# 9month old suddenly misbehaving



## H15A5H1 (Dec 14, 2009)

Otto is going to be 9months very soon, and I've noticed this week that he has been misbehaving on numerous occasions. 

Its usually little things that he knows not to do. Simple things like not staying on the proper side on walks, pulling forward or off to the side to smell on walks. Just recently, he knocked over his food bowl and pushed it around like a toy. And on our jogs, he now tries to bolt in front of me like a bat out of [heck].

I'm not sure why hes suddenly behaving this way. He is pretty good with obedience, walks by my side, and very calm for the time I've had him. I do exercise him, (3 walks a day @ 1hr each), go over tricks and obedience, etc.

Whats going on??? HELP!


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## pinkanml (Sep 3, 2007)

The AWESOME teenager stage has arrived!!









They all go through it about this age, just take a step back in training if needed to "remind" him how to do things he knows and don't let him see you sweat! 

I *almost* miss those days....okay so maybe I'd kill to have another puppy right now, even a little butthead









Don't worry, as long as you keep your cool and stay consistent, he will (eventually) grow out of it!


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## BowWowMeow (May 7, 2007)

That's a butthead age. They seem to temporarily loose their minds. I would try to incorporate more games into training and keep him engaged without blowing your cool. This stage will pass...eventually.


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## Kayos and Havoc (Oct 17, 2002)

Welocme to the teenage butthead stage! This too shall pass and is just another stage in development, just like human teens go through. 

Consistent leadership and expectations and reward for well done will see him through it.


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## lilysmom (Dec 27, 2000)

Oh.. I "fondly" remember that stage. This too shall pass


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## Jason L (Mar 20, 2009)

Suddenly they either lost their hearing or have amnesia and don't remember their name when you try to call them back to you.


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## valreegrl (Nov 11, 2009)

We have a butthead! We have a butthead!









At almost 8 months old, he has suddenly decided to chew a shoe, eat the kid's toys, pull out trash and a few other things I am surely forgetting. Nothing too crazy, just little "irks" but still.


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## H15A5H1 (Dec 14, 2009)

great.. :[


he just chewed up the bed that he's had for 3months!


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## H15A5H1 (Dec 14, 2009)

Ok this is getting to be a pretty big problem.. He just chewed up another bed.. This behavior just started recently as it is probably due to the " butthead stage". He's not that big on chewing and has never ripped anything up before.


Any way to remedy this? 


Im probably going to be buying better/tougher beds for him in the meantime to put up with his chewing..

I'm thinking of getting this bed
http://www.orvis.com/store/product.aspx?pf_id=1G9Kr


If any of you can suggest a better bed, or any other solutions please let me know! This guy is driving me crazy!!


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## GSDSunshine (Sep 7, 2009)

I know he is getting alot of exercise, but maybe try stimulating his brain some more. These dogs are smart. Teach him hide and seek, well if you have someone to hide. Maybe start tracking... Sometimes obedience isn't enough brain exercise. 

Then again it could just be the butthead phase starting.


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## Samba (Apr 23, 2001)

We don't have beds for that reason. I always tell the gang, "we can't have nice things!"


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## Josiebear (Oct 16, 2006)

Yup. Josie is doing the same thing, she is closing in 9 months old. She is not allowed on furnitures EVER and now she decides to jump on the couch or bed and she DOES know the word "off" But she chose to ignore it. I ended that pretty quickly  and I have also notice she's been responding to "come" very slowly.

Welcome to the teenage phase!.


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## SunCzarina (Nov 24, 2000)

He ate his bed, don't buy him a new one. Or buy him a crib mattress. They cost about the same but they're not fun to shred. Easier to clean too.

My Otto took it to a whole new level I call HineyHead. Hiney is a word often used around here. He's almost 21 months and almost out of the horrible teenage stage. Somedays I wake up and think what a good boy you are. Then I call him and he runs off to the basement with one of my kids' gloves.

Otto, meet Otto.


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## MaggieRoseLee (Aug 17, 2001)

BowWowMeow said:


> That's a butthead age. They seem to temporarily loose their minds. I would try to incorporate more games into training and keep him engaged without blowing your cool. This stage will pass...eventually.


I agree.

The way to handle this is NOT with corrections and coming down on him with more 'strict' training.

This is the time to really ramp up the OFF leash exercise to wear him out. As well as use this opportunity to figure out the best way to motivate him and keep training so much fun he wants to listen/learn/behave (rather you having to MAKE him listen/learn/behave).

The reason most of us start up with the group dog classes at 6 months is to get a bit of a head start on what WE need to learn in the next year or so to keep the perfect puppy we had at 4 months! You have a *BRILLIANT* puppy who's bored bored bored. So you, as a responsible 'parent' need to figure out how to mentally engage him or he'll find something on his own (my one dog also enjoyed destroying household items when I got busy with my life and didn't ramp up and CHANGE my training and exercise regime for her if needed).

Motivating and fun. Way more OFF leash exercise. Games, tricks, clicker, CLASSES!


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## MaggieRoseLee (Aug 17, 2001)

BowWowMeow said:


> That's a butthead age. They seem to temporarily loose their minds. I would try to incorporate more games into training and keep him engaged without blowing your cool. This stage will pass...eventually.


I agree.

The way to handle this is NOT with corrections and coming down on him with more 'strict' training.

This is the time to really ramp up the OFF leash exercise to wear him out. As well as use this opportunity to figure out the best way to motivate him and keep training so much fun he wants to listen/learn/behave (rather you having to MAKE him listen/learn/behave).

The reason most of us start up with the group dog classes at 6 months is to get a bit of a head start on what WE need to learn in the next year or so to keep the perfect puppy we had at 4 months! You have a *BRILLIANT* puppy who's bored bored bored. So you, as a responsible 'parent' need to figure out how to mentally engage him or he'll find something on his own (my one dog also enjoyed destroying household items when I got busy with my life and didn't ramp up and CHANGE my training and exercise regime for her if needed).

Motivating and fun. Way more OFF leash exercise. Games, tricks, clicker, CLASSES!

This is the way I have to exercise my dogs so they are 'practically perfect'





 
and this is the training that works for us (and we've been attending since she was about 10 weeks)


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## jodnfletcher (Aug 18, 2009)

I'm having exactly the same thing with Fletcher - she is 10 months old now and is definately in butthead mode - she won't sit when you ask - takes a few times of asking and we have lift her head up to make her do it sometimes if she's being really stubborn (that's what we use instead of pushing the back end down etc), she only comes in the house when she wants to or when you have a treat, she barks incessantly at everything that moves or that she hears in the garden (must be driving the street mad) and coming back when she's off leash in the park? Forget it! We've had to take to on-leash walks only with her now which I think is only adding to the problem as she isn't getting chance to expel as much energy with the ball chasing in the park as she has been. Grrrr.... I know this is a stage that ' will pass ', but any advice on how to cope in the meantime??


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