Elsa does not listen!

[Sarah L]

Hello! We have a goldendoodle named Elsa! She will be 6 months old on the 14th and she is making us a little crazy!! She is very sweet but also very stubborn!! We just moved back to NE and we are living with my parents. Elsa wants to chew on things that do not belong to her no matter how many times we take them away and replace them with her toy. Sometimes I can take something away tell her no and start walking away and she will just snatch it out of my hand. If she has something she knows isn't hers she hides under the table! It is getting a little hard to handle and I would greatly appreciate some advice! I did read a post about the bitter apple spray and thought about trying that. Any other tips? Thank you so much!!

[Amy and Annabelle]

Bitter Apple did not work with Annabelle. She would lick it like a treat. Teaching her drop it and sending her to a time out for a minute if she didn't, helped some. Our trainer told us that between 5 months and 7 months they are in their terrible 2's. They are testing the boundaries and consequences and can make you question your decision to get a puppy. They are in some ways just like a human toddler. But it does get better and there will come a time when they actually listen and do what they are told. Annabelle is 10 months old and this group training class has been even better for her than the personal trainer we had for her.

[Lori, Winnie, Bob and Indie]

Yup- what Amy said- the terrible 2's. :-(    Elsa is probably out of sorts if you recently moved- she is out of her environment and her usual routine. And, maybe trying to get more attention with her bad behavior. I would really increase her exercise. It is so true that a "tired puppy is a happy puppy." When Winnie was that age I was constantly taking her on impromptu walks whenever she would get into a cycle of wildness. And, work on teaching the the "leave it" and "drop it" commands. If you make it fun and she realizes that giving the forbidden item back earns her a really yummy treat, she will be less likely to run off and hide with it.

Hang in there!

[Jane, Guinness and Murphy]

For puppies this age taking things that don't belong to them is kind of a game and a sure way to get you to interact with them.  When you take something away from her and she snatches it out of your hand....that's game to her and really fun.  Then she sees you get excited and interact with her....more fun.  Try taking the object away without making any eye contact or saying anything....just take it and give her something she can have.  When she hides under the table, if it's an object that you need to get away from her you can attach a leash...tell her to come (and enforce that with the leash - tell her only once)...take the object away and give her one of her toys.  Again try your best not to show any emotion.  If at any point she growls or shows any other sign of possessiveness, I would take the object away and give her a time out in the crate.  Of course, the best approach is to prevent her access to things that don't belong to her as much as possible....the more you can prevent this behavior the easier it will be.

[Susan & Randy's Kate]

She is cute.  

[Maryann,Roo and Tigger]

Aah...puppies, darling but ..... 

Elsa is asking for attention.  I would give her two longish walks or plays a day - at least 20 minutes each and a short play of 2-5 minutes every hour she is out of her crate.  For noncrate time put her back on a long line in this new treasure laden environment, so that she is never out of your sight. Make sure sure a few of her toys are always near.  If with all these precautions she still gets something "not hers", which is highly likely tell her "mine" or "not yours" - pick one - as "no" is probably worn out by now.  Then keep what she took from you and put it beside or on you and guard it like another dog would; protect it with your hand and "mine" .  You are reinforcing that you are the top dog and don't share everything.

As a reminder you as the top dog have complete access to all her stuff.  It is not like she is your sister or brother.  Sharing is a one way street with dogs.

She is still a young puppy and  you are basically starting her over.  She will learn a little faster, but also be a whole lot more clever, and test you more. 

Stay patient and consistent and it will pay off, honest.

[Stacy]

I've struggled with the same thing! I try really hard to keep things she shouldn't have out of reach, but she's a master of snatching a dirty sock out of the laundry in that one second that I open the closet door to grab something. Then she escapes with it though the dog door and the chase is on! And it's usually when I need to leave for work in 5 minutes. 

I think some items are self rewarding. The dirty sock or dirty underwear are just fun! But the other attraction is me chasing her around the yard begging for it back. I go out in the back yard to play ball, but I don't chase her around begging for the ball. I make her bring it at least sort of near me before I throw it again, but I really want my "whatever" back.

My sort of solution, other than just keeping the stuff she's not supposed to have out of reach, is to not chase her. And amazingly, if I don't chase her she brings it back in a few minutes and surrenders it. And mostly she doesn't chew on it. She just carries it around. But I only made that discovery after I just gave up one day. It was a, "fine, have the sock" moment. 

And I know she's just a puppy and eventually she'll grow out of it and I'll even miss the puppy phase. But sometimes it's really challenging!

[Maryann,Roo and Tigger]

LOL Tigger, at seven years old, still does that same thing.  His way of saying "let's play.  I keep a "decoy" sock that I don't care about near the things that he most apt to steal - usually my unguarded shoes upstairs on the floor.  But also in the office where my husband leaves his briefcase. That way I don't chase him, but wait for him to come back and then we play with a toy.  Since he does not always return with the sock, I just pick it up later when I see it.

[Terri and Harley]

Harley isn't even 3 months yet and is doing this. I feel your pain and yes, he thinks it's a game. I like the "guarding" suggestion. I'm going to try that one out. Heck! I'll try just about anything out! Even my doctor thinks I look "worn out" and I just found out he has TWO goldendoodles!

Terri and Harley

[PK & Ivey]

Ivey was similar at this age! I found that teaching her "leave it" and "drop it" helped but she was still quite sneaky and quick! I found that a firm, disappointed voice got to her and I also bought a few hand towels and let her chew on those — she would grasp for something to chew when we were playing or if I was petting her, she NEEDED to chew... So I'd throw her a towel, she seemed to like that! Still does lol. Good luck with the terrible twos!