# Getting scared of adolescence



## Locket (Jun 21, 2009)

Obedience classes will probably help out a lot. Not only will it give you direction in your training, but it will also set you up with contacts for doggy play dates. 

I feel comfortable going to my dog park during off hours so Mitch can get his fill of dog play, but I realize that it not an option for everyone. 
If you want to try out a dog park, find the largest one possible. I would highly recommend going at off hours (for my park its 9-11 and 3-5) and for the first time, going without Auggie to get an idea of how the owners are, what the dogs are like, etc. 
I have a few "rules" for myself when at the park: a) always have my dog in perfect sight b) be close enough to him that if something were to happen, I could quickly intervene c) keep tabs on other dogs behaviour d) leave at first sign of "trouble" (ie. obnoxious dogs, irresponsible owners, high volume of dogs, "short fuse" dogs, etc.)

My dog park is QUITE small, and dog walkers come to the park with anywhere to 4-8 dogs per ONE person. I will usually leave as soon as a dog walker enters because there is NO WAY one person can keep tabs on all of those dogs, and that's where problems begin.


As for the leash chewing, you can try spraying the leash with bitter apple spray, or just being consistent with a "stop" or "enough" command. If he is chewing the leash, remove it from his mouth with a "stop" or "enough" command and redirect him to something appropriate to chew. The key is to not give up. I know it's frustrating to constantly remove the leash and redirect, but an hour or so of frustration will go along way in the future.

Don't be scared! Stay confident in your abilities to handle him, and remember to have fun!


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## JE-UK (Mar 10, 2010)

It will pass quickly, you'll see.

Vasco's obedience work was pretty awful when he went through his terrible teens, but we still worked on everything. I had to be very specific about what I wanted, and he missed out on lots of rewards by choosing not to play.

This is when I spent a lot of time on games with a training element. We play (his favourite game ever) "Find It" ... I put him on a sit-stay and then go and hide something he likes and usually can't have, like one of my gloves. If he doesn't hold the sit-stay, we don't play. If he doesn't retrieve the object to hand when he finds it, we stop playing. Because he loves the game so much, he managed to overcome his teenage disinclination to listen :smile:.

Also the Nina Ottoson games are good ... they are games you play WITH your dog, they take brain power, and they are purely positive interactions. 

I don't know what the solution is for the leash chewing. Mine did that a lot as a pup, I just ignored it, and it's totally gone now.

I found the best dog interactions for Vasco at that age were good romps with dogs slightly bigger and bolshier than he was. It was good for him to get knocked about a bit by a nice but not necessarily gentle dog. Maybe consult with your trainer? He/she might have some recommendations for other dogs whose owners might be up for a play date?


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## fjm (Jun 4, 2010)

I think going back to classes is an excellent idea, for all the reasons others have mentioned, and also because seeing the behaviour of some of the other dogs will remind you what a good little dog Auggie is most of the time! I would also go ahead and introduce the two puppies - if possible on neutral ground, but if not in your friend's garden. And remember all the good things about dog adolescence - they rarely slam doors, they don't spend their lives glued to a mobile phone, and it is all over in a few months!


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## ziggylu (Jun 26, 2010)

For standards, when typically is adolescence? Cosmo is 9 months old now and I made a comment last week to someone about his having entered the adolescent phase recently....I was corrected and told it's too early and that as standards mature slowly he wasn't yet in adolescent phase. I couldn't expect true adolescence until after a year old? 

In them meantime, developmentally, he seems to me, based on other puppies we've had, be exhibiting typical adolescent behaviors. *Shrug* 

Just curious really....


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## partial2poodles (Feb 11, 2010)

Cosmo is right smack dab in the middle of adolescence. 

And little Auggie sounds like he already has the makings of a gentleman...not an idiot dog. Gino was enrolled in classes at 8 months and then re-took the same class at about 14 months...but when he was 14 months, just fresh outta the adolescence period, he was so obedient and good, he was asked (along with me) to be an assistant in the class. We were good examples of how to train a younger dog and what you can get them to do.

It is critical to give them a purpose at Auggies age. They are not kindergartners any more.....they need a job.

Its just like a 13 year old....they are too old to go to the playground with the littler kids....they need to learn more chores and earn a little money for themselves. This is when you teach more complicated things because they are too bored with simple tasks. If left to their selves....teens would begin to tune the adults out and just vegetate alll day long....they become useless young adults that dont WANT to work, dont WANT to EARN anything, they want it all handed to them....so teach Auggie to work and earn and challenge his little growing brain with stuff every day.


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## partial2poodles (Feb 11, 2010)

Oh yeah, leash chewing! Get a metal choke chain and a clippy thing. Clip one ring of the choker to his collar D-Ring and the leash or tie out to the other end....its that 20 inches closest to their heads that usually gets chewed in half....so the chain prevents that. I would never tie a dog out using nylon or cotton 20 ft. leads because if they chew thru, they can get loose and hit by a car. Use the coated steel cables....even the thin kitty size one are pretty strong....if they are too short, hook 2 or 3 together.


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## ziggylu (Jun 26, 2010)

partial2poodles said:


> Cosmo is right smack dab in the middle of adolescence.


Thanks. I'm expecting this phase to last til about 14-18 months. Is that typical?


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## Feathersprings (Jul 15, 2010)

I know just how you feel Skye LOL! Hoolie is pretty much what you are describing  He is 10.5 mos old now and while i am seeing some imporvement in some things it is worse with others. He is a horrible thief.. but now he will run with his "prize" but drop it when i tll him to.. hooray! finally! We have another dog in the house but she doesnt play.. so he is like an only dog in that sense and he has no other playmates besides me and my husband ( who does a pretty good job filling in I have to say LOL! ) I dont kennel Hoolie except when he eats , sleeps or when i am leaving but I DO tether him in the kitchen/dining/living spce where we are to keep him out of trouble when i need to. I had to switch to a cable tether , which he still chews, because the nylon one was about chewed through. When he was tethered to me I would just give the lead a quick jerk up and he didnt like the way that felt and quit chewing it for the most part. We are still deciding about classes.. the first ones i went to werent great.. I am looking for new ones  I would really love to do freestyle and some agility with him but need to see if there is anything close enough for us to go to here. We are a bit isolated.


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## PaddleAddict (Feb 9, 2010)

You should be scared, LOL! The terrible teens are the worst, in my opinion worse than puppy care, worse than potty training. My dog went from sweet little smart obedient lover to devil dog from the age of 9 to 11 months. Naughty, naughty, naughty!

Just keep reminding yourself that you will get your sweet little Auggie back eventually... Jäger is about 14 months now, and so much better. He is such a good doggie most of the time now. 

I think the one thing that helped the most was EXERCISE. Tired him out. I agree wholeheartedly with the dog park advice from Locket. Nothing tires out Jäger like play at the dog park. You do have to be very aware of the other dogs and owners, though, especially since Auggie is small. I am lucky to have a very nice dog park in my neighborhood with very responsible dog owners. We have only had to leave once due to unacceptable behavior (from another dog) at the dog park. If you can't do the dog park, take him on LONG walks, like at least an hour, as often as possible.

The second thing that helped was a serious undertaking of NILIF at our house. I had always done this, but really put it into high gear during his naughty teen phase. He tested me constantly, wouldn't or couldn't listen, became very pushy and demanding about receiving attention or play. I had to be very careful not to reinforce his demanding behavior. 

The one thing Jäger loves most is fetch, he would fetch for HOURS if we let him. So we turned fetch sessions into training sessions and wouldn't through the toy unless his butt was on the ground. Then we wouldn't throw the toy until he layed down. Then we made him stay, etc. It guaranteed compliance because fetch is so rewarding for him (now he flattens himself to the ground if I just hold a toy over my head, it's funny). Is there anything Auggie really, really loves? I would suggest harnessing that love and turning it into a training opportunity.


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## Skye (Feb 19, 2010)

Thank you, everyone! He only chews the lead in the house, or if I am running him on a retractable. (Playing.)

It is good to hear all of these stories! I am going to build on what he is doing right. He does walk well on a leash; we walk several times a day. When he sees dogs in their yard in the neighborhood, he goes NUTS. He wants to see them. He settles down if I let him. Otherwise, we are walking by with me popping the collar, saying, "leave it. Let's go. C'mon Aug." And, he is barking his head off, sometimes standing on his back feet, he gets so excited.

Okay, so besides that, he is doing well on our walks. I am stepping up the NILIF, too. We are clicker training, and we have (sit) paw, down, roll over and stand up on back feet. I just say "up." Started "spin" yesterday. Also, I am going to teach him each of his toys. He is learning which one the monkey is. Working on getting him to bring things TO me. He'll fetch a little. His favorite thing is stealing things, and he loves to have to search for things. I hide treats in his toy basket, in a knot in a blanket, under his bed, etc. He even likes to get a toy if it goes under the couch. He wants the challenge! 

He is a smart dog, and I'm sure we will get through this! Sometimes when I read the Dog Star Daily, I get anxiety and feel panic. Like, "Oh my gosh! He should be doing that at 5 months? He is 8 months! Oh, I've failed!" LOL Anybody else ever feel that way?

Thanks for these ideas; I'll keep ya posted on our progress!


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## fjm (Jun 4, 2010)

It's like other people's babies - they sleep through the night at 3 weeks, walk at 9 months, read Shakespeare in Kindergarten ... ! He sounds a thoroughly nice, typical, happy puppy to me! You could use his wanting to greet other dogs as a training opportunity - "look at me", click for the briefest glance, and the treat is to meet the other dog. Sophy was once being very naughty about coming in when there was a neighbourhood party going on in the gardens - children, slightly sozzled adults, barbecued sausages, burgers, crisps ... her favourite scenario. In the end I insisted, and when she eventually came, released her to go back to the party for a few minutes. She was SO impressed!


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## Feralpudel (Jun 28, 2010)

ziggylu said:


> For standards, when typically is adolescence? Cosmo is 9 months old now and I made a comment last week to someone about his having entered the adolescent phase recently....I was corrected and told it's too early and that as standards mature slowly he wasn't yet in adolescent phase.
> Just curious really....


Hahaha. Standard boys don't have a delayed adolescence, just a protracted one--it starts early and ends late! :aetsch:

You have the tools in place to deal with it--physical and especially mental exercise. Mental exercise that doesn't place too much pressure on him is good--tracking or agility (if he can handle the stimulation of agility).


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## Feralpudel (Jun 28, 2010)

ziggylu said:


> Thanks. I'm expecting this phase to last til about 14-18 months. Is that typical?


Hmmm...two years is more realistic.


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## Poodlelvr (Mar 13, 2010)

First of all relax. This will be over in a few months, and you will have your sweet boy back again. Be firm, be consistent. By all means go back to training classes. Beyond the obvious, they also provide opportunities to socialize with other dogs and humans in a controlled environment. I've gone through this stage with five different poodles in my life time. We all survived. I had one who adored playing fetch. I wore him out every day with a tennis ball. At his time of year he also loved chasing snowballs. He would bark while I formed and threw a snowball. Then he would pounce on it and claw it to pieces. A tired dog is a happy dog. He was a happy boy, truly a heart dog and I miss him.

I think you will find your own children's adolesence much more trying.


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## Feathersprings (Jul 15, 2010)

Feralpudel, this is a good age to start agility? Hoolie is 10 .5 mos old... I have been thinking about looking for somewhere to do this with him but was going to ask about his age...


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## Feralpudel (Jun 28, 2010)

Skye said:


> Okay, so besides that, he is doing well on our walks. I am stepping up the NILIF, too. We are clicker training, and we have (sit) paw, down, roll over and stand up on back feet. I just say "up." Started "spin" yesterday. Also, I am going to teach him each of his toys.


You're doing fine. Have you started "stay" work with him yet? I do competitive obedience, but stays (stand, sit, and down) are all invaluable functional commands for us. When Dexter was in his obnoxious adolescent phase, I would put him on a down-stay when he was acting all barky and silly, and then release him after a minute or so. They were his doggy time-outs, LOL. He got to where he would do something obnoxious, then plop down without my even telling him because he knew what was coming. 

Stays are really good at teaching self-control (something all adolescents need!). They are also a way to remind him that you're in charge without being obnoxious about it or setting up a battle of wills. Sue Ailsby calls them "Because I'm the Mommy Downs." 

If you haven't yet worked much/at all on stays, do it gradually, with a lot of positive reinforcement, and build confidence. Otherwise dogs can get anxious about stays.


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## Skye (Feb 19, 2010)

We had the best day today!!! Thinking of everyone's ideas, we really did a lot today. We worked, we played, we walked, we played fetch. I am feeling much more confident and encouraged today than I was late last night!!!

Working with Auggie is so rewarding, and this may sound funny, but it's one of the few things that I take the time to do for ME. Does that make sense? There are so many things I WANT to do, but they get pushed behind what I HAVE to do. Auggie is work; but the bond is so rewarding. Watching the lightbulb go off in his head when he "gets" something makes me so happy! And watching him zoom around like a goof makes me happy, too! I want to train him really well, because someday I WANT ANOTHER ONE! MPS and even Multiple Dog Syndrome. I want another poodle, and maybe a Chinese Crested. And waaaaaay down the line, some kind of a terrier. LOL! For now, with my daughter's allergies, I am safe with poodles! They are just the coolest, smartest dogs, but I'm preaching to the choir here!!!


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## Feathersprings (Jul 15, 2010)

Yay for you and Auggie! MPS... yikes, i have it too... if there was a cute little girl Mini that just sort of appeared i would have a hard time turning her down lOL!


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## JE-UK (Mar 10, 2010)

Skye said:


> Working with Auggie is so rewarding, and this may sound funny, but it's one of the few things that I take the time to do for ME.


Doesn't sound funny at all. I LOVE working with mine, it's a tremendous kick, and they are SO bright. I train stuff all the time that has absolutely no purpose, but we have such fun together doing it. 1/2 an hour of dog training is the cheapest therapy there is!


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## Feralpudel (Jun 28, 2010)

Feathersprings said:


> Feralpudel, this is a good age to start agility? Hoolie is 10 .5 mos old... I have been thinking about looking for somewhere to do this with him but was going to ask about his age...


I'm no agility expert, but my understanding is that with standards, you should be very conservative about jump heights and weaving until they are 1.5-2 years. But that leaves plenty of foundation work and equipment to work with. Most dogs seem to love agility, and it is more self-reinforcing than Obedience work. 

If you are in WA state, you might want to be in touch with Helen King for instructor suggestions:

Jility


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## LEUllman (Feb 1, 2010)

Scared of adolescence? I'm a dad with beautiful 14-year-old and 17-year-old daughters. Now THAT'S scary! :afraid:


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## Skye (Feb 19, 2010)

LEUllman said:


> Scared of adolescence? I'm a dad with beautiful 14-year-old and 17-year-old daughters. Now THAT'S scary! :afraid:


LUEllman, my kids are 5 & 2, and I ALREADY have anxiety about their teenage years! Ha,ha!


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