hi there my 5 month pup seems to be doing everything against the grain she was doing everything ok but now she's pulling on lead and stopping smelling every couple of yards and being mischievous in house totally pushing the boundaries has anyone came across this as she was great up to about a week ago.thanks in advance
Hi Darren. Yes. Probably most of us. Just like human teenagers....pushing the boundaries. You just need to get back to basics, be consistent, take a few backward steps. This too will pass.
Yes my puppy is 18 weeks and in some respects it feels like we have regressed during the past week, particularly the lead work and wanting to pick up stones and sticks both out on a walk and in the garden. She is also ignoring me a lot. I think a lot is going on with her teeth.
I think most puppies are difficult at times. Of course we forget as they grow and become well-trained and totally loveable and then when we get our next pup (especially if you're a one-at-time owner like me) we think 'oh my goodness, my last dog was never this bad!' Whereas I suspect we forget. So what you need to do is to re-train all those behaviours you thought your dog had learnt and now your pup is old enough to be more active, try to do interesting things together. Teach her to play tug and fetch for example. If you live in the UK or somewhere where dogs can be off lead easily, then visit other walking places. Woods / forests are especially good as you can hide from your puppy and get them to find you, so they learn to keep an eye on you. Do you go to training classes? If not have a look for some which teach with kind, reward-based methods. And when she's being a pest, think 'this too will pass'.
There's a theory in teaching that says everything we learn goes first to short term memory and then, when we truly know it, transfers to long term memory. While in transit the learned thing is temporarily unavailable for use. I learned this in adult human teaching courses, darned if our puppy trainer didnt say the same thing applies to dogs. As advice above given says, back up a bit; be patient; ask for things she learned first; repeat some small, beginning steps. Maybe even a wee holiday, it will come back.
