Update: Her anal glands are bugging her, so I think I completely misread that situation. Poor girl. 
She can't stop biting at herself.
She can't stop biting at herself.
Poodle Adolescence - Support Group
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Just a blip, as always. Thankfully!
Sigh. Perfect poodle all morning. And then she walks over to our stack of magazines and newspapers, carefully pulls a Better Homes & Gardens off the top, looks me in the eye, and absolutely shreds it in the ten seconds it took me to say "Go to your bed!"
Then back to perfect poodle.
When she was younger, we regularly gave her stuff to chew and shred in her exercise pen. Since retiring the pen, I realize she doesn't have that outlet anymore. She is living in a world of NO with very few yeses. Oops. If I've learned anything from Peggy, it's that offering a desirable alternative to anything off-limits is way more effective than just declaring boundaries.
Time to create some safe shredding opportunities and remind her that the world is fun....but the humans control it.
Then back to perfect poodle.
When she was younger, we regularly gave her stuff to chew and shred in her exercise pen. Since retiring the pen, I realize she doesn't have that outlet anymore. She is living in a world of NO with very few yeses. Oops. If I've learned anything from Peggy, it's that offering a desirable alternative to anything off-limits is way more effective than just declaring boundaries.
Time to create some safe shredding opportunities and remind her that the world is fun....but the humans control it.
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I think Sophy is having a late adolescence, now she is 12. Either that or sudden onset intermittent deafness! The morning argument about whether she really needs to go and pee on the furthermost blade of grass in a two acre estate just as I am about to get into the car, or can wait five minutes till we get down to the river, seems to take longer every day...
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Normie and I are bringing this one back by popular demand. [mods, feel free to lock and open a new one if that works best, but this thread has good information]
My sweet poodle comes and goes only to be replaced by a surly tyrant who conveniently forgets every command he was ever taught. At those moments, we're no longer a team.
Mr 'You Can't Make Me' Poodle
My sweet poodle comes and goes only to be replaced by a surly tyrant who conveniently forgets every command he was ever taught. At those moments, we're no longer a team.
Mr 'You Can't Make Me' Poodle
When does adolescence start? Fenris is 6.5 months old and last class he did wonderfully when the trainer asked him to do stuff. But when it was time for us to practice, he just laid down and stared at me as I stuck the treat right under his nose. Just ignored me. Trainer comes over, he is happy, eager, tail wagging, wanting to please her. That has never happened before! If this is adolescence, then I am in need of support.
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He's a standard, isn't he? I borrowed this from Heart Song Standard Poodles:
6 – 18 months is the adolescent time period. Puppies may develop selective hearing and decide to try everything their own way. Puppies that may have been trained to come when called may decide to ignore you. Standard Poodles being extremely intelligent may find new and exciting ways to get into trouble and test their boundaries. People often say “I can’t believe my poodle did that” believing they had basic manners and training had been accomplished. Patience, consistent training, redirecting and a sense of humor are essential in raising your puppy.
Puppyhood doesn’t last just the first year. Standard poodles don’t fully mature until 18 – 24 months. Poodles' brains continue to mature, muscle mass and bone growth mature, impulse control develop and the last stages of teething (and hopefully chewing) ends
Normie's a mini and they usually mature a bit faster. But every dog is an individual, and he's just recently decided to think things over before he decides whether or not to comply.
6 – 18 months is the adolescent time period. Puppies may develop selective hearing and decide to try everything their own way. Puppies that may have been trained to come when called may decide to ignore you. Standard Poodles being extremely intelligent may find new and exciting ways to get into trouble and test their boundaries. People often say “I can’t believe my poodle did that” believing they had basic manners and training had been accomplished. Patience, consistent training, redirecting and a sense of humor are essential in raising your puppy.
Puppyhood doesn’t last just the first year. Standard poodles don’t fully mature until 18 – 24 months. Poodles' brains continue to mature, muscle mass and bone growth mature, impulse control develop and the last stages of teething (and hopefully chewing) ends
Normie's a mini and they usually mature a bit faster. But every dog is an individual, and he's just recently decided to think things over before he decides whether or not to comply.
Yup, he is a standard. I knew to expect adolescence but that was insane in puppy class. And the trainer was entertained too, she knows poodles well. She shrugged and told me he was a teen now, haha. It was crazy, last week he was my well trained pup who had amazing recall at the beach and now I can't trust him to sit on command.
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Yep, Normie gives me that 'dream on, lady' look.
He may be a pain one minute and a well-trained dog five minutes later.
I deal with it by trying to break his train of thought/change his focus. So if he's on the leash, I walk him around in a circle then try again. If he pulls the leash to charge a robin, we do a SIT or circle walk. That usually snaps him out.
He may be a pain one minute and a well-trained dog five minutes later.
I deal with it by trying to break his train of thought/change his focus. So if he's on the leash, I walk him around in a circle then try again. If he pulls the leash to charge a robin, we do a SIT or circle walk. That usually snaps him out.
I will have to try that. It's still crazy to see the change from eager puppy to a thinking poodle who weighs the pros and cons before deciding whether he will listen or not.
The fun thing about adolescence (lol) is that the obstinance/destruction/whatever-is-driving-you-nuts-today seems to ebb and flow.
We just passed through another wave around 20 months.
We just passed through another wave around 20 months.
It's good to know. Everyone always talks about "puppy" difficulties but I've seen a lot less info on adolescence, or maybe I just wasn't looking enough. And this stage almost seems harder.
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Annie was a practically perfect puppy, and is a practically perfect adult. She was a sometimes hellish adolescent.
There is a reason most dogs at shelters are 8-24 months ish. They outgrow cute puppy antics but don't grow into adult brains yet
There is a reason most dogs at shelters are 8-24 months ish. They outgrow cute puppy antics but don't grow into adult brains yet
As a woman in her 40s, I feel the same way about perimenopause! All this talk about puberty and NOTHING about this next major shift in the hormonal tides. I really don’t know why that is. In the case of adolescent dogs, it is a literally fatal mistake to ignore the realities of this important period. Sooooo many dogs surrendered to shelters and euthanized just for being teens. This is partly why I push Ian Dunbar so hard on every new puppy owner that pops in here. He addresses these realities head-on.
I read him too. Theoretically I know. But reality is so much different. Fenris was a pretty easy puppy if I compare him to what I read online. It was just a shock to get such an extremely different behavior from him. But no way am I ever giving up on him. Bring on the moody teen stage!
And, ugh, 40s in just a couple of years away from me. I do not want to think about that number yet.
Ha! Don’t be afraid. It’s really quite liberating—yet another thing that’s rarely talked about. It’s like reverse puberty. All that self-consciousness slowly starts melting away.
Thanks for the reference. I just finished 'Before and After Getting Your Puppy'.
I'm glad I got the hardcopy because I'll be referring to it often! What book do you recommend next?
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