# Frustrated with 6 month old.



## Apple (Jun 21, 2013)

Hey all! Feels like I'm constantly asking for advise!
River has just turned 6 months old... And is driving me absolutely insane. Most of the issues I can deal with, the biggest one is her manners in the house, or lack there of. she runs around like a mad case, she won't stop trying to play/bite/goad the 9 y/o shepherd cross into something even if he's asleep, she chases my 2.5 year old daughter, counter surfs, and tries to chew on everything except the toys we give her. She will lay down for about 2 minutes, but her eyes still have the "crazy" wide look about them, and she's off and racing again. It drives me up the wall. I can't have her inside for longer than 20 minutes at a time because she tries to nip my two year old whenever she moves, and tries to steal her toys off her, her food. It's 20 minutes of chasing the dog around the lounge room and saying "no, off, sit, drop, leave it, River!" Not all at once obviously, different commands for different circumstances. I can see I'm going to have to reinstill the old rule of no dogs on the couch. 

My biggest concern about this behaviour is that I am 10 weeks pregnant, and I'm extremely worried about what it's going to be like when the baby comes. The pregnancy was unexpected, so did not get a puppy them decide to have a baby! I'm not a fan of keeping my dogs outside, but lately, it's all I seem able to do to keep some semblance of order in my house. 

It's probably typical 6 month old stuff, but she seems to be constantly searching for food, as if she never gets fed, and she's still fed twice a day! Argh! Should I be tethering her to me? 

Any and all advice would be appreciated. 


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## JakodaCD OA (May 14, 2000)

How much exercise are YOU giving her? Hiking? Walking? Training classes?? 

She IS still a puppy, but she needs to burn off that energy to tire her out

My suggestion, up your exercise WITH her, enroll in an obedience class..

Is she good with other dogs? If so, have a play date with a friend, I can guarantee burning off that excess energy will tone her down


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## Harry and Lola (Oct 26, 2013)

What a handful you have there.

At 6 months old they are still very much playful and naughty!

However, a well exercised dog is a well behaved dog. Try to tire her out with a walk (not too far as she is still young and joints are forming etc) and then let her inside. If she is tired out from exercise then she should be calmer and easier for you.

Also, let your 9 year old shepherd/cross discipline her - he/she won't put up with bad manners from a young pup. And stop chasing her around the house telling her to sit, drop, leave it - this has just turned into a game for her and she is not respecting you and your commands. You should only need to tell her once.

With jumping on your children, again only let her be around them when she has been well exercised and if she jumps on them, then tell her 'no' or 'leave it' or 'no jump' (whatever word you want to use) and then put her outside for 10 minutes then let her back in. If she does it again, repeat this. Do it again and again if needed and she will eventually learn that by jumping on humans means she is put outside by herself. It takes consistency and perseverance.


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## Apple (Jun 21, 2013)

Unfortunately my senior dog doesn't discipline her in the house and let's himself be bullied by her. Not sure what's going on there? My bf came in last night and said Rogue was bullied away from the water bowl by River? He's got 54lbs of weight over her. He's too gentle of a soul.

And no, she's not great with other dogs, so play dates are out of the question (such a hot headed pooch) 

I will have to spend more time doing short training sessions with her in the front yard, and try to work in some more walks. She's such a will full little thing.


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## JakodaCD OA (May 14, 2000)

Training classes are your best bet..She's only 6 months old, it will help with socializing her as well.


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## Apple (Jun 21, 2013)

Oh! Forgot to mention, we go to training every Saturday morning too! >.< my brain is all over the place this morning. 


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## boomer11 (Jun 9, 2013)

hahah sounds like you're experiencing all the joys of puppyhood. exercise is the difference between my pup being well behaved or a complete brat. walks are nice but its not really going to tire a pup out. mental games or fetch does the trick for me.


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## JakodaCD OA (May 14, 2000)

good, glad your going to classes,,so yep, UP the exercise,


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## Shade (Feb 20, 2012)

Exercise, patience, and consistency are your three best friends 

Exercise - vary from walks, fetch, light jogs for physical exercise. Make sure she gets lots of mental exercise as well with obedience training and games. 

Patience - She's still very young both mentally and physically. If you find yourself getting frustrated then crate her for a time out, not fuss or muss or anger, just put her away with a treat and take 5-10 minutes for a drink of water and deep breaths.

Consistency - Make sure all the family know the rules and enforce them without compromise, no jumping means no jumping for example!  Assign one person to watch the dog, the dog is either tethered or in eye shot of that person 24/7 while it's their duty and the person has treats on them at all times. Whenever a good behaviour is seen (eye contact, sitting or lying down quietly, even self correcting) *immediately* praise and reward. Soon the dog will be just so focused on doing the behaviours that get rewarded with treats and praise they won't have time to do the negative things. It lays the foundation for their life


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## Waldi (Jun 14, 2013)

We had active puppy as well (now 10 month old) and I started playing fetch with tennis balls (need to use two as otherwise she will not release). I would work her out till she is exhaused and once in the house, no issues with too much energy as she is done. I do that almost everyday (given the weather) in addition to walks and that helps.


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## llombardo (Dec 11, 2011)

I used to think that a tired puppy is a good puppy, but no so much with my golden puppy. I know he is not a GSD, but he is in the same mode as the OP's pup. Mine has lots of physical exercise, mental exercise, and training classes. Lots of patience helps


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## Apple (Jun 21, 2013)

I try to vary her walks with some small games of "find" with her treats, and with some obedience work on different surfaces and such. I want her to play fetch, it would make my life easier, but she seems to have very little ball drive. She'll play for maybe 3 minutes, give or take, then she just comes and sits down in front of me, waiting for a treat. I've tried to show her she doesn't get the treat until she brings me the ball, but she just doesn't seem to care. I'm off on an adventure with her today to the pet store to see if I can get a flirt pole, and maybe a ball with a rope on it (she likes rope toys MOST of the time) and a longer tether line for work at the park. So here's hoping we can find something that sparks her interest. I also need to get her a wider collar, as the one she has now I'm pretty sure is getting way too thin for her, and is uncomfortable on walks. I'm tempted to get her an M1-K9 collar that I've seen in posts on the forum.  But I need something else in the interim.


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## belladonnalily (May 24, 2013)

I feel your pain. Tucker is 6mo too, and right now we are in an apartment, aling with my senior labx female and a cat. And Tucker is ~80lbs!

He is the proverbial bull in a china shop. We go out first thing in the morning for long walk, mixed with random games of frisbee when we come to a quiet safe area. We also throw in some obedience work. We come back in and after breakfast another short walk before I leave for work. Another mid day play/walk session and then evening more of morning's routine. 

Our happiest moments are running into one of his "friends." I'm not sure why, at 6mo, playing with other dogs is a problem? I know with Tucker that it takes finding another young big playful dog to make it work smoothly, but it is the BEST exercise in terms of calm indoor behavior right now.

We also go meet with the trainer once a week and hike 2-3x a week. And a couple of field trips to the pet store, etc...

I am looking forward to the day we can come back inside and lounge on the sofa quietly together, but I suspect we have a ways to go.

Good luck  I cannot imagine having young children (& being pregnant) with a GSD pup. My kids are teens and I'm so glad I waited...I'd be completely nuts But many people seem to do just fine. 

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## belladonnalily (May 24, 2013)

Oh and try a frisbee instead of a ball for awhile. I was worried that Tucker would never chase a ball, but he is obsessive over his frisbee. Now he is much more interested in a ball. Seems like he just needed to get into the "idea" of fetch. And take whatever toy you use away BEFORE she loses interest so that she is excited the next time...

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## boomer11 (Jun 9, 2013)

ball drive can also develop with maturity. my dog would also just chase the ball a couple of times before he lost interest and would rather sniff the grass. around 6-7 months of age his ball drive exploded. now i'm almost certain he would chase a ball until he collapses. if you do use a frisbee make sure that he doesnt catch it in mid air. while it looks cool, its bad for the hips of a growing pup.


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## Apple (Jun 21, 2013)

She's dog reactive.  She was socialized from a young age, but just doesn't like them. When she's on leash, the hackles go up and she growls, barks and lunges. We literally have to train away from the others in class because of her reactivity and she has to wear a yellow bandana so others in the classes know she's dog reactive and don't let their dogs just wander or bound over and get her back up. 

When she's off leash (hasn't been for a LONG time, since puppy preschool) she would just run away from the other dogs, and only get snarky at them when she got backed into a corner. I think she might have been bullied as a pup? The breeder said she had to be fed separately because the other pups pushed her out. Hard to believe with the way she is now! Haha. 

I will get her a frisbee today, and see if I can get some good reactions out of her. 

Thank you all so much for the advice! I just hope we can turn it all around over the next 7 months! Will have to kick my BF in the bum and get him to help out more too, cause when the baby comes, I won't be available for so many walks. He gets a choice, new born baby, or fur baby


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## AmyOle (Jul 17, 2013)

We have a 5 mo old pup and a 2.5 yr old boy (and a 6 yr old girl). We've sectioned off the main floor of the house with baby gates so that we can all be 'together' without the constant playtime/puppy crazies . My kids feel much more comfortable when they have a 'safe space' they can retreat to. I dont feel like I have to constantly be referee-ing and Kolachi also has her 'place' that she gets lots of treats for being in.


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## trcy (Mar 1, 2013)

My puppy does that too. It seems he will get into everything other than his toys. Sometimes I just try to discipline as it happens, but he thinks that's a game and just rushes off to get into something else. I finally realized he has to much energy and needs an outlet. We go for a walk or play flirt pole in the backyard. It really helps.


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## Lesber2004 (Aug 14, 2013)

Exercise and more exercise 


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## llombardo (Dec 11, 2011)

Today I decided to bring the puppy in the bathroom with me while I took a shower. While I was washing my hair and had soap running down my face he decided to jump in the tub with me. He was very quiet when he did it and I didn't know he was there until I stepped on him. Oh it was great fun for him.....



http://www.germanshepherds.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=131433&stc=1&d=1383629765


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## Cassidy's Mom (Mar 30, 2003)

Apple said:


> *Most of the issues I can deal with, the biggest one is her manners in the house, or lack there of*. she runs around like a mad case, she won't stop trying to play/bite/goad the 9 y/o shepherd cross into something even if he's asleep, she chases my 2.5 year old daughter, counter surfs, and tries to chew on everything except the toys we give her. She will lay down for about 2 minutes, but her eyes still have the "crazy" wide look about them, and she's off and racing again. It drives me up the wall. *I can't have her inside for longer than 20 minutes at a time....*


I believe the two parts of your post that I bolded are connected. Unless you're spending hours with her outside every single day, she's not getting much attention, and is likely under stimulated. It's a vicious cycle - the worse she behaves in the house, the less house time she gets. The less she gets to come in the house, the more exciting it is and the worse her behavior. 

If you want to instill good house manners you must first bring her into the house! SHOW her what you expect from her by reinforcing what you like, and manage her environment to minimize the behavior you don't like. Make the behavior you like work to get her what she wants. Some dogs are just "busier" than others, but if she's not getting any reinforcement for hanging out and chilling, and lots of reinforcement (attention is highly reinforcing) for being "bad", guess what you're more likely to get the most of?

Now is the perfect time to fix this, and if you work on it diligently her behavior should be much improved by the time the baby is born. Is she crate trained? Have you tried to train her to go to a mat and stay there? Have you tried tethering her to you? Have you done any NILIF? Nothing in Life is Free

There is a great book with simple exercises to teach your dog to calm down and relax, it's called Chill Out Fido: Chill Out Fido!: How to Calm Your Dog (Dogwise Training Manual): Nan Kene Arthur: 9781929242634: Amazon.com: Books

Think of this as behavior that can be trained, just like any other behavior. My dogs wouldn't have any manners either if I hadn't worked very hard on it from the very beginning. Also, you mentioned taking her to training every Saturday - are you also working on her training at home every day in between classes?


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## Apple (Jun 21, 2013)

Thanks for the book recommendation. I keep saying to my boyfriend that I'm certain her lack of house manners is because she's not in the house as much anymore. She is crate trained, yes, but she only sleeps in it at night, it's upstairs in our bedroom. 

Her training is worked on every day, and NILIF is practiced. No pats, no food, no toys, until she does a sit, a drop, or a touch. Im thinking we are going to have to start some more rigorous house manners training. I try to engage her when she's inside, not just ignore her and hope she settles down. I play with her, pat her, give her treats when she's not doing anything. She's a food hound. She would follow me around the house if I had food on me all the time. Is that what I should be doing? And randomly rewarding good behaviour? 
My question is though, will the food incentive be able to be weaned/taken away as she gets older? Or will it have to be a constant thing? I know it sounds like an odd question, but the other dog I've had in my life were content with praise and affection for training, so the food reward system is some what new to me. Odd I know haha! 


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## katieliz (Mar 29, 2007)

"he gets a choice, newborn baby or fur baby".

please don't do that. i'm hoping it was just a figure of speech.


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## mspiker03 (Dec 7, 2006)

Does your dog like to tug? After the advice of our trainer to play more tug, Paisley seems to prefer a game of tug/fetch vs. just plain old fetch with a ball (or two).


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## Apple (Jun 21, 2013)

katieliz said:


> "he gets a choice, newborn baby or fur baby".
> 
> please don't do that. i'm hoping it was just a figure of speech.


Figure of speech! I meant in regards to what he wants to do, walk the dog, or watch the bubba.


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## Cassidy's Mom (Mar 30, 2003)

Apple said:


> I keep saying to my boyfriend that I'm certain her lack of house manners is because she's not in the house as much anymore.


Absolutely. How can you possibly work on her house manners when she spends so little time in the house?



> She's a food hound. She would follow me around the house if I had food on me all the time. Is that what I should be doing? And randomly rewarding good behaviour?


That's actually part of my foundation stuff with a new puppy. I wear my treat bag from the time I get home from work until bedtime, and I mark and reward behavior that I like and want to encourage more of. That's called "capturing" behavior - you're not actually giving any commands, you're just reinforcing things your dog offers up naturally. And the bonus is that the more you reinforce a particular behavior (attention and focus is perfect for capturing), the more she'll start offering it up. Of course, it's important that you also work on food manners and impulse control - just because I have it on my person doesn't mean you'll get any, and if you ignore me and stare at the food instead, for sure you WON'T!



> My question is though, will the food incentive be able to be weaned/taken away as she gets older? Or will it have to be a constant thing?


The newer and/or more difficult the behavior you're training, the higher the rate of reinforcement should be. As behaviors become learned and generalized, the rate of reinforcement can drop, _for that behavior_. I always pair food rewards with enthusiastic praise, and as I start to reduce the rate of reinforcement with food, I'm continuing that. A random or variable reinforcement schedule actually creates the most durable behaviors (think of a slot machine - you don't know when or how much the payout will be, which keeps you playing, or how much harder it is to eliminate counter surfing if the dog is successful at getting something yummy off the counters once in awhile), and then I phase out food rewards entirely.


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## katieliz (Mar 29, 2007)

whew! thank goodness...:thumbup:


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## Apple (Jun 21, 2013)

Ok so after a week of walks every morning and more play outside, today is the first day of tethering to me inside the house. So far I've been tied up, I have both dogs following me around for the treats but River is doing well. She gets to the end of her leash, realised very quickly that I am in charge, and comes back down to sit. I am marking all good behaviour, am just hoping the whining stops soon lol! 









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## Sunflowers (Feb 17, 2012)

Not enough exercise and too much freedom in the house. 

I let mine off leash in the house only a couple of months ago, and he is almost two. 

I feel for you, 10 weeks pregnant with a little one around and also having to handle a GSD puppy. The puppy was a handful for me, and both my boys were already in school for most of the day. 
I will say Hans tried to horse around and jump on my younger son. But the leash stopped that immediately. Helped to have that control. Lots of short fetch sessions helped, too.


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## Baillif (Jun 26, 2013)

Exercise is all well and good and important but raising a half malinois and being around trainers that deal with super high drive mals has taught me a ton about the power of management of a dog. 

Crating when you can't give 100% of your attention and tethering the dog to you at all times he's out of the crate and just generally removing the dogs ability to make its own decisions or find entertainment value in doing the wrong things. The puppy is always learning whether you are there or not or whether you are paying attention to what he is learning. You want to make sure he is learning what you want him to learn and not learning to find entertainment value in things that drive you up the wall. Proper management is far more important than exercise to training a dog that won't make you insane, especially for super high drive dogs that would otherwise require several hours of exercise to wear out and for some people that route just isn't practical or possible. Freedom for a puppy is a privilege not a right.


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## Apple (Jun 21, 2013)

So yesterday went really well!!! Both dogs spent all day, barring of course potty breaks, play time and walkies!  River was a completely different dog. Taking away her freedom seems to have had a profound impact on her. She even seemed more affectionate, rolling into her back and grumbling at me for a tummy rub for the first time ever! 
Here are some pics!








Old fella giving moral support








And our walk
















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