Help! I am getting very discouraged :(

[Cherri Lynn Kading]

I was seeing slow but sure improvement in our training but it seems like the past week Jacki (8 mo) has gotten so stubborn and hard to handle. She barks at my husband for no reason while he is sitting and watching TV in the evening. She chases the cat any chance she gets. She jumps on me like crazy when I get home from work, then bites my hands when I try to pet her. I am tired and my patience is wearing thin. I walk her in the morning and evening (she's not very good on the leash and she tries to get at every person that we meet). I take her outside to play ball whenever she gets too crazy but nothing seems to be working. She must know that I am frustrated because she came up and put her head on my arm while I am writing this!!! I have a trainer coming to the house on Thursday and I am very tempted to ask her if she knows of anyone that would be interested in taking her. I feel so ineffective as a puppy trainer! Anyone else ever feel like giving up?

[L.M.]

I skimmed through the responses, so forgive me if I'm repeating someone else.  When I tell you that when my doodles (Seamus and Stella) were 8 months that I not only wanted to give them up, but wanted to run away from my own home EVERYDAY, I'm not exaggerating in the least.  8 months was, for me, BY FAR, the worst age for my doodles....and probably for my neighbors who had to listen to me screaming (and cursing) at my doodles on an hourly basis lol.  One example....Seamus is my monster doodle..still is at the age of 3....Stella was more easily trained for whatever reason...  But anyway...every night, when we settled down to bed, Seamus would take our sheets in his mouth (while they were covering us in bed) and rip them off the bed down onto his pillow...he did this EVERY NIGHT for about an hour for a good month.  Nothing worked to stop this...nothing!  We couldn't crate him at night because he escaped.  If we yelled at him, he only got more wound up.  So for a month, we just dealt with it and I still have the ripped sheets to prove it!  This is simply "that age" for dogs and there are certain behaviors that you just have to realize will pass as they grow up.  The craziness will pass...I promise.  Keep your pup as tired as you possibly can.  Find some type of bone that she loves and use it as a distraction.  We use rawhide and smoked knuckle bones (they are big and gross but they work and keep our dogs busy for days).  Do what you need to do, but please don't give up your girl.  You will regret it in the long run and she will be devastated.  Best of luck and remember that all of us have gone through this same thing and survived...many of us with multiple doods!  (At the moment, I am surviving 2 doods and a 3 month old infant lol...you will get through it!)  =)  

[Becka]

I'm sure that that Seamus's sheet antic was really irritating at the time, but you painted a hilarious picture--thanks for that!

[L.M.]

lol we always tried so hard to stay serious and "angry" when Seamus was doing it, but actually really had to hide our faces because we were laughing so hard....it really was funny!  But I'm glad he's moved past that phase of his life lol.  

[Joanne ~ Spud*]

Great dogs are taught, not bought. If anyone wants, bring me the puppy for a few weeks. I'd love to help a dog and the owner. I'm serious.

[Jane, Rooney & Stuart]

I'm loading Stuart into the car right now!  What's that address again?

[F, Calla & Luca]

Calla and Luca are packing their bags. Just kidding. That is a great saying and an extremely generous offer.

[Jen St. Louis]

I'm sending Mindy to you via FedEx. ;-)

[Katie and Sophie]

I agree with this wholeheartedly.  And I am also happy to help anyone with training :)

[Bonnie and Kona]

It is obvious to me that the national doodle romp we have all dreamed about will be taking place in Joanne's back yard, but only with the difficult doodles. P.A.R.T.Y. Owen and I will be arriving soon. 

[F, Calla & Luca]

I will make sure to consider mine difficult : )

[Bonnie and Kona]

That may be a stretch, but we can invade Joanne's anyway... she said so! She didn't say HOW bad they had to be! haha

[Joanne ~ Spud*]

I'm getting excited. I really am. PS- please do not honk or ring the doorbell when you arrive. My out-of-control greeter will excessively bark then jump on you :).
But, heck, not all dogs are perfect. Just don't ask me to train the dog to be deaf. We flunked with the guest arrival training :)