Adolescent Dog Survival Thread - for teenage dirtbags

[Bupster]

I've buckled again, I can't take the pressure of being on page 40 😄

First car boot journey was a success! We only went 2 minutes down the road to park at the woods as it’s very warm, but it was good to try it out. He was so unsure at first and did his scared ‘standing like a statue and won’t even take a treat’ thing he does, and then jumped out, but I got him back in and closed the boot. On the way back I put him in and he had a drink and stayed in there, so hopefully he thinks it’s actually ok now he’s had a go!

I left his lead on because if he jumps straight out I can grab it straight away. Do you think he’s ok with his lead still attached in the boot? There’s nothing it can get caught on and he just sits and looks out the back window.

That sounds like a great start @YorkshireFelix and I honestly think you've made the right decision. They really are much safer behind a dog guard.

We leave the lead on in the boot. Obviously, some people do advise against it but, as you say, it does make getting them out easier. I think provided the dog isn't wearing a slip collar or martingale that can tighten, it is largely okay. With some though (no names mentioned 😉), there is always the risk of them chewing the lead....

It really is true - dogs DO start "calming" down around 18 months.....
I never would have believed it but he is getting better and growing into the dog I never believed he would or could. He still has behaviours which are dickheadish and thuggish but I have hope he will be ok and maybe I'm not an utter failure after all... 🤣🤣

I miss my scruffy spaniel 🤣🤣🤣

@YorkshireFelix Hooray for your car success! It's the 10/10 choice I think, the guard set-up.

I almost never leave pupsy’s lead on in the car but only because she mostly gets into the car to start with without it on and then when we park up she’s jumping out herself for a walk that invariably doesn’t need a lead. But sometimes I leave it on if for whatever reason it is attached. I don't not leave it on for any safety reasons.

I don’t have to grab her now though – she definitely knows when and when not to jump out straight away when I open the boot, and V will get to know those places with you too I’m sure. And I'm sure he'll relax travelling in it the more he does it – especially as I imagine most of his journeys will be to fun places.

This is excellent! Freedom for all! I think the max I've ever left pupsy is just under five hours, which was a one-off, and I genuinely don't think she even got up in that time. I haven't got a camera as I think I'd get obsessive checking in – all I know is that when I get home, however long it's been, nothing is ever in a different place, so presumably she just sleeps.

@brushingboots
I think once time goes on ill stop with the obsession of making sure he's ok.
All of our neighbours are awful and hate us ( because we are young - a whole other thread belonging in AIBU 🤣😡) so they don't need much to report us, so they plays on my mind also....

He still does the "pose"
He has no ball curtains or dog pubes tho 🤣

She still does "the pose" as well. She's a shaggy beast and will remain so. She's about the size and weight of an adult wolf now but seems to identify as a small cat 🙄

@Deanthebean I think you might have assembled your dog upside down

My teenage dirtbag is finally calming down - a bit XD

Of course, he's a Belgian Malinois, so I fully expect him to remain at least partially unhinged for his entire life!

He has also decided that my 6-month-old kitten is his best friend.

I've recently enrolled him in an intense training class (where he stays at "class" all day, three days a week.) He's an absolute sweetheart in terms of attitude/affection, but he gets so crazy-excited to meet everyone (be they human or dog) and he needs some serious help with loose-leash walking.

Hello and welcome @LakotaWolf
What a sweet photo of your boy and his pal 💕
The training does sound very intense and I hope it helps. You don't say how old he is or if you've had a Mali before but from your 'unhinged' comment, I'm guessing you might have!
I know Malinois are said to be super intelligent so I'm really interested to hear more about him, and I hope you'll stick around. It's also nice to have another large guarding breed join our little group, as my PMD girl is currently well outnumbered by gundogs here.

Hello! Think I'm a bit early joining the thread as Frank is 15 weeks but joining to read through what everyone does already for tips

Here is the menace to society

Hello @Sideorderofchips and Frank. He looks very dapper and nicely colour co-ordinated on this pic!

You're very welcome here, and we can definitely help you prepare for the nightmare that is adolescence! But, if you haven't done so already, you might want to check out the Puppy Survival Thread too assuming that there still is one - I can't seem to find it, so perhaps we've all moved up from Kindergarten into school now...

Thank you!

He is doing well at the moment. Mostly sleeps through, has his 20 min walk twice a day and seems to be quite intelligent (and food orientated for training) and very loveable

Out of interest... When do they out grow being a land shark....

Never. 😀

It's good to hear he's doing so well already, definitely sounds like a bright boy.

Once the adult teeth come through the biting lessens considerably. The problem with that is that the timing and duration of teething can vary so much from one pup to another. With my girl I'd say by about 5 months she wasn't nipping or pulling at our clothes as much. Sorry to say that you have likely a few weeks to go yet.
Isn't it a nightmare? Especially hard in the warmer weather when you want to wear short sleeves but your arms are covered in scratches. We were at that point 1 year ago and I do sympathise.

Yup. That's a much better answer actually. Brie is still a hand grabber at 13 months 🙄

Oh boy 😂

Ah tbf he's pretty good. Just gets chompy when he's tired mainly. We are lucky enough to kmow both his parents and they are lovely affectionate examples of their breeds which is great

He also learnt not to run excited towards my rather stroppy cat 😂

You'll get through it. We all survived to tell the tale.
Ah well, if you know the parents that should reassuring in many ways.

Cats are usually very good at putting silly puppies in their place, aren't they?. Our elderly cat is the matriarch here and she managed to reach through the dog gate to whack our puppy in the eye in the first 48 hours of pup's arrival. Thankfully no harm done, and they are now great friends.

Nightmare walk for us last night when Brie - arsing around with the lead biting - manage to somehow reverse out of her collar 😱Fortunately we were on the field, not near the road, and I managed to grab her while my chap refastened the collar. Should say for those who don't know me, that she is a 100lb baby with almost no recall 😬

Don't know if anyone has any thoughts on this...?

The issue is that she has a fine head but a massively thick neck. Her collar is a EzyDog Double-up in size XL. It's a wide webbing collar.

I'm considering whether to go back to a harness for added security, but we're sort of under vet and breeder instructions that PMD should be on collar not harness. She hates wearing a harness since having a shoulder strain at 9 months old. I did put it on her for this morning's walk but ended up heading back because she was refusing to walk. Harness is plenty big enough and does not restrict her front legs but she still hates it...

Just cannot afford to risk a repeat of collar coming off though and I'm terrified. We have to do some pavement walking to get to the fields.

I can’t believe we have a teenager. Enjoying the thread. I’ve not been on mn with this puppy because we have the most chilled and obedient spaniel ever. She’s 3/4 working cocker and 1/4 springer. Older dog probably helps a lot - he’s 5 and a kc reg working cocker. He’s fab now but as a puppy was hard work. He was easily bored, shoved everything in his mouth (especially stuff that could kill home), and was very bitey. Training was intense. New puppy just happily entertains herself (she’s particularly enjoys the dc old trampoline). We keep waiting for her to find her stubborn streak because it’s been too easy so far. Slightly worried being spayed might change her a bit.

I will add, lead walking isn’t great with either but great recall with the whistle so we don’t do it much.

I do have a dumb question. If your pups are taking over the boot, where are things like your wellies etc? Mine are in a crate that I worried would be too small but they are happy to snuggle. I put stuff on top and all round it.

Sorry, my head is all over the place today.
I also should have mentioned the horrible biting frenzy when they're overtired. Yup, you definitely have all our sympathies on that - it is by far the worst phase of puppyhood. My girl is a sweetheart but she was pure evil when tired. Just a nasty, frantic ball of teeth and she would fight sleep. That seemed to lessen fairly quickly though, it mainly seems to be a phase of younger pups. I'm sure you'll soon start to notice him settling more easily.

Oh no, @CoubousAndTourmalet, that’s grim. Would a whippet collar be any better? Just thinking of the fine head/neck ratio aspect.

@TeenLifeMum Hi, not seen you for a good while and glad all is well. It's great that your pup has fitted in nicely with your older dog. We felt that our previous girl pup settled better for having an older dog around, and she seemed to follow his example a lot of the time. I'm wanting a second dog at the moment, for Brie to help us rear, but my chap is not so keen as yet... Watch this space...😉

As regards dogs in the car boot - we're older folks with no young kids so it's easy for us because boot bags and outdoor clothing just goes in the rear footwells or on the back seats. Giant breed, so no crate, they're just behind a dog guard.