The Teenage Stage is Upon us

Save me

Well, I don't think it's started just yet, but I'm sure it's being eased into as we speak. Loki's being a lot bossier than usual. For example, today I was practicing play dead with him, and he didn't do it, and instead sat there and barked and whined at me, demanding a treat. Jumping up at people/things constantly, recall is starting to slip, etc. It takes two or three calls for him to run back now. He still does, but it's definitely starting to slip, I can see him not as focused, always distracted. Anyway, I've decided to ask some questions before I have a nervous breakdown and forget that I own a laptop

I read that during this stage, they tend to be less interested in food. Loki's most rewarding thing for him is food, so if food won't persuade him to do what I'm asking of him, how do you get their attention or get them to listen to you if they're not interested?

Also, does this mean that the entire phase, Loki will be basically not listening to anything I say at all? Or is it that once you re-teach them something, then they'll be OK with it? By that I mean...say he stops coming back to me when I call him; will he be like this the entire time until he's no longer in that phase, or once it's been taught to him again it'll be OK from then on?

I think I had more questions, but I don't remember. Oh yeah...how am I going to survive this without losing my mind?

All I can say is stay firm and keep up the training, more so now!

I am so pleased Moo was older when I got her sometimes

Think my tash is the same, the more confident she gets the more she misbehaves.

Have you tried a clicker with treats ANattyRat ? .

Oh noo, I'm dreading the teenage stage, but I'm sure it will make for some interesting threads and a few laughs

I haven't tried a clicker, I didn't see any point in it since he was responding so well with just treats and praise. Don't get me wrong, he's still very interested in treats and still doing what I ask of him, but I'm noticing it starting to decline, definitely, so I've decided to ask for advice before it gets to that dreadful stage

Just keep doing what you are doing and don't let him get away with things. He likely won't lose intrest in food so it should still work.

Ralph is exactly the same. We've just gone back to basics with everything and are having to be more stubbourn than he!

Zeus is going through this stage too, and hes doing the same, jumping up, not listening, etc, but I'm just sticking at what I've been doing since I've had him.

ditto

Very confident. Jumps up and puts her paws on the table when we are eating. Jumps on couch without being invited. Sigh.

It's a mess, he's jumping on the kitchen counter every 10 seconds, and I swear in a few months he'll be big enough to jump on top of it