teenage phase i think

ruby is now just coming up to 9 months old, and has had and finished her 1st season. she seemed to really calm down over the past couple of weeks and appeared to be really growing up, but these past 2 days shes been a monster. shes trying to steal food from the kitchen work tops, something shes never tried before, getting up on the sofa, again which shes not been allowed to do, and generally misbehaving. also, when told to go into her bed when we have visitors (always done this as we have young kids visit and shes bouncy with children so shes left to be calm until we call her out to say hello) but today she was literally throwing a tantrum and chucking herself around in her bed and whining/squeeking when i told her to stay, and when i turned my back she slowly crept straight back out again,it would have been funny if it wasnt so frustrating. is this the teens time for her? i was kind of hoping she was past the major puppyness think i was kidding myself!

her recall can be a bit hit and miss on occassion now too, if shes after something/someone to go say hello, no amount of calling/bribing will get her back until shes satisfied shes getting nothing out of whoever/whatever shes gone to say hello to. ive been trying to encourage her good recall with having our daughters run off across a field with her tennis ball, and she has to sit and wait at my feet until told she can run after them,then when shes raced off to them i call her back and give her a food treat. was working well until yesterday when she decided she wasnt going to wait until she was told to go, and off she ran regardless, and shes done the same today. the kids know if i havent told her to go that they just stand and ignore her so she gets nothing from racing off without being told to, but shes seeming a bit slow on the uptake over the past few days.

Yep,welcome to the dark side!

Yep pushing the boundaries, u can get thru this by going back to basics, dont give her an inch or she will take a mile !!
Sounds just like what my 2 did x

Oh, the teenage years!

Know everything, listen to nothing, nobody understands them!

Don't worry - it does pass. Just make sure you don't let her get away with anything - calm, firm & consistent is the key.

Definately sounds like the teenage phase. Just go back to basics and don't let her get away with anything.

thank you, i guess i was a bit naive to think we had cruised through it. im not giving her a millimeter lol, i feel i need eyes in the back of my head, she helped herself to a tube of rust stop gel stuff from the cupboard this morning while i was looking for something, luckily she was just gently carrying it around but im pleased i saw her before she tried chewing/eating it

haha shes not going to get very far, even with her vocal tantrums (i actually find these quite funny). shes also getting picky about her food which shes been fine on for a while now, and she tries to eat the cats food instead,it obviously smells much better. im not giving in, she does like the food she has, she will eat it by the bucketfull if the kids use it as treats while doing tricks with her! what a little madam.

It's just like mine. Yesterday I took him for a walk and every time he pulled ,I stoped. After 10mins every time we stoped ,Debo gave deep sigh,like vety anoyed teenager . Now he's looking throw my OH cd's. I need to say he has good taste.

I am going to go on a long holiday in a couple of months i think and leave the hubby to deal with the teenage phase

Yep. Loki's recall went on a sharp decline and now he doesn't come back unless I run around shouting his name like a lunatic. Needless to say, he doesn't go off the lead anymore . Go back to basics and take up yoga or meditation or something to stop you getting stressed out. I know I need it

ruby also started pulling on the lead again a bit, not terrible but i have arthritis in my wrists so i cant let her get away with it so i did the stop start thing like when she was little again. everytime i stopped she plonked her butt on the ground with a big huffy sigh. shes such a stroppy mare! she seems to be really trying to push her boundaries at the moment with everything, shes never been allowed upstairs, apart from bath time and we have to literally carry her up when its time for that, but i keep finding her pottering around in my daughters rooms up there. shes now started a bizarre thing where if shes told to do something (go out for a wee/get into bed etc) she just stands and looks at us, like we have grown a 2nd head, and refuses to move a muscle until we go to move towards her and then she slinks off. think i might have to ground her at this rate!

Loki isn't that bad yet, but I'm sure it'll get worse for us as time goes on. Least you're not on your own and you have other people who've gone through it, eh?