# Sienna THE terror



## Dancer920 (May 16, 2016)

Ok, I love my Sienna...... most days lol Right now though she is in this terrible teenager stage. I an taking classes with her, Do learning games with her. She gets tons of exercise plus has a large fenced in yard where she and my Border Collies can play in between and boy do they run and play. Toys galore that get switched out. And even with all that, she finds ways to get into things usually when I turn my back but not always. None of the other Spoos I have had over the years have been like this girl (10 months old) Some days I just feel like throwing in the towel, but know I have a great dog in there someplace. Ugh She is as bad as a girl in that teenager phase. Help!!!!!! Someone reassure me I'm going to survive this phase. Is anyone else's puppy like this?


----------



## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

Lily was hell on wheels when she was young. We survived and she has become a great dog, but it took a while (hate to tell you this almost 2 years) and she still will do things like counter surf right in front of me.


----------



## Charmed (Aug 4, 2014)

Yeah, the smart ones are always the most difficult. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow had it right when he wrote about the little girl with that little curl on her forehead. It's almost as if he was writing about a smarty pants young poodle. When I "hear" you talking about your bratty girls, I really miss my ol' girl. She was such a spunky thing. She did not reach up and grab things off the counter, oh no. She actually leapt up on the counters to get a better look. There was not a bread box created, that she could not open. At any rate, I am sure things will improve, your wild child will settle down, and you will look back fondly on how very bad your poodle used to be.


----------



## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

Oh Charmed, Lily heard that little verse many times when she was young (and I'll confess I've adapted it to be about a naughty boy too).


----------



## Johanna (Jun 21, 2017)

I am ever so grateful that Zoe is too small to get on the counters (although she may someday learn how to use a chair to get higher). 

She is into everything within her reach. We have learned to keep anything we don't want her to snatch well away from the edge of the desk since she checks it several times a day for interesting items. The bathroom doors are kept securely closed to prevent toilet paper attacks. The closet door is closed so she cannot get to shoes and clothes to drag around. Zoe-proofing is an ongoing job!

Still, I am pleased that she is curious about everything so that she learns quickly. No dumb poodle here!


----------



## galofpink (Mar 14, 2017)

The smart ones are indeed a lot more work! You will get through it. Starting at about 9 mos, I really noticed Shae starting to collect her head. We still have to puppy proof (food on counters, laundry) our house at just over a year old, but I think you will find that Sienna will start to show noticeable improvements every month. Shae hit heat at 11 mos; not sure if it's an age or heat or both combination, but the last two months have really been a game changer - Shae is starting to really mature. 

Keep your towel on your shoulders to wipe away your sweat - you are no where near your time to throw it down. I really hope that you start to see and reap the benefits of the work you have put in so far.

And for the smart ones; reaction is key. They play off our anger and frustrations. If you can control your emotions a bit and "zen yourself" for lack of better term, it will help you a lot. Cool as a cucumber wins.


----------



## Charmed (Aug 4, 2014)

Johanna, my old girl was a small Standard. She did a single bound up onto the kitchen counters, but I had completely forgotten that when she got older, she did push chairs closer to her "object of desire". She knew she was being bad because she would glance around before committing her crime. She would also take evidence and leave it by the crated Airedale. The worst thing was that when we confronted her she would cry actual tears. Needless to say we could not stand to do much confronting. We did a lot of, "don't leave that out you might get the girl in trouble". Yeah, she had us well trained.


----------



## Johanna (Jun 21, 2017)

My Lili (spoo) was called The Land Shark when she was a puppy. She was wild. When she was about 11 months old, we got a whippet puppy. Lili immediately became a serene, loving, gentle momma dog! It was amazing!

Now I don't recommend getting a younger puppy to calm down an older one, but that's certainly how it worked for us.

Charmed, our ultimate counter surfer was a whippet. She would leap up onto the counter which gave her access to the top of the refrigerator! One day we left on an errand, but discovered that something had been forgotten and went back into the house. We caught that whippet in the act of trying for the bag of potato chips that was on top of the refrigerator. She was shocked - her look clearly said "busted!". That did not, however, stop her raids.

We do our dead level best to keep food locked up so Cruise cannot get it, and we lock him in his crate during dinner so he cannot raid the kitchen. He has tried raw potatoes, eggs - shell included, and tomatoes along with items normally assumed to be the target of his appetite. As you can see, he especially has an interest in round food items.


----------



## fjm (Jun 4, 2010)

I heard a strange noise the other day and found Sophy under the table with a pack of butter. I still have no idea how she got it (perhaps Tilly-cat dropped it down to her) but it shows the vigilance can never entirely stop - Sophy is 9! Fortunately I got to her before too much damage was done to either the butter or the dog.


----------



## galofpink (Mar 14, 2017)

fjm said:


> Fortunately I got to her before too much damage was done to either the butter or the dog.


Butter is a favourite in our house too. 

Rocky has hardly ever got into anything; I put him on a restricted diet a few years back to try to get his weight under control. He felt "starved" one day at my in laws, so he hopped on a chair then up on the kitchen table. DH came in from the barn to find him with his face in the butter dish. 

Shae loves butter too; she just stands with her paws on the counter and tries to lick it out of the dish. I've become mostly well trained to put it up high on a shelf, but sometimes I forget and Shae makes sure to promptly remind me.


----------



## Dancer920 (May 16, 2016)

Thanks so much everyone. I don't feel quite so frustrated now. At least I know a lot of you have gone through the same thing and survived. She is a very smart girl and picks up on things fast and when at classes everyone can't get over how quickly she picks thing up and how over the top happy she always is. She just caught me so off guard with her over the top everything when I think I was expecting more of how all my other poodles over the years have been. LOL I know better. In all they years dogs have been a part of my life, I've never had two alike, similar yes but not alike. But did I really need to up my learning curve this much. Guess I did. Well at least I know all of you survived, and I guess I will to. Maybe I'll go buy a case of my favorite wine to help me survive though. LOL


----------



## Asta's Mom (Aug 20, 2014)

Just wanted to chime in - you will get through this. Asta was a terror, too, when he was Sienna's age. She is so smart, I'm sure, with time, she will turn into a wonderful companion. Hang in there.


----------



## rkj__ (Dec 24, 2017)

Each dog is different, but a "teenage rebellion" phase is not uncommon from what I've heard.

My sister's dog had a very clear innocent puppy, to rebellious teenager, to calm & obedient adult dog.

My first dog did not seem to have to severe of a rebellious phase.

Time will tell how my spoo puppy evolves. I won't be surprised if we have our patience tested to the limit at times though.


----------



## lisasgirl (May 27, 2010)

When Archie was a teenager, I used to imagine myself a few years in the future, telling the story of what he'd just done to friends who would laugh and laugh (or look horrified and decide not to get a puppy, as the case may be). It helped! :laugh:

Archie became manageable at around 18 months and has steadily improved ever since, but he still has plenty of wild child moments at 3 years old.


----------

