[Abbymarie]

First of all every dog I've ever had or known once they hit 8 months it seems they go through this phase like the terrible twos and it doesn't end until around 11 months

okay when my poodle was 8 months old he was the same way and enjoyed testing his boundaries.

Well my Mix Sasha has always been real easy going, mild tempered, just very docile....

She hit 8 months old and she is into everything, she is sassing as well. She is smacking our poodle around and challenging him.

I will say with her on some aspects its easier since we had her in obedience classes very early on and she knows to obey the commands and she does but with hesitation...

She is tearing up her bed she is back to chewing on things.....

I know it gets better, once my poodle hit 11 months he was great....

But this is going to be harder since my mix is stronger and more stubborn....

Any tips to keep me from going insane....

We've brought the bitter apple spray out and it doesn't phase her (she ate a stick covered in the bitter apple....she threw up afterward but after that it has no effect on her)

I know to continue with our every day training just like we always have but she is sooooo stubborn.

The tips are so much for her but to keep me sane...any tips on keeping my self calm through this?

The most difficult thing is we just went through this with our poodle Zack and now he is acting all grown up and mature and now she is going through it...I thought we lucked out with her and weren't going to go through this but she turned 8 months or so and wow.

I thought we were going to get a break....oh well I love her and she will calm back down soon

People think I'm crazy getting 2 dogs 5 months apart in age, maybe I am or maybe I'm just brave.

Zack is 13 months and Sasha is 8 months

[klip]

Woow! tough times indeed.

As much as possible, turn difficult things into games. Like - instead of trying to train "dont walk down the stairs in front of me you clumsy clod" train "lets play that game where you get to run down the stairs into mom's arms, which you can only do if you wait at the top of the stairs while mom walks down".

OK so maybe you dont have that problem, but you get what I mean . Instead of feeling the need to impress obedience on the dog, which can be frustrating for both parties, its often possible to turn things into a game which achieves the same outcome but is not so stressful.

You did not mention so many specific things that she is doing so its difficult to suggest training games...

I would simply remove any kind of bedding that she can tear up, replace with something which does not matter so much (cheap blanket). Give her lots of great things to chew - big meaty bones, kongs etc.

[Abbymarie]

Mostly she is wanting to chew on things again, such as the couch, her bed (her 30 dollar bed we got her and she loved for over a month) was destroyed within an hour the other night, she is wanting to challenge our poodle who is 7 pounds (she is 22 pounds) and is really rough with him, she takes her paw and smacks him around as she backs him in a corner, she used to not be nearly as fast as him but there are times she can run circles around him....

She is a toy murderer...most toys that come in are going out in the garbage 10 minutes later...we no longer can have soft toys in the house (thats been since she was a puppy) and she doesn't like hard toys but she does like the kong and we can keep that without destruction for about 2 weeks...

We've tried bully sticks but its pointless because she finishes them in 10 minutes and thats awfully expensive for only 10 minutes so we got some other chew bones and 1 usually lasts her a day...we also got her some meaty retriever bones because one of those will last her a week.

A lot of it is she is hesitant to obey the basic commands that she has known since she was a little pup...but she still obeys..

I guess its more about how do I keep calm more than anything...we just go over this with one and now it starts again

I will add most of the activeness is geared toward our poodle because she is still the laziest dog I've ever met and its still a chore to motivate her to go on walks and while out on walks she acts like she is dying

[pamperedpups]

Just how much physical and mental exercise are these dogs getting every day? Think about it for a bit and be really honest with yourself. It's been my observation that once pups get past that initial "new and cute" stage and start turing into dogs many owners tend to start slacking off. This can lead to some very bored, frustrated dogs who simply need more time play training, places to go, and socialization.

[Abbymarie]

An hour long walk every night with small walks outside to pee....they aren't crated more than an hour a day because I'm here. We go out on our patio (we live in an apartment) and I through the ball and they get it....it takes both my husband and I to take them anywhere so they wait and get the walk walk when he gets home....Zack is very calm and acting wonderfully I know its not the exercise thing because between 8 and 12 months most dogs I've know have gone through this phase once they become about a year old they calm back down....

Our mix isn't active at all, she hates the outdoors so its a chore to get her out on a walk but she gets one every day

Our poodle is our high energy dog and he does great with one big walk a day...

On sundays we go out to the greenway and walk the 2 miles


Also we typically don't socialize them with other dogs outside of the family, Zack got attacked at a dog park so we avoid those. But they have each other and we don't risk them getting injured by some strange dog...they have my uncles lab they see occaisionally and the other poodles in the family....and they see plenty of other dogs on their daily walks...we would rather them be social with people anyways


After the attack we got the second dog Sasha, we wanted him to be good with other dogs so we could eventually bring in another but the dog park was a bad thing and so we went ahead and got her since he craved canine companionship

[klip]

My pippin also demolishes most chewy things in minutes. I've found great big bones to be the best. Also a huge black rubber kong. Rope toys also work well - those FAT rope toys that can take ages to shred.

Lots of walks, as pamperedpups suggests. Edit: Oh - sorry - I just saw your other post now. Good for you.

When a dog starts looking like they are "slipping back" in terms of training, you have to treat them as though you are starting from scratch with a new dog. Its pointless getting frustrated because they are "stubborn". Easy to say, I know . Only way though. Pretend she has completely forgotten the meaning of commands, and train as though she is a new pup. Stop as soon as you feel frustrated. Forcing wont do it.

[pamperedpups]

Have you considered a training class?

[Abbymarie]

I also wanted to add that we take them to my grandparents house on Fridays and Saturdays and play in the big fenced in yard with them and work on tricks...

Yeah I know thats really the case its basically a refresher....sad thing is its all there but she hesitates like she doesn't want to obey...so we have started over.

Is there anything that works better than the bitter apple to spray on the kitchen table and couch legs to keep her from chewing it? I know the trainer said the bitter apple is the best but sadly she doesn't mind it too much

Originally Posted by pamperedpups

Have you considered a training class?

Sasha just graduated a training class...and at the top of her class...

And at the moment the way the economy is we can't afford to go right back into another one that will go over the things she already knows

We were given the tools we just have to work at it everyday (and we have been) Like I said this is nothing new we went through this with my poodle and about a month ago he calmed back down but I was hoping for a break with her being a calmer dog (but she hit that mark)

I guess I'm just more upset that I don't get a break....I hoped with basic training that might prevent some of this

even though i knew it was coming

[blunder]

Actually 8 months is a little later than normal. That newfound sense of independence is linked to the onset of puberty which normally happens between 5 & 7 months. But, you are right about one thing, every dog gets to go through it
Up until this point the pups only motivators were food and affection, now all of a sudden it has "other" motivators.