When Did your Doodle Calm Down? (plus a little venting on adolescent woes)

[Jaime + Oliver]

So Oliver is just a few days away from turning 1.  We're nearly done with a level 3 puppy class but I think we're hitting a wall pretty hard with the "teenage years."  He's become more stubborn, more spazzy and  sneaky (stealing things that seem exciting!  Like the newspaper off the counter, it was just sooooo much fun to shred!).  He gets significant amounts of exercise with daycare, very long walks and lots of running/fetch/playtime.  Don't get me wrong, I love the little guy but sometimes he seems like the devil incarnate!  I know it's an evolution and eventually consistency in training will breakthrough - maybe I just needed to vent a little bit :)

Anyway, lots of doodle owners I meet on walks & at the park say around 2yrs old was when they saw their fur babies start to chill a little more.  There's obviously no concrete age, but when did you start to notice a difference?  Just need a little light at the end of the tunnel here :)

[Julie, Eloise & Beasley]

Eloise started calming down around 8-10 months old.  Everyone told me the same thing about 2 yrs old being the magic number, and for Eloise it really was.  She's never been a hyper dog, but with her, there was definitely a switch that flipped when she turned 2 - so much so that I noticed it, being with her every day.  Our dog sitter remarked about it as well.  She said she was noticeably calmer, which was about a month after her 2nd birthday, and she hadn't seen her for about 3 months.  I do agree that it's more about the dog's temperament - Eloise was pretty chill (for a puppy, ha) compared to her littermates when I visited her at 6 wks old.  Hang in there, it will get better!  Just keep burning all that doodle energy.  :)

[Jaime + Oliver]

Oliver was the mellow one when we picked at 6wks, but he's been anything but a mellow puppy.  I guess he just enjoys keeping us on our toes!

[Jaime + Oliver]

Thanks everyone!  I guess the only definitive thing is that each pup is unique & different.  I'm still hoping we can one day get CGC certified with this pup, although we have a loooong way to go.  At the very least it gives us a goal to continue to work toward :)