8 months has brought out the devil in my dog

[Sue and Cash]

Cash has certainly become a pain in the butt lately.  I am eating my words "he is so easy to live with" "It's hard to believe he is only a puppy" "he is so calm and well behaved".

 

Those are few things I have told people in the past few months.  And now well he is becoming unruly and getting into things he never did before.  Taking all the pillows off the couches and running around the house like a madman.  If someone told me this I would think he needs more exercise, but seriously he gets walked in the evening if he seems unsettled, and has a couple hours a day of freedom to run and chase birds and play with other dogs.  We walk quite a bit also.  We play ball inside and he does play toys.  He used to need more naps and now he doesn't need as much rest.  He is sleeping fine at night so I shouldn't complain about that or it might change as well.  People tell me he is in the terrible two's phase of puppyhood and it will get better.  I sure hope so, he has me stressed out some evenings because I am worn out from work and walking him and he wants MORE!  I am focusing this week on more alone time for him, because he hasn't seen the inside of his crate in over a month since my teenage son is home from school all summer and we haven't been crating him when I work.  But I notice that if I even go out to get the mail he carries on as if he won't handle being alone should he need to be.  So this evening he will spend an hour or so in the crate while we do some shopping.  I told Nick, my son, that I have to help him learn to cope without us before we have trouble.  I thought he could be left in the house loose now alone, but since he has started getting into things, I feel the crate is safest.  And for some reason dogs that seem to show some separation issues do better in a small space than a whole house.  More secure I guess.  Will time bring my well behaved calm dog back to me? 

[eva ciechonska]

Welcome to the world of the 8 month old IS. For some unexplained reason Irish Setters get naughty much later than puppies from other breeds. Bur please do not read psychological separation or security issues into this kind of behavior, it is more like "when the cat's away........." He has become a teenage boy and is enjoying himself by misbehaving. He will grow out of it.....eventually.

[Angela Roberts]

Will time bring my well behaved calm dog back to me?

Yes, when he's about 10 years old! Quite agree with Eva that they get naughtier when you are expecting them to start behaving. It's why I love them.

[Delia Bryce]

Love this;
They are not doing so much growing so have time for other fun stuff like stripping wallpaper, carpet removal and so on :-))
My boy is mostly well behaved but still can get over tired but number of ASBOs on the decrease, but perhaps after reading this I shouldnt put that pad away just yet!

[Sue and Cash]

Yes we finally let him keep a couple towels and they are buried in the toy chest now since he lost interest in them because they aren't forbidden anymore! The pillows are his new thing. And your right if I don't chase him and ignore it, he stops doing it. He expects attention 24/7 and I just can't give him that much of my day. Amazingly though he still shuts off like a light switch at bedtime. I almost think that too much activity makes him overtired. I didn't do our evening walk tonight and decided to give him a bone to chew instead. I need a break!

[Teresa]

My girls totally disconnect at night... It has always been like that, even Pitanga who is almost 3 years old now goes into a non waking state for at least 8 hours... I have to take into serious consideration the time of our night walk in order to get them up by the time i need to leave the next morning :)
If for some reason i need to move them after they disconnect, they just glance at me for a second in a way that means: "Pfff... if you want me to got elsewhere do it yourself, i'm not waking or walking"...lol
As for the destructive phase Pitanga's started at 2 months and ended at 15 months, Romã is almost 11 months and hasn't got there yet... I get the chills just thinking what will hapen if she decides to start destroying now and hope she doesn't dream about it ever!
I found that mental games worked a lot better with Pitanga than walking her too much! In fact right now it's about 37 degrees outside so the girls only get about half an hour of free run everyday, the rest is short walks and lots of fun fun inside games. I never had to deal with this much heat and active dogs, but we are managing quite well

[ursula wilby]

This is actually quite normal behaviour for dogs at this age, but whatever you have taught him is still there underneath that teenage-Cash.

But constant walking and playing is to my mind NOT the solution to your problem.
Make him use his brain instead!
Tracking, searching for toys, people etc is far better for calming dogs than constant walks. All you tend to prouce with constant excercise is a dog with far more stamina for tearing off wallpaper and finding other fun odd-jobs to do around the house!

[sammi pease]

I totally agree there Ursula...I believe too much stimulation and exercise will make them more lively and demanding...sometimes a bit of quiet time in their own room is necessary preferably with something good to chew on......and games that involve an element of 'work' rather than just play..and definitely don't trust him with the run of the house!!......my Lola is 15 months old now and we are experiencing a phase of a rather high level of energy..ie..bouncing with all four legs off the ground especially first thing in the morning..(usually on the cat) .... ...so don't expect a quiet life anytime soon...:-)))

[Louise Perry]

Yes I too agree with not giiving them too much exercise and play with you as then they expect it all the time, it is finding the balance. reuben is quite good at home but being a cheeky nightmare when out. teenagers, yikes!!

[Ossian]

I tell all my trainees the same thing. If you have put your core obedience in there and it disappears stay consistent, dont panic and dont change what you do, he will come back. He is a teenager!!

[Sue and Cash]

Oh great Sue, I am feeling better already (NOT)!
Timber sounds like a spunky devil dog.

[Sue and Cash]

I feel better already thanks everyone for the encouragment. He was never mouthy as a puppy teething and now of all times he decided he will grab my arms or hands all the time. Not breaking skin my any means but trying to engage me, or direct me. I have found grabbing his collar as was suggest in earlier posts works very well. Grab the collar and firmly tell him no and walk away. Games end when his mouthing starts up. He is just so big now that the cute rambucious behavior now becomes insanity when he zooms all over the house jumping on beds and couches! He is a giant baby actually. I laugh because he acts all tough but at the dog park whenever a very assertive dog will even scare him in the least he comes running back to me to protect him! Not so tough after all. Oh someone came in the park yesterday for the first time with their four month old puppy that I totally fell in love with. An irish water spaniel. Just adorable! First time meeting one and although many of my other friends didn't see the charm, I thought the dog was gorgeous.

[Sue and Cash]

You just described Cash exactly Finn. He is exhausted right now from a whole day of fun activities and need a nap really badly. If I stay at my computer he is good, but if I run down to cook he follows, and also will cry if I don't allow him in the bathroom with me. He has learned when I shower he must say outside the door and always lays on my bed waiting for me to return. I was worried he was having seperation issues but maybe it is the breed. And yes once he settles in for the night he does not follow me all over anymore!