- Location
- The Hague, The Netherlands
Yes
Adolescent chat
- Thread starter Leanne
- Start date
Tricky... I've always assumed it’s a ‘hormone surge’ thing and something they grow out of, or at least it lessens over time, if they don’t get to rehearse it too often. But I’d do what you’re doing and can’t think what else would help... you have reminded me to practice figure of 8s though 
I've just been looking at dog training classes next year (so much better than working on my project with a deadline tomorrow...) and have seen Devon Dogs are doing an 'Adolescent Dog' day in March: Adolescent Dog Day
I reckon I'll probably sign up - it covers:
) and have seen Devon Dogs are doing an 'Adolescent Dog' day in March: Adolescent Dog DayI reckon I'll probably sign up - it covers:
- Getting over excited or worried
- Recall
- Manners
- Travel and the car
- Focus and attention
- Confidence
- Visitors in and out of the house
- New games to play
Leanne
Sniffer Dog
- Location
- Shropshire, UK
Adolescence has hit the household.
I swear to god if he had fingers he would be doing the V sign at me.
Mas... wait... cue him RUNNING in the opposite direction.
Mas.. leave.... cue him RUNNING off with it.
We also have bouncy tigger suddenly.. look mum! My paws reach your shoulders
I even tried bribery yesterday - we were in a classroom and he was meant to be being groomed... he grabbed the brush and legged it out of the open door to forest school
took me 10 minutes to convince him to come back in 
The children found it hysterical and were demanding I took a dojo (our reward system) from him
I swear to god if he had fingers he would be doing the V sign at me.
Mas... wait... cue him RUNNING in the opposite direction.
Mas.. leave.... cue him RUNNING off with it.
We also have bouncy tigger suddenly.. look mum! My paws reach your shoulders
I even tried bribery yesterday - we were in a classroom and he was meant to be being groomed... he grabbed the brush and legged it out of the open door to forest school
took me 10 minutes to convince him to come back in The children found it hysterical and were demanding I took a dojo (our reward system) from him
- Location
- Sydney, Australia
Ah yes, you could be living at our house except Maxx doesn't go to work. He stays home and torments OH all day.
He stopped jumping up at us at a very young age and stopped jumping up at others not long after. Then about 2 months ago he started with other people and now us again. Only at first - e.g. when he first sees someone in the park and is off lead or when I first get home from work. Now I don't want someone else's 43 kilos dog jumping up at me so I most certainly don't want mine jumping up at others. We are at a loss.
He is thankfully starting to listen to 'leave it' again depending on the value of whatever he is about to nick. Recall - we haven't been able to proof it so it still doesn't work with distractions.
Oh and the new wake up time is 5.10 am
He stopped jumping up at us at a very young age and stopped jumping up at others not long after. Then about 2 months ago he started with other people and now us again. Only at first - e.g. when he first sees someone in the park and is off lead or when I first get home from work. Now I don't want someone else's 43 kilos dog jumping up at me so I most certainly don't want mine jumping up at others. We are at a loss.
He is thankfully starting to listen to 'leave it' again depending on the value of whatever he is about to nick. Recall - we haven't been able to proof it so it still doesn't work with distractions.
Oh and the new wake up time is 5.10 am
- Location
- Sydney, Australia
One other interesting thing. He is very generous with kisses; any time you lean down and say 'kiss' he obliges with an enthusiastic lick up the side of your face (or right across the front if you don't angle your head correctly) or a muzzle in the neck. So cute.
However in the morning when I get dropped off at the station I always get my bags from the back seat and Maxx is in the hatch back section. I lean in and say 'kiss' and the little sod turns his head away and wistfully gazes out the back window. Sometimes he looks at me and turns his head away. I don't want to anthropomorophize (sp?) But I swear he is punishing me for going to work!
However in the morning when I get dropped off at the station I always get my bags from the back seat and Maxx is in the hatch back section. I lean in and say 'kiss' and the little sod turns his head away and wistfully gazes out the back window. Sometimes he looks at me and turns his head away. I don't want to anthropomorophize (sp?) But I swear he is punishing me for going to work!
Leanne
Sniffer Dog
- Location
- Shropshire, UK
He just seems to have morphed into an utter git. Everything is done almost with a ‘why should I?’ Attitude!
The plus side is he’s also sleeping more (yay!) and he’s also not barking when I leave the room at the moment... likely ties in with his ‘I don’t give a shit’ attitude
The plus side is he’s also sleeping more (yay!) and he’s also not barking when I leave the room at the moment... likely ties in with his ‘I don’t give a shit’ attitude
- Location
- Sydney, Australia
Mas is 5 months younger than Maxx so I can confidently say it has improved a little in the last 6-8 weeks so there is light approaching. Plus Mas is much better trained so I reckon you will see improvement much more quickly. Maxx's ears are pretty much there for decoration only.
Yep, it definitely improves again as time goes by - Kipper’s been going through a more nervy phase, plus going off things like Kongs (no patience, plus they probably got a bit same-ey) and a lot more reactive to stuff, like his crate. We’ve been working on basics again like boundary games to build up confidence. He’s slowly coming round, particularly since I’ve started putting pate and gravy in his Kongs Basically, he’s getting me better trained...
Basically, he’s getting me better trained...
We’re not quite at the two fingers stage but there’s been a definite shift towards - ‘actually you’re being boring and that thing over there looks MUCH more exciting so sod you I’m off’.
@Leanne I’m so impressed you take him to school. I’m looking at mine thinking... hmm perhaps we need to work a bit harder hey boy! It would be an absoute chaotic nightmare if I took him into a classroom!
And sorry @Lab_adore but Maxx’s antics do make me laugh
Such a character!
@HAH that Adolescent day sounds really really good. I’m debating at the moment whether to sign up for one of the Absolute Dogs online courses or book a couple of 121’s with someone local. Maybe they’ll turn the Adolescent one into an online package soon
On a plus side - our loose lead walking is getting better....as long as no dogs around, no people around, no nice sniffy smells around and I’m walking in the middle of a very boring road with no temptation within lunge distance!!
@Leanne I’m so impressed you take him to school. I’m looking at mine thinking... hmm perhaps we need to work a bit harder hey boy! It would be an absoute chaotic nightmare if I took him into a classroom!
And sorry @Lab_adore but Maxx’s antics do make me laugh
Such a character! @HAH that Adolescent day sounds really really good. I’m debating at the moment whether to sign up for one of the Absolute Dogs online courses or book a couple of 121’s with someone local. Maybe they’ll turn the Adolescent one into an online package soon
On a plus side - our loose lead walking is getting better....as long as no dogs around, no people around, no nice sniffy smells around and I’m walking in the middle of a very boring road with no temptation within lunge distance!!
- Location
- The Hague, The Netherlands
I am at the "you are boring" and everything is so much better over there! The loyal look is gone and I know everybody thinks...she doesn't have him under control. Kay I can so relate to the oose lead walking!!
Never a dull moment!
Never a dull moment!
- Location
- Sydney, Australia
Yep. This exactly.
And this. It does make me feel a bit better to know it's not just us!
Do your dogs sleep in? Maxx first got up at 4.50am but I gave him a scratch and he went back to sleep.....for 20 minutes. So I'm up at 5.10am (he has an internal alarm clock I swear) on a Sunday playing 'find' and 'fetch' and chasing him around the backyard so he doesn't whine and bark at the top of the stairs to go down to see OH. My turn to sleep in was yesterday. At least it's a lovely morning. Sigh. He has finally gone back for a snooze so I can try to catch up on the forum!
- Location
- Sydney, Australia
Ok so maybe only 2 or 3 more months of torture?
We met at 10 year old lab today and he was bouncing around like an idiot. Apparently he stayed a teenager for his whole life. NOOOOOOOOO!
We met at 10 year old lab today and he was bouncing around like an idiot. Apparently he stayed a teenager for his whole life. NOOOOOOOOO!
- Location
- Melbourne, Australia
It's funny, I don't really remember an adolescent phase with Ella either. It could be because, like Stanners, she was bonkers from day one . Or, it could be because she was just under 9 months old when Nathan was born so life was just nuts in general!
Here she is, just under 8 months (I was about 34 weeks pregnant here so Ella was 35 weeks old).
And this is about 4 weeks later, so she's just under 9 months old. I seem to remember her being relatively sensible at home and relatively psycho out and about
. Or, it could be because she was just under 9 months old when Nathan was born so life was just nuts in general!Here she is, just under 8 months (I was about 34 weeks pregnant here so Ella was 35 weeks old).
And this is about 4 weeks later, so she's just under 9 months old. I seem to remember her being relatively sensible at home and relatively psycho out and about
I mean I should caveat that with I *think* he’s a delight. There is a very good chance I’ve just been Stanleyfied and am just immune to him now.
You would probably think he’s still a nutter.
- Location
- Herefordshire, UK
Yep, that`s how it was with Cassie! And that`s without a baby!I seem to remember her being relatively sensible at home and relatively psycho out and about
Nathan was a beautiful baby.
Leanne
Sniffer Dog
- Location
- Shropshire, UK
Took Mas to a meat market today for training. Remind me if I ever ever talk about something so stupid again.
We are so not there yet I actually think I’ve dislocated my arm from the amount of lunging at people at dogs. It doesn’t help that he’s just so cute that everyone is like awww he just wants a fuss 
yes well I would like my arm back!
So afterwards to try and get back some semblance of my dog who is so excited he looks like a 2yo that’s been given red bull for breakfast we take him to a country park - ideal to let him run it off... we get there and he stops as he’s spotted a greyhound sprinting around - I call over and the owner says she’s friendly so I release him (omg the smugness of my face as he raced off with permission - they had a lovely play and chase for a bit.. few minutes later the play starts slowing so I call him back.. he comes charging back with a spring in his step - I actually sigh so loudly with smugness than the OH rolls his eyes.
Then we hear a quack. A loud quack.
Mas ears prick up but no response. I distract with a game of ping pong.
I am a dog training genius!!!
We then walk further into the woods... another few quacks but Mas is happily bombing around in and out of the trees. I stop and admire my incredibly well trained puppy.
Then.
Then he bombs off again and I smile at the gracefulness of my baby and admire his whimsical expression.
Then I realise that he’s bombing off with a more determined expression. I mutter to OH oh shit he’s caught a scent. Cheerfully I trot in the direction (have yet to call him) and hear OH screech Mas NO... my trot turns into a run just as I see my 30kg mentally deranged demon leap off of a little bridge into the duck pond. He is now literally in the middle of 20 ducks and is having a whale of a time I’ve never seen a dogs tail wagging whilst in water.
He then starts swimming around them, stupid ducks didn’t even swim away so they must be used to dogs swimming there.
10 minutes later the bugger saunters out.
Git.
We are so not there yet
I actually think I’ve dislocated my arm from the amount of lunging at people at dogs. It doesn’t help that he’s just so cute that everyone is like awww he just wants a fuss yes well I would like my arm back!So afterwards to try and get back some semblance of my dog who is so excited he looks like a 2yo that’s been given red bull for breakfast we take him to a country park - ideal to let him run it off... we get there and he stops as he’s spotted a greyhound sprinting around - I call over and the owner says she’s friendly so I release him (omg the smugness of my face as he raced off with permission - they had a lovely play and chase for a bit.. few minutes later the play starts slowing so I call him back.. he comes charging back with a spring in his step - I actually sigh so loudly with smugness than the OH rolls his eyes.
Then we hear a quack. A loud quack.
Mas ears prick up but no response. I distract with a game of ping pong.
I am a dog training genius!!!
We then walk further into the woods... another few quacks but Mas is happily bombing around in and out of the trees. I stop and admire my incredibly well trained puppy.
Then.
Then he bombs off again and I smile at the gracefulness of my baby and admire his whimsical expression.
Then I realise that he’s bombing off with a more determined expression. I mutter to OH oh shit he’s caught a scent. Cheerfully I trot in the direction (have yet to call him) and hear OH screech Mas NO... my trot turns into a run just as I see my 30kg mentally deranged demon leap off of a little bridge into the duck pond. He is now literally in the middle of 20 ducks and is having a whale of a time
I’ve never seen a dogs tail wagging whilst in water. He then starts swimming around them, stupid ducks didn’t even swim away so they must be used to dogs swimming there.
10 minutes later the bugger saunters out.
Git.
Attachments
- Location
- Andorra and Spain
Haha! Brilliant!
Every time, every time you think anything along these lines, the universe conspires to bite you in the bum. I'm sure there's scientific evidence to support it, too.