terrible two,s,or ones or even 6 months???

[brendapiepiorka]

I,ve been reading alot of behaveour problems that we are also going thru with Maggie. She is six months old and is all of a sudden getting quite bossy.(She did listen last night thou when it was important). She is sooo nosey. She wants to know whats up on the counter, whats in the sink and her new thing is to beg and bark for food!? I did read in one of JUdy Adlers books that sometimes newf pups will go thru a stage of say "forgetfulness" when it comes to obedience. Is this the dreaded Alpha test? I'd like to hear some sucess stories on things like, ya our dog used to that but now she's an angel! Please share some good stuff people to help us rookies out!It cracks us up sometimes because she seems to think she is a toy poodle and can just wip all over the house like we ain't gonna notice!!

 

[NewfsAlaska]

I can definately relate...I thought Eja was doing so well...and then about 7 months came along....suddenly he wouldn't sit when asked...he would do it on his own good time ar not at all...I think he started doing things (taking lid off garbage and taking stuff out) just to get my reaction. i had been warned that these adolescent times would happen just like normal teenage kids I guess...I just kept being consistent..if he wouldn't sit after two times asking I placed him where I wanted him...patience patience patience....and when I don't have any of that left....I go into the bathroom. cover my face with a towel and scream for a minute hahahahahah good luck

 

[Jeannie]

Originally posted by NewfsAlaska:
I go into the bathroom. cover my face with a towel and scream for a minute

OH how I can relate.

 

[bearbearsmom]

Well, we have hit the teenage stage too. Bear has forgotten everything I think except how to eat. He runs from me in the back, he totally ignores my sit and stay, but, what he doesn't know, is I WILL WIN (just ask my little girl

) Hopefully, this will pass soon, but the towel in the bathroom sounds pretty good.

Nancy and Bear

 

[macgirl13ca]

I think it gets worse before it gets better. Bubba's gotten more stubborn, and I'm pretty sure I did wrong in just letting it go. We had a dominance issue last night, he refused to lay down, and when I went to slide his front legs down, he bit me. Not a rip your arms off attack, but definitely a 'I don't want to do that and I won't' nip. Well, he went down. I roared NO at him, and slid his legs out from under him anyway. My question is Is this how to reclaim the Alpha position? I know 'down' is the submissive, and once he went down I stood over him and made him stay, he wouldn't look me in the eyes. I have a bruise on my hand, but after 1/2 and hour of obedience drills, I think I'm back on top of the pecking order. After that, he was right back to his loving velcro self. He even listened to all commands this morning.

[ 09-12-2002, 09:12 AM: Message edited by: Bubba'sMom ]

 

[aalvarez]

Oh, I logged in this morning to inquire about Yogi's naughty behavior in recent weeks. I found this thread and oh the joy of not feeling so alone in this world Yes, our trainer said that puppies go through a phase where they "forget" commands, typically between the 8-15 month ages. She says they usually come out of it---so she says....But, I'm thinking with the newfie character trait of being so incredibly stubborn, we will not be so lucky Seems that Yogi's naughtiness has only perpetuated such as his counter surfing (jumped up on the counter last night when my back was turned and ate my yummy piece of cake!), begging for food (a stream of water from a squirt bottle shot at his thick head barely made him flinch), chewing on everything in the house (woke up this morning to find him eating another pair of my good sandals!), and biting at his leash during his walks (got a bad "report card" from his dog walker about it). Acccckkkkk! Our dog is broken! I feel that he definitely still knows his commands---he will obey when he feels like it---but has gotten so stubborn. I also think he does many of these naughty behaviors to get attention. I can't even talk on the phone without him constantly barking at me---not giving him any attention. Grrrrr....I was a special ed. teacher for 7 yrs. and was constantly complaining about student's parents not disciplining or setting enough boundaries to curb their child's behavior----and now I am one of them! Oh, rats.....

[ 09-12-2002, 10:22 AM: Message edited by: Yogurt ]

 

[macgirl13ca]

The barking thing yes, I forgot about that. He used to just bark to be let out to go to the bathroom. Now if we're not paying enough attention to him away he goes. Ignoring him does not work. No bark no longer works. I end up taking him out and putting him in his kennel for a time-out. After 15 or 20 minutes I let him in. If he starts again, out he goes.

 

[robandrobin]

Holy Cow. So how big of a towel will I need when it's our turn?
Robin and Rob

 

[brendapiepiorka]

I am really glad some of you guys jumped in and started to share. I was thinking that I must be the only one. Do you have more than I newf? Maggie is an only child, could that have something to do with her sometimes"naughty" behavour? Yesterday we went visiting some friends, she was so good there. Just lying around chewing on her bone. Then today, I walk out side with her big tennis ball attached to a strap and she came from behind and yanked it out of my hand in one flying leap. Good thing she didn't have my hand in her mouth, but my pinky took an awful beating. I took it out of her mouth and she grabed it back and started pulling me in circles.!!That was it. Her ball is now up in the cupboard and she is doggie grounded if that is possible. I think her kennaling is going to have to be put back into our daily routine untill she starts to cool her jets! You'd never guess she was bad today as she is now lying at my feet wanting some lovin. Everyday is an adventure thats for sure!

PS This make great entertainment for some of my neighbors.

 

[mollysmom]

Take heart ladies, my Molly was quite the disobedient young girl. She was quite trying at times, even to the point that she NEVER came to me when I called her. She'd just give me a "look" over her shoulder and saunter off as though she had no reason to listen to me. She just turned one and for the last couple of months has been an absolute joy. she's attentive, playful with me, obedient and sweet. And believe me when I tell you I thought we'd never get to this place.

Have patience, don't forget, this breed is known for it's stubborness and being strong willed. It's a good thing, but they have to learn what these traits are really for. And when they start to mature, it will all come together

.

 

[Lucy & Wilsons mom]

Mollysmom, you have just described Lucy to a T! Shes 10 months. How long do I have to go now?

 

[dmcgynn]

HEHE, Just ask Linda how Emma is doing , Molly is a gorgeous little lady now and well behaved but Linda still has two more that are still going to go through what all of us are going through now. My Jake can be a absolute terror, and he too seems to have forgotten the rules and commands or he does them but he mouths back when I tell him to sit or down whatever the case may be LOL.
Diane

PS Linda and I had another great day at the water yesterday the kids loved it. And the flies weren't quite as bad either LOL.

 

[aalvarez]

Thanks for giving us hope that there IS a light at the end of the tunnel He is approaching 10 months, so hopefully it won't be too much longer! Yogi is a pretty good boy---until he wakes up, LOL. Actually, in general he is not that bad. I've seen other dogs that "torture" their owners much worse! But boy does the stubborness take its toll sometimes! On the other hand, his sweetness (another Newfie character trait) balances it all out...

 

[JPerrelli]

I don't have any success stories to share about Maddie, my 8 mth. old Newf,however my 4 yr. old Pyr is now a wonderful girl! I've heard 2 or 3 is the magic number, and when they reach adulthood. My Pyr's magic number was 3. She would never listen, and pretend that she didn't know what her name was. She somtimes manages to get out of our fenced yard, and now comes back right away when called.
We're working on Maddie. She is also in the teen years I believe. She sometimes barks back at us, or whines when she wants something. I tell her quiet, then turn my back on her, and she normally stops. Luckily she can't see me smiling when I turn around! Her sweetness does make up for these trying times!
I'll plan on keeping a towel handy !!

 

[brendapiepiorka]

I've found that you can't stay mad at them for long either. When maggie is scolded alittle while later she insists that I give her some good attention for example,after being naughty with her ball yesterday ,I was sitting on the floor trying to watch the tv and she came and stood right in front of me, locking her legs, waiting for a belly scratching. When she is convinced all is well, she will lie down and look up at me from those brown eyes and settle into to a nap. I know she is thinking, well got her again.

 

[bearbearsmom]

It is so nice to know that this will not last forever. When Bear is outside and I call him to come he just turns around and looks at me and goes the other way Nothing makes me more mad !! My patience is hard to come by at times, but we'll make it I'm sure

Thanks for the encouraging words.

Nancy and Bear

 

[Sound Bay Newfs]

Rory is also entering that teenage stage. Luckily she remembers her commands pretty well, but one thing she also remembers is how much she loves the mail. I usually put it on the stairs so my husband can take it up to the office when he comes home. Lately, I have been having to put it on a higher stair each day as she grows bigger and can stretch up to the 5th stair. But today I was out of the house and my husband put the mail on the 2nd step. I get a frantic call from my son telling me that Rory ate a $400 check that my husband has been waiting a month for from a slow paying account! By the time I got home, she was just laying there looking at me with those big brown eyes as if to say, "I guess that was not just a magazine that I ate". How do I discipline that?! I think my mail is safer in the mailbox by the street. Unless she eats that too! Her next favorite thing to eat is pens. I used to keep them in a wicker chicken. She got so mad when I removed them, that she ate the wicker chicken!

 

[ROM Newf]

Welcome to the teenage years! You all must remain alpha or your dogs will become the alphas and won't give up the position. Formal obedience classes will definitely help and NEVER give a command that you cannot follow through on. If you tell the dog to sit, say it only once and then enforce it. If you tell the dog to come and it won't, then you have to go to the dog and make it come. Better still, until that come command is back to 100% reliable, don't use it or make sure the dog is on leash when you do use it so you can enforce it.
Anytime you ask (and you shouldn't ask, you tell) the dog to do something and he/she doesn't, they just won the battle. Let it happen enough and they will have won the war.
Been there, done that. It will get better but not by ignoring the problems. You have to face the problems and make the dogs do what you want- not what they want.

 

[macgirl13ca]

So what do you do when your other half is going through a stubborn stage? Bubba's doing better, now this weekend he was doing great even with come and 'leave it' bringing his toy back. Joe decided to play tug, kept saying leave it and laughing and tugging, and calling come and then chasing him. Now Bubba refuses to let go of anything thinking leave it is an invitation to play and runs away. a whole week's work gone in a matter of minutes. I just looked at them both and gave them a big 'AAARRRGGGHH' and don't know who was more scared and sorry . Back to the drawing board!
P.S. I'm glad I'm not the only one having problems, I felt like I was doing something horribly wrong.

[ 09-16-2002, 01:44 PM: Message edited by: Bubba'sMom ]

 

[dmcgynn]

I have the same problems with Jake, he will retrieve but he won't drop it, he thinks it is a tug game until I get it and throw it again. If I use a treat as a trade then he is more interested in what he is going to get to eat than going after whatever we are playing with. HELP! Any other suggestions in the teachings of drop it?