# Poodle Adolescence Survey



## cookieface (Jul 5, 2011)

I'm curious about this, too. Katie, our spoo, is 9 1/2 months today. I suspect we're right at the cusp of the terrible teens  (not that my Katie would be anything other than a perfect :angel: )


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## fjm (Jun 4, 2010)

Poppy is a toy - she didn't really have an adolescence. I suspect her hormones were dampened down by living with Sophy, as her first noticeable season didn't come until she was around 18 months old, and even then it was rather blink-and-you've-missed-it. And she has always preferred to stay close, rather than rush off to explore. She is now 2.5 ... perhaps it is still to come!


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## Ginagbaby1 (Aug 1, 2011)

I've been wondering this too. Casper is 9 months old and has just this past week begun acting like a crazy and wild child. He had been through the puppy stage and was done and over with it but now it's like we are back in the puppy stage only this time it's worse. Before a good walk would tire him out for 3 hours. Not maybe he'll take a 30 minute rest after a walk and then it's back to looking for trouble. He's taken to eating the cover on all the books in the living room bookshelves, stealing tissues, and just doing nauty stuff. I really hope this stage doesn't last long cause I'm going crazy.


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## frankgrimes (Nov 28, 2011)

Interesting question! I will be watching this thread, Ralph is 7 months... and I am dreading the terrible teen stage too!


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## Brittany May (Feb 9, 2012)

Not a poodle, but Lacey hit the teenage stage around 8 or 9 months (her muzzle started to grey at nine months! ) then she got better, then she got worse, the she got better, and then she got even worse, and then just recently she's become an adult. She had this click - one day she was a teenager, the next day she was an adult. it was very sudden, & I've got to say i love adulthood!


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## Indiana (Sep 11, 2011)

Well, I haven't seen any changes yet at over 9 months but maybe I can't tell the difference with Maddy! Indy is still her awesome self. One great thing is that Maddy's topknot is starting to have some body and stand up nicely; I love that! But that's coat change, not adolescence.


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## McKay (Feb 19, 2011)

Little Anderson is 13.5 months old and is in the middle of his teens NOW! He's become a little more stubborn and has tested the around who is boss. I have been able to have him off leash in the yard for months!! Yesterday afternoon I opened the door and he shot right out of the yard! Its back on leash again!


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## Theo'sMom (Mar 23, 2011)

Theo's began at 10 months and is still going strong. (he'll be a year old in 2weeks.)
He's also on leash full time now in unfenced areas.
When I give a command he decides whether I am serious, whether he can ignore it, whether I am willing to follow through, whether he somehow can get away with not doing it. If I have a treat in my hand he always does the command, but if there's no treat his wheels start turning... "can I pretend I didn't hear her if I look busy?" I love the way all of a sudden he is faced the other way, acting as if there's something mesmerizing him in that direction, pretending we don't exist. Smartypants!


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## fjm (Jun 4, 2010)

Ah - the famous "If I don't look at you you can't prove I've heard you!" routine. I remember my sister's spoo was extremely good at that one!


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## Mikey'sMom (Feb 21, 2012)

Haha, mine used to put his chew toy right on top of our shoes, and when he thought we weren't looking, he'd start chewing the shoe instead! Little bugger!


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## Siskojan (Mar 13, 2011)

Sisko really began to settle down and grow up around 2, was better at 2.5 and has been great since 3. He is a standard, a big boy and it always takes him time to get used to changes and new situations.


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## Rowan (May 27, 2011)

*Alexander the Great (oversized MPOO)*: reached his zen state at approximately one year of age. Alex was a calm puppy, much more of an intellectual than a troublemaker, but he did have his moments between 8 months and one year of age. Then he mellowed and starting acting like a dignified poodle. He never did anything really bad--shredded a lamp cord that thankfully wasn't plugged in and he had a thing for scratching bath mats and watching the fibers fly up on the air. He ran with me a lot and is a quick learner too. 

*Pippin (MPOO)*: still a brat at 9 years of age.  On a serious note, Pippin was 4 months old when I got him and very outgoing. He spent most of his time annoying Alex who wanted nothing to do with him but I don't recall any truly annoying adolescence phase. He also ran with me once cleared by my vet and I think that helped. 

*Merlin (MPOO):* he was almost 6 when he joined me and a stud dog. He's pretty calm, cool and collected.


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## Poodle Head (Sep 12, 2011)

I'm so glad this was posted! My spoo is 11 months and she has been a beast for the past month. I just signed her up for an "agility for fun" class that we start tonight. She knows all the basic commands, so I thought a fun class that really requires her to focus might help. It is so strange, she went from being a crazy land shark puppy, to a sweet lovey girl, and now it's like she just wanders around looking for trouble. She steals anything she can reach (which is pretty much everything), and when I use "leave-it", it's like she's never heard it before in her life! Let's hope this class helps!


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## JE-UK (Mar 10, 2010)

How interesting, Poodle Head. I had the same experience. At nine months, mine turned into The Evil Poodle From Hell, not destroying anything, but REALLY bolshy about listening, and "forgetting" stuff we'd gotten really solid on.

We started agility at 13 months, and wow, what a change! He was SO absorbed by agility that it seemed to carry over into everything else, and that was the end of his horrid teenage period.


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## Poodle Head (Sep 12, 2011)

Oh JE-UK, that is great to hear! It gives me hope! :fingers-crossed:


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## Indiana (Sep 11, 2011)

Me too, I really hope it helps with Maddy. She's so sweet sometimes it breaks my heart, but oh my goodness when she's in a mood!


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## Kloliver (Jan 17, 2012)

Theo'sMom said:


> Theo's began at 10 months and is still going strong. (he'll be a year old in 2weeks.)
> He's also on leash full time now in unfenced areas.
> When I give a command he decides whether I am serious, whether he can ignore it, whether I am willing to follow through, whether he somehow can get away with not doing it. If I have a treat in my hand he always does the command, but if there's no treat his wheels start turning... "can I pretend I didn't hear her if I look busy?" I love the way all of a sudden he is faced the other way, acting as if there's something mesmerizing him in that direction, pretending we don't exist. Smartypants!


Oh yeah, Rango is just shy of 13 months. We were working on shaping last night & he chose to lay down & quit. Granted, we had spent the wknd doing the Delta/ pet Partners Therapy dog course buuuuuuuut, I made him get up to reset him & follow through 1 last time, then called it "All done! Atta boy."

They will test, they will push buttons. You have to show gently & consistently that you mean what you say & that you want "it" more.

End whatever you're working on on a high note, even if it seems short to you. All that said, I'll be sad when he doesn't wiggle-butt out of his crate as though every day is brand new & endlessly exciting.


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## sschoe2 (Mar 16, 2011)

Yep Sari is 16 months and right smack dab in the middle of adolescence.


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## McKay (Feb 19, 2011)

This is a great thread! It seems there are a lot of us in need of a teen-age dog support group!!

Little Anderson is most certainly in the middle of 'butt head' stage!


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## erbowen63 (Dec 24, 2011)

Arlo started acting like a rebellious teen around 8-9 months. He is now 17 months old and has mellowed considerably. He still has moments of testing me, but for the most part he started obeying me again around 14-15 months. I don't think we're out of the woods yet though, he still has a lot to learn.


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## DivinityPoodles (Jan 23, 2012)

Cale - Standard - 14 months

Started 'butt-head stage' (I like that term) at about 10-11 months. Suddenly had no idea what I was talking about if he was off leash. And yup was solid from about 4 months til 10 months. We're still going strong in that stage :afraid:
And we went out and got another one LOL


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## erbowen63 (Dec 24, 2011)

Luvmyspoos said:


> Cale - Standard - 14 months
> 
> Started 'butt-head stage' (I like that term) at about 10-11 months. Suddenly had no idea what I was talking about if he was off leash. And yup was solid from about 4 months til 10 months. We're still going strong in that stage :afraid:
> And we went out and got another one LOL


We just got another one too! I am looking forward to a year from now when they are both more chilled out


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## meggapegga (Nov 30, 2020)

Poodle Head said:


> I'm so glad this was posted! My spoo is 11 months and she has been a beast for the past month. I just signed her up for an "agility for fun" class that we start tonight. She knows all the basic commands, so I thought a fun class that really requires her to focus might help. It is so strange, she went from being a crazy land shark puppy, to a sweet lovey girl, and now it's like she just wanders around looking for trouble. She steals anything she can reach (which is pretty much everything), and when I use "leave-it", it's like she's never heard it before in her life! Let's hope this class helps!


This is EXACTLY where I am at right now with my 10 month old pup, George. He knows a lot of basic commands but seems to be in pursuit of trouble all the time. He will just sneak off and I know he is looking for something to get into. Did agility help with yours? Did they grow out of it?


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## Raindrops (Mar 24, 2019)

meggapegga said:


> This is EXACTLY where I am at right now with my 10 month old pup, George. He knows a lot of basic commands but seems to be in pursuit of trouble all the time. He will just sneak off and I know he is looking for something to get into. Did agility help with yours? Did they grow out of it?


This thread is pretty old and I don't think that member is active anymore. But I can say my dog was the same way at that age. Agility did help but I would say any formal training that deepens bond and builds biddability will bring improvement. Along with maturity of course.


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## meggapegga (Nov 30, 2020)

Raindrops said:


> This thread is pretty old and I don't think that member is active anymore. But I can say my dog was the same way at that age. Agility did help but I would say any formal training that deepens bond and builds biddability will bring improvement. Along with maturity of course.


Thank you! Yes, it's been a challenge to get outside and have adventures. I live in Minnesota and we are in the middle of a polar vortex that brings with it lots of -17 degree weather haha. So, I have been trying to use the flirt pole and fetch in the house and work on some training. Maybe I should try teaching him some new things to get his brain working.


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## Rose n Poos (Sep 22, 2017)

If looking for some suggestions, try the AKC Canine Good Citizen list 









Canine Good Citizen (CGC) – American Kennel Club


AKC’s Canine Good Citizen program is the gold standard of behavior for dogs in our communities. One million dogs, purebred and mixed breed, have earned CGC.




www.akc.org





and the Tricks list









AKC Trick Dog – American Kennel Club







www.akc.org





Eventually you can go for the certification, if this isn't something that you already have.

There's also a Monthly Trick club thread over in General Training and Obedience


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