Teenage son 7 mo doodle that has lost his manners

[Amanda Yinger]

I am hoping someone can help shed some insight into how to handle the following situation:

We have a 7mo Austrilian labradoodle he is very well behaved typically and knows all his basic commands. He recently has begun being very noncompliant/defiant when it is time to go outside for a walk. He barks refuses to sit on command and runs around the house not allowing us to harness him. We use the freedom no pull harness, he has used this his entire life, it has a proper fit and is not too snug. We have been turning our backs when he begins barking, we do not chase him but sometimes try to corner him to place harness. We have been also using high value rewards just for leash/harness compliance- with no avail. Again I think he is super smart and is just in a teenager challenging stage we just want to make sure we are not doing anything to promote this behavior. Just for a side note, He also performs all his basic commands during times of high distraction/environmental stimulus in the great outdoors and city streets without a problem. Thanks for any help or guidance you can give.

[Cindy and Olive (Ollie)]

Hmm I was going to suggest posting this in the training group, but I'll take a stab, too. Could the harness have pulled his fur or anything negative associated with it? What about trying a different one, or do you think he is asking for more freedom on walks by rejecting that harness? Doggy Dan once advised me to give our pup more free reign on walks - but on my terms. I allowed him the long leash sometimes and the shorter leash when I needed more control. But that way my pup didn't get frustrated and we were both happy. This is a tough age/stage and you def want to remain calm leader, but also keep a good bond. I also followed DD five golden rules of leadership so pup knew I was in control, yet we were both happy with this compromise. Hope that helps?

[Jane, Guinness and Murphy]

I think Cindy makes some great points.  I can share a similar problem that I had with Murphy and how my Trainer taught me to handle it.  Murph would run away if he saw me take out his brush/comb....he hates it and would run around and even a high value treat wouldn't coax him to me.  His normal recall went out the window if I had a brush.  My trainer felt it wasn't a good idea to try to "trick" him because it could compromise his recall in other situations.  He taught me to go after him...not chasing and remaining totally calm and quiet....kind of like tracking him.  I found that Murph eventually got tired of it and gave up...plus he was a little surprised that I would do this so.  As soon as I got him I would attach the leash, put him in a sit and then we would brush.  There were no treats or rewards until I had brushed for a minute or two.  We practiced this a lot...a few times every day....until he decided that he wasn't going to win.  I know this is a little different since it's the harness and not the brush, but I'm thinking the strategy might work.

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

Another suggestion that might help is to put his harness on, leave it on for a few minutes, then take it off, several times a day.  Our foster gets so excited when she sees her leash and collar that she goes nuts, so we are de-sensitizing her by doing this.  We keep her collar near and we practice when we are sitting down which makes us calm also. Like Jane and Murphy, it is a bit of a different problem, but the solutions might be similar.