21:19

Veterinari
@Dr1nkmorewater
Read in defence of dogs by john Bradshaw and look for an APDT trainer instead

Thank you. Will order a copy.

Bingbongbash · 05/08/2021 21:21

Nothing of concern there at all. She a 10 month old pup, not a robot.

Clymene · 05/08/2021 21:26

There's nothing wrong with your puppy and everything wrong with your dog day care

Spudlet · 05/08/2021 21:28

I wouldn’t worry about it. We had a dog sitter ban our old dog - I was horrified as he’d nipped / snapped at her DH. However he was very old and deaf, and the DH had been apparently trying to remove him from eating another dog’s dinner - so they were feeding dogs who didn’t know one another all together in one room! I was mortified when she told me and didn’t pick up on it, but when I thought about it, it seemed such a stupid thing for them to do with unfamiliar dogs in an unfamiliar place. Surely you’d separate them around food as a matter of course - I always did when looking after friends’ dogs, it’s such an easy flashpoint to avoid. I’d never use her again tbh, even with another dog.

Being a dog sitter is no guarantee of knowing much about dogs, ime.

Flaunch · 05/08/2021 21:33

You’d need to be worried if a ten month old cocker spaniel wasn’t like that tbh!

Branster · 05/08/2021 21:36

Based on age and breed mix, your puppy sounds normal to me.
Cockapoos don't always have the best recall anyway so she's doing well to come when called you just need to put in more time at this stage reinforcing basic training and enough exercise suitable for her age. Effort now will pay off when she's over the other side of teenage behaviour.
Perhaps avoid boarding her until she's a bit older. Personally, I would never board my dog until they're at least 18 months old and am fully confident in their training, even at someone's house.
The dog sitter sounds like she was out of her depths and she should gave admitted it.

Motorina · 05/08/2021 21:36

It's not you, it's her. 10 month olds are boundary pushing little nightmares. They do grow out of it...

Mrbay · 05/08/2021 21:39

Sounds like a normal pup! Plus your breed is high energy!

Have you been to any gun dog specific training? The only reason I ask is my lab will not tire from walking alone, but walk and 30 mins/1 hour of training and she is out like a light afterwards. This amount of training would be too much for your pup, but you need to tire her mind not her body.

Plus you are just coming out of the teenage phrase so it will get easier and your dog sitting sounds like they have no idea!

I have labs, and the saying is labs are born half trained and spaniels die half trained 🤣

ThunderCrow · 05/08/2021 21:42

Ditch the sitter. They sound like a bloody moron

The dog, on the other hand, sounds like a 10 month old dog. Totally normal and with time, patience and repetition will settle down as they grow up.

StillMedusa · 05/08/2021 22:08

Standard adolescent puppy behaviour.. and a rubbish dog boarder!
Mine's not a cockerpoo but my friend's is and he is JUST beginning to improve a bit at 2 years old.. and he's still a hyperactive loony most of the time!

Of COURSE her recall won't be perfect.. little puppies are great.. but they generally lose it ALL during their 'teens' and become total asses!
Mine's 2 now and gradually settling again but only yesterday she spotted something and shot across a field on the chase.
I had to pretend to run off myself for her to come back (and then she was kept on her long line.. !)
Just keep training... it will all come together as she matures (eventually...)

LittlePearl · 05/08/2021 22:11

My daughter's cockerpoo was just the same at that age. She's wonderful now, she just needed to grow up.

Original poster

Piggy42 · 05/08/2021 22:26

Thank you all so so much, you have made me feel better. A puppy is such a big decision, and I so desperately wanted to train it properly and I felt I had failed her. We’ll keep working on it- gun dog training sounds a good idea. She does get bored, and likes to play games etc (for food!) so will definitely look into it. She usually has two 45 minute walks a day, 3 if i’m working to give her some attention at lunchtime. The lady is very experienced - im wondering if she forgot her age? I will work on trying to get her to relax in an evening, and the jumping up plus recall!

OP posts:

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