# So is this the "teenage stage"?



## Ashirah (Apr 3, 2019)

6 month old toy poodle mix is starting to be annoying! We've had this guy one month and are new to puppies. He is not aggressive, here are his problems:

He gets crazy wild excited when people come over or one of my kids gets home, and then he gets mouthy. He will sit for a treat when I try to redirect him, but that's only for a fraction of a second before he pops up again. It feels like he is so excited he isn't capable of calming down, even.

He chews on his leash- not when walking but I have him on a leash a lot in the house to keep him in the same room as me so I can keep an eye on him for chewing other things and potty awareness. Also I live on a homestead with lots of outdoor work to be done. Since he doesn't have a reliable recall yet, he doesn't go offleash outside. I tie him nearby and he's getting into chewing the leash.

I always make sure he has toys around so he doesn't just get bored on the leash, but I think I need something that is no fun and not possible to chew, like a very very light chain (he's 8 lbs) or a rubber coated cable. 

He is also beginning to just look back at me when I give him a command, like sit. And he was doing good with sit/stay but is now getting up too soon for the first several tries until he gets back into it each training session. Often it feels like the "wild" is right there in his eyes and it doesn't take much to set it off (one of my kids running through the room, or my son unthinkingly picking up the dog's ball and bouncing it!) I have been walking him at least two half-mile walks per day, with numerous potty walks and accompanying me to do outdoor chores, and we play inside a bit. But maybe he needs to get even more tired! Though for what it's worth he does crash around 8pm each night and is totally happy to go to bed in his kennel, so maybe he is tired enough?

So when I feel emotionally exhausted at the end of the day and even sometimes like I'm annoyed/frustrated/disappointed with him, is that what is meant by the teenage stage? Because as long as I know that's what it is I can hang in there the same way I did with my human kids, knowing it's normal for them to be the way they're being and normal for me to feel the way I'm feeling! Thanks, everyone, this forum has been a lifesaver.


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## twyla (Apr 28, 2010)

Yes it is but you need to wear him out mentally as well, I taught my teenage puppies tricks


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## Ashirah (Apr 3, 2019)

We've been working on some commands as tricks, but I'm a little stuck on what to do. 
He gets confused and then he seems to get frustrated and wild. I've been working on "down" for lie down, but he for some reason thought that meant paw my hand on the way to lying down, so if my hand is high because I'm standing, he jumps for it! (And actually he is starting to go for my hand more and more so instead of using hand signals with words I am backing off and using more just words.)
I did teach him "up" (onto a bench) so I could teach him "off" (back onto the floor) and that is going well, but even understanding it he still gets really excited and wild. We've done a lot of It's Your Choice and he is very good about that. He likes to chase balls and toys but doesn't bring them back again. I'm not sure if it's because he doesn't understand the game or because he just wants to chew them after he gets them!
What would be some other good tricks/games to play with him?


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## Click-N-Treat (Nov 9, 2015)

Everything you're talking about sounds absolutely normal for an older puppy. Annoying, but normal. Some puppies go through a second mouthy phase around six months because they're getting new teeth. Try to be patient with this. It does get better. I walked around with bully sticks in my pocket and offered those instead of my clothes and hands.

To stop leash chewing, paint the leash with a mixture of dish soap and sriracha sauce and let it dry. I have yet to have a pet that would taste that more than once! Offer a better alternative to leash chewing like a bully stick, and praise, praise, praise that choice.

Fetch is a complicated game made up of many different parts: wait for you to throw the toy, run to the toy, return with the toy, and give up the toy. To train a reliable game of fetch, start with a rag bone and play tug. After about five seconds, stop tugging, put a very stinky treat on your dog's nose. Give the dog the tasty treat, then play tug again. Do this for a few minutes, rewarding with food every five seconds. 

After about five minutes of this game, accidentally drop the tug toy on the floor. Since the dog has been playing tug and getting rewards every five seconds, chances are pretty good the dog will pick up the toy and want to continue playing tug. Praise the dog, play tug, give a treat every five seconds. A minute later, accidentally drop the toy again.

Over the next few days, accidentally drop the toy more often. Slowly transition the game into pick the toy off the floor, exchange it for a treat, then play tug with me. After a few more days, roll the toy three inches away. Make a huge party out of bringing the toy back, give a treat, play more tug. Can you roll it six inches? A whole foot? Two feet? Increase the distance you toss the toy gradually. Always trade the toy for a treat.

This method of training is called backchaining. You chain behaviors you want the dog to do backward, teaching the last step first. The last part of fetch is give the toy back, so train that part first. The second to last part of fetch is bring the toy back. Train that second. The third to last part is chase the toy, train that third. The first part is wait for me to throw it, train that last.

Once your dog understands fetch, you'll have a fun activity to do together. Good luck!


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## Dechi (Aug 22, 2015)

Ashirah said:


> We've been working on some commands as tricks, but I'm a little stuck on what to do.
> He gets confused and then he seems to get frustrated and wild. I've been working on "down" for lie down, but he for some reason thought that meant paw my hand on the way to lying down, so if my hand is high because I'm standing, he jumps for it! (And actually he is starting to go for my hand more and more so instead of using hand signals with words I am backing off and using more just words.)
> I did teach him "up" (onto a bench) so I could teach him "off" (back onto the floor) and that is going well, but even understanding it he still gets really excited and wild. We've done a lot of It's Your Choice and he is very good about that. He likes to chase balls and toys but doesn't bring them back again. I'm not sure if it's because he doesn't understand the game or because he just wants to chew them after he gets them!
> What would be some other good tricks/games to play with him?


My toys don’t bring back the ball either. Their favorite game is the flirt pole. You can get one at the dollar store. I simply buy the one for cats. They don’t try to eat it. It’s a really good way to tire them.

Also, get some brain games, the ones where you put little bits of food in it and they have to find a way to get it out. I have 3-4 different models and Beckie likes them a lot.

Give him frozen peanut butter in a Kong. Buy the small one and give him less than a tea spoon, many many calories in peanut butter. This will occupy him for 10-15 minutes.

Give frozen meaty bones, there are many types at pet stores. And bully sticks. 

So maybe in the morning brain games, afternoon flirt pole and at night, while you’re reading or watching tv, either the kong, a meaty bone or a bully stick to occupy him.

And walks, of course. This should hopefully be enough to give you a more balanced dog. Let him play on his own too. Dogs need to learn to do so.


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## fjm (Jun 4, 2010)

Absolutely agree - adolescent puppy, who needs more to do with his brain and his overwhelming energy. Do you have a good training class near by? I think you may find it helpful for both ideas and support. In addition to the games and ideas above, I would ensure walk time included sniff walks, in interesting places with other dogs. I think you could probably increase the walk time too - I know five minutes per month of age, twice daily, is a good rule of thumb, but by six months an energetic toy is likely to need more stimulation than an hour a day can give. The right kind of walk is like a human teenager checking social media, meeting up with friends, playing ball, and wandering round the shops, all wrapped up together.


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## twyla (Apr 28, 2010)

This is banana crazy pup Beatrice if that helps


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## Ashirah (Apr 3, 2019)

twyla said:


> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zWBsYeEJZ4c
> 
> This is banana crazy pup Beatrice if that helps


Haha, yes that helps! Thanks.


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## Ashirah (Apr 3, 2019)

We just made a flirt pole. These things are great! And I just discovered that if I tie one end of his toy rope to the stairs he is apparently happy to play tug-of-war all by himself (supervised for getting tangled, of course.) Tired puppy and happy owner, here we come!


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