Teenager

I think Gordon has hit his doggy teenage years   ,  Not so much with oh but with me especially when were out walking, he seems to have lost all his manners and gone deaf, its embarrassing when out as it looks as though we havn't bothered with any training (we have) if he doesn't want to go the same way as me on the park he will just lie there and sulk or pull on his lead like crazy!!.  He's started grabbing things out of my hand and generally being quite naughty.  It feels that anything I want him to do, he wants to do the complete opposite!!. I have tried to go back to basics with the training and know it's just a phase, but does anyone know how long this is likely to last?

Thanks Tracy x

Just stick with it, it doesn't last long if you keep up with the training, but training is key, are you doing mind stimulation with him? Xx

Hi Kathy, yes I was playing hide the treats today and letting him find them. Do you have any suggestions of mind stimulation things I could do with him xx

Well its Janey lol, hide and seek, simple commands, teach paw, leave, sit, stay - simple commands and repetitive training really do work wonders - just make it fun with lots of praise - I have never used treat training Xx

Lol sorry Janey, will start doing more of this need to get back on track with him, thanks for advice xx

Stick to your guns, My girl pushed her luck and we got her well passed her teenage years   

It will pass and you'll be back on track before you know it, just don't let him get he upper hand.

Just been through this with axl it's been three weeks of training every evening and games of find it with a ball indoors and he's just about coming through the other side so stick with it it won't last long

Thanks for replies, he has started lying down or pulling on his lead when he doesn't want to go where I want him too, he did it this morning when he didn't want to come off the park and he will not move, what's the best way to deal with this I don't want to pull him and he wont come when he knows I have a treat do I just ignore him and wait till he gets bored,

thanks in advance xx

This is not unique behaviour you'll be pleased to know. Flo tried this for a while hence my earlier post   

I have tried everything from treats to picking her up and still she wouldn't budge. In the end I was consistently firm with her and just told her that we were going weather she wanted to or not (easier said than done in sign language)

Keeping with the firm "lets go", I don't have any problems now. The same cannot be said for my youngest son, she flatly refuses to walk with him because she knows he will give in !

Don't give in to him.

Thanks ian, he's actually got the teenage sulking down to a fine art   

Stubborn passive resistance - i.e. sitting down and refusing to move when we are not headed in the direction he wants to go - is R's forte.

Nothing works except either to make it a game and pretend we're going jogging or else to talk to him as if he were a child, reassure him and tell him we are just going the other way for once. I think Staffies can be stubborn but perhaps that's because they have a brain.

Two weeks repetitive training helps a lot. Problem is - it is very boring.

Also - R likes to have goals. This focuses him and he is very enthusiastic when he knows he has a role to play or a puzzle to sort out (or a person to wake up first thing in the morning....)

Rupertsbooks wrote: I think Staffies can be stubborn but perhaps that's because they have a brain.

Two weeks repetitive training helps a lot. Problem is - it is very boring.

Totally agree! Xx

janey wrote:

Rupertsbooks wrote: I think Staffies can be stubborn but perhaps that's because they have a brain.

Two weeks repetitive training helps a lot. Problem is - it is very boring.

Totally agree! Xx

Yup I agree too. I should have added to my post that once she gets to the park, she is always really happy.

If we turn left at the end of the road however, she knows we're going to the pub and is even happier ! Always being made a fuss of  

Thanks for replys, me and oh have had a chat and both agreed on key words for him, one is" lets go" when time to go and loads of praise when he does, also oh is off work this week so been doing training with him.
And yeah Ian heading to the pub after walks sounds good (all part of the training of course   )