# What is the most difficult GSD age?



## JWM1022

Just curious. I see such improvement in some aspects of Memphis' behavior, but then almost feel set back in others... Curious as to how "difficult" it will get, before it gets easier. I know everyone says age 2-4 they are ideal – but I’m really talking about during the puppy stage – what age should I be bracing myself for?


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## Stosh

I think the worst time starts about 7-8 mos old. That seems to be the most common age in shelters and on craigslist. Stosh was an unusually easy puppy but that was the hardest time for us. I really had to step up the training


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## JWM1022

What did he do differently that made him more difficult?


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## Good_Karma

For me the hard part was potty training because I'm a real crank-ass when I don't get proper sleep.

The other tough part started when Niko was about a year old, he got more and more reactive to things that scared him, to the point where we stopped classes and socializing (which was a mistake) for a while. We were able to work through most of his issues with the help of a private trainer.


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## Bear GSD

I concur with Stosh. I think that between 7-8 months were the hardest for us. My pup was a difficult one and he has definitely mellowed out a little more now a 10 months.
I'm not saying that it's all roses right now, but definitely better than before! My pup was the oldest landshark on record, I actually joke that he was a great white, lol!


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## jourdan

I've only had Avery for months 7-8. It's hard now and one I know it's because he's bounced around so much before us and two a fellow GSD owner at hundschule said that in some reading that they enter a second fearful period at 8ish months. Which is now making a lot of the wrong things he's been doing the last two weeks which he didn't do before make sense. We are working the training but **** he's been so stubborn.


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## Emoore

8 to 18 months. It's the age when most of them get dumped off in shelters and rescues.


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## Stosh

It was partially my fault because he was such a good pup, did well in puppy and basic obedience class and I thought "we got this". So I gave him and inch and he took a mile- got rather pushy and decided when and if he would obey, really tested me. He was, and still is, fearless and very confident with no sense of danger. Combine that with an intentional disobedience and it can be disastrous. Not to mention the sheer size and all those hormones!


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## doggiedad

there's no difficult age. there's the lack of
cosistency stage and that's the owners stage.


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## Simba007

@doggiedad 

I just fell in love with that last comment!!


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## Elaine

doggiedad said:


> there's no difficult age. there's the lack of
> cosistency stage and that's the owners stage.


:thumbup:


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## Zeeva

puppy to 3ish for us.


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## Nigel

The most difficult age is old age. When you know they won't be around too much longer. That by far for me is the most difficult.


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## Sunflowers

Around 3 or 4 months, for me. When he was jumping, lunging and biting my arms and behind! 

He also was not affectionate. That came at 6 months.


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## Sunflowers

doggiedad said:


> there's no difficult age. there's the lack of
> cosistency stage and that's the owners stage.


I have to respectfully disagree. I am the same person I was, but Hans is definitely not the same dog.


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## doggiedad

maybe you shouldn't be the same person you were. 



doggiedad said:


> there's no difficult age. there's the lack of
> cosistency stage and that's the owners stage.





Sunflowers said:


> I have to respectfully disagree. I am the same person I was, but Hans is definitely not the same dog.


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## Elaine

Sunflowers said:


> I have to respectfully disagree. I am the same person I was, but Hans is definitely not the same dog.


As a dog grows and matures, if the training isn't there, the dog will learn to do his own thing. This is a training issue, not a dog issue. It never ceases to amaze me when people blame the dog.


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## Simba007

I am still a newbie, so please correct me if I am wrong, but I believe that as the dog passes through different stages of life, the owners have to modify the training program in order to best suit their dog's current needs. As many of you know, a tired dog is a happy dog. If we are always OB training him, without any real fun, he WILL learn not to listen because you are not being a fun dad or mom. Mix a bit of fetch, tug, jogs and in the middle of the exercises, give him OB training too. 
Like, for example, when I throw the ball for my dog and he comes back and drops the ball at my feet, I say Yes (No clicker for me) and then give 1 single titbit. I then say sit. *Dog Sits*. I say Yes and another treat. I then throw ball again.
As owners and trainers, the onus is upon us to research more for better understanding of our dogs. That is why I just love this forum. So much to read. So many experts. 
And such a nice platform to share views. Thank you.


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## tav

with jasmine it was pup to about alittle over a year, during that time createing was good she new it was her little home but chewing things up was her job lost alot of money there....lol , potty outside she picked pretty fast some accidents in the house but gotta expect that. now at 21 mos. she has stopped chewing everything in the house...thank god and is starting to be a great dog.


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## wolfy dog

Sunflowers said:


> Around 3 or 4 months, for me. When he was jumping, lunging and biting my arms and behind!
> 
> He also was not affectionate. That came at 6 months.


Totally agree.


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## chelle

Condescension is so ugly.

Training issue, sure, in that you do have to modify what you are doing as you see the changes come about due to maturity, hormones, testing, etc. Have been living that lately.

I'd like to see someone "train out" the landshark stuff that I hear so much about. (Was lucky to never have to go thru.)


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## JakodaCD OA

I'm going to the other end of the spectrum, the most difficult age for me, is when they are seniors Knowing my time is short, taking advantage of every day and every moment I have left with them..The other stuff when they are younger , well by then I wish I could go thru it all over again.


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## Zeus11

I made the same mistake!


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## DJEtzel

Elaine said:


> As a dog grows and matures, if the training isn't there, the dog will learn to do his own thing. This is a training issue, not a dog issue. It never ceases to amaze me when people blame the dog.


You mean the dog is growing and maturing and *gasp* _changing?_ 

'Cause that's the whole point of this that you're missing.


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## MaggieRoseLee

JakodaCD OA said:


> I'm going to the other end of the spectrum, the most difficult age for me, is when they are seniors Knowing my time is short, taking advantage of every day and every moment I have left with them..The other stuff when they are younger , well by then I wish I could go thru it all over again.


Me too, but I just remembered this was the puppy section... :wild:


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## TimberGSD2

JakodaCD OA said:


> I'm going to the other end of the spectrum, the most difficult age for me, is when they are seniors Knowing my time is short, taking advantage of every day and every moment I have left with them..The other stuff when they are younger , well by then I wish I could go thru it all over again.


Having a 7 month old and a 12 year old I'd take Kya's crazy puppy antics back again if it meant I got another dog lifetime with her! 

Seniors are hard because if they are like mine, they don't realize they are seniors.


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## Cassidy's Mom

I don't think it's exactly what the OP was looking for, but I agree that seniors are hard - watching them slow down, noticing their hearing or vision starting to fail, seeing their difficulty getting up after laying down for awhile, and knowing that their time is short is very difficult. 

But in terms of development I've always found the first few months after I get a puppy to be the hardest. By the time they're 6 month old or so, it's much easier. They're housebroken so I can give them a bit more freedom in the house, I don't need to crate them every time I run to the bathroom because they might chew something up in those few minutes if I'm not watching every second, the biting has been minimized, they understand some commands and are learning impulse control, and a bond has developed.


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## CarrieJ

Elaine said:


> As a dog grows and matures, if the training isn't there, the dog will learn to do his own thing. This is a training issue, not a dog issue. It never ceases to amaze me when people blame the dog.


Personally, for me; between the ages of 7 months and two years. My mother had her final stroke when Alice was seven months old.
I was not able to spend the time with her that Gar was; between work and being caregiver.
That really stunted our relationship. Between the "Everything I learned in Puppyhood....NAH! I'm not doing that" stage to the frustration of dealing with my mother. It finally balanced out, but I have to admit...emotionally at the time it was a HUGE challenge.
However, I was always aware of the "investment of time" on my part wasn't there, I couldn't expect the dog to learn from osmosis.

Definitely the training issue coupled with the adolecent issues. It's funny now, I see "teenagers" all the time and yes....sometimes they make me just want to bang my head against a wall, but for the most part that period at seven months with Alice taught me to have a lot of patience.


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## Angelina03

For me, it is still hard... LOL!! But I think the toughest so far (Rocco is almost a year) was from about 5- 9 months, when he was getting big and strong enough to be hard for me to handle, yet still very, very stubborn and disobedient.
Animals go through stages, just like people. Parents can be consistant; it doesn't mean their two year old, or their rebellious teenager is going to be easy to handle and "well trained". Yes, the training still needs to be there and it still needs to be consistant, but it may not show its effectiveness until the animal (human or not) gets past that difficult stage. That said, not all dogs (just like people) are the same. Some will be easier to handle and train than others.


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## idahospud49

I LOVE the puppy phase. Honestly for me the hardest age is from about 14ish months to about 2 1/2. I am so not an expert in training that I have to do a lot of experimenting and hitting myself in the head because I know all of my dog's issues are stemming from me, in one way or another.


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## middleofnowhere

The very worst is their last days. Puppy antics, landscape artist at 3 yo -- that's OK. End of life is sad.


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## RocketDog

I think training is key, but to discount the onset of hormone development and maturing is ridiculous. I agree that stepping up training will alleviate most of this, but that's the irony right there: _if there WERE no difference in the "teen age" one would not have to "step up" the training. 

_You only have to look at the fact that even the ghastly "pet owners" that have mutts say that their dog--which probably doesn't get any other training beyond a basic puppy class and a "sit" and "down" at home--outgrows many irritating 'teen' behaviors, like chewing and biting.


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## Bear L

I'm only on my first GSD and she's only 10 months right now. But I feel like the first month I had her was the hardest. The constant biting, off the chart energy, peeing every 10 or 15 min drove me nuts. After that, I adjusted, learned, bonded and she grew. It is all downhill to me from there.


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## Jenna&Me

Bear your puppy sounds like my last girl. I hated her puppy stage, she was a shocking biter and even chewed the walls. We got a trainer in at home which helped alot and she did improve. She was always difficult though.

My new girl, 9 weeks old, is a dream. Accidents inside are rare and my fault for not picking up the signs of "I need to go NOW" lol.
She has tried the nipping thing, only when she is really full of beans but stops as soon as I say no. And a run around the back yard with a ball uses up that energy which can become destructive into fun time. Guess I was due an easier pup after the last one. I am loving every single second of it.


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## WhiteSpirit

I always dreaded the 6 month mark. I had one male I raised who decided at that age to attempt to mate with the cat.... the cat was not happy


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## lilysmom

For me, the hardest time is when the dog goes from being a goofy pup to a serious dog. I have found this to be at the 9 month mark. One might also relate this to the "teenage" period, where they know what to do but choose not. I am now at the 5 year mark and Delta is a dream* but* now I wish she was the butthead she used to be. I don't want her to get old


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## Sasha86

I have to say 8 1/2 months and on. Sasha is currently 9 months and she is a REBEL. I thought her mouthiness would stop by now. And it seems like all the training we have done is nonexistent. She does not get the no jumping thing. Her recall only applies when she feels like it. i am afraid with the long line that i will injure her if it gets caught in her leg. I am signing up for some private training. OMG


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## julie87

I think it doesn't matter what age your dog is its the changes that matter, also depends what you mean by "hard" emotionally, physically, financially? I think people are afraid of changes in general. For example, when I got my first GSD puppy she was 2 months old, she was like a baby to me, a LOT of work though, the biting, potty training, destroying furniture, all that was annoying but she is a baby, cute little innocent puppy the only instrest she has is YOU. Next part... she is now 4 months all of sudden YOU are not the only interest she wants to smell every single square inch of everyting while you are taking a walk, she wants to get all the cats and pulls you so when you come home and your hands are sore, she is barking, aggression towords people and dogs, so I enroll her in training which HELPED A TON. And now she is not a baby anymore, her ears are up, hormones all over the place  all of sudden I started missing her as puppy even though she peed all over the house and bit everyting, now she is protective, not afraid of everyting, almost no agression...now im thinking in a few years she will be quiet and sleeping most of the time, thats what im afraid of. She will be very easy to take care of BUT its not fun that way  So basically you will miss all stages of your dogs life, they are all hard because YOU have to adjust to the changes you are not used to.


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