Adolescent dog!

[Mummytothearkbuilder]

Our puppy is 9 months old and I feel like everything we taught and trained him with has gone out the window. I've been told this is quite comment but oh my goodness I'm finding it hard. I've been very up and down with him since we got him (I was unwell straight after we got him so didn't bond straight away) and I thought we had cracked it but now his recall is rubbish, he barks at everything and this evening he ran out the house and down the street when will this phase end and does anyone have any help or advice? I'm struggling xx

*common

Yeah it's really common, you have to go back to basics and do loads of training.

Mine got better from 18 months ish...

It will get better but you do have to train through it.

So make things easy for yourself.
Use stair gates etc in the house
use a long line out on walks for a bit
Loads of rewards for the correct behaviour
Be consistent
Try to prevent the unwanted behaviour.

(Oh sounds sooooo easy! I actually find that and for you makes this stage more bearable - this too will pass)

very very very common.
Have you actually taught him recall or did he just go off a lead and because he was a puppy and not brave yet didn’t go far? A lot of people make this mistake with a pup and think it’s got recall and by a year they’ve got a dog that doesn’t.
In any case he doesn’t go off lead until the issue is resolved. The more he is off lead with bad recall the more it reinforces that coming back is optional, and often less fun than chasing squirrels/eating cat shit in a bush/whatever.

Was he crate trained as a puppy, if he’s getting overly giddy and barking can he go in there to calm down?

Id make sure he’s got access to toys and chews so the barking isn’t out of frustration and won’t get destructive. But otherwise honestly it does pass, it might just be a long 6-9 months to get there!
I’d personally encourage chews and maybe a lick Mat and chewing and licking can be calming. And as best as possible stick to a routine.
Otherwise a sense of humour and be consistent.

Totally echo the training through it, I realized pretty soon into the teen hell months that I’d slackened off and thought she was all done because she was no longer tiny. Nope. Keep training with whatever motivates your dog, intensively, and it will pass off. Mine is now 2 and lovely, with reliable recall 98% of the time unless there is something irresistible like a disabled squirrel unable to escape her clumsy pursuit.

7 to 9 months was the absolute pits. She was a nightmare, large breed, so if yours is similar size/breed, 9 mos sounds about right for prime knob behaviour for a male

Thank you so much for replying - I am generally quite an anxious person who like everything in neat little rows so this has been sending me in a tailspin! Good to know it's normal and to just persist and reinforce training x

Teenage dogs (particularly teenage boys) are hideous.

There's a reason dogs in rescue are typically 9-18 months.

Seriously, hideous.

Get through this and you will suddenly realise you're looking at your adult dog, who is perfect, and you can't imagine life without them.

Til then?

Wine and more training.

Mine is 11 months and he's hard work when out of the house. We're still doing training classes but I sometimes wonder why I'm bothering. All the other dogs are concentrating and mostly doing what their owners want. If I can get mine to even look at me it's a win! Mostly it's just leaping about and trying to sniff everything pee on everything and mug off the other dogs. Today he climbed up a stack of chairs and got on the window sill to get to a treat! (He's a Labrador not some little dog..) while the others sat nicely on the floor!
I think it's a boy thing as well previous dog was a girl and she was sooo easy in comparison.
Apart from occasional mad Zoomies he's pretty laid back at home.. but out and about you have to have your wits about you. Our secret recall weapons are whistle and the promise of a ball!
I'm so looking forward to him being 3 !