Regressing

[Sandy]

Toby isn't perfect, but he's been pretty good. I don't know whether he can smell Spring in the air, whether he REALLY needs to get in and be neutered, or whether this is normal, but his behaviour has deteriorated over the last two days. He is just over six months old. He's running without control through the house, grabbing garbage (where he can), being obnoxious, just being somewhat uncontrollable in general. He's being neutered in March (waiting a little longer for the second testicle to make an appearance), and starting another set of obedience classes in March (after the surgery). I've had to use the crate more than usual the last couple of days, and also the indoor lead, which had been retired for a LONG time until now. Oh - to get past this naughty puppy stuff and into a great adult dog! :)

[Debbie and Thomas]

Hi, believe me I am NO EXPERT-Thomas is almost 5 months old and is just starting to settle down from all the bad puppy behaviour-but from what I hear from his trainer-the next stage is just as bad-its called adolescence. She told me it can start as early as 5-6mths. I asked her "what happens" with a frightened look on my face. She told me" they just stop listening, become rebelious and generally obnoxious" So- it seems we may both be in for this teenage stuff.

[Sandy]

Oh golly - I guess that's where I am. Toby seems to hit all the "landmarks" early. Maybe he'll mature early as well! We are starting training again March 20. I just have to hold on till then. And he's getting neutered on Feb. 24, so maybe that will also help.

Do you use your crate much to control misbehaviour? I've been forced to a little in the last two days.

[Debbie and Thomas]

We have to keep him on a training leash almost every evening-he just gets "nuts sometimes". So we have to tie him up so he cannot reach us. In the past week, he has been good some evenings, especially after his group dog walks (Wed/Frid afternoon) But yes, I have had to put him in his "room" (main floor laundry roomed fenced off with gates-so we call it his room-but it is just like a crate) One evening I left him in there for an hourwith the door closed-I was just exasperated! He never made a peep while he was in there-when I let him out he seemed to have settled down-but by then it was 10:00 PM! Today-he took a file off my desk-and he has never touched anything on my desk before and ripped up several plans I had there for a client. Luckily I have duplicates. He grabbed his leash off the hall table and ripped aprt all of the "doggy bags" that we tie to it. We have an aquaintance that we just met again after 10 yrs-they have a GD from the same breeder and their male is now 2 1/2 yrs old. They went thru all of the same things but there dog is a great dog now. I can't wait.