Hi, and thanks again.
We are making progress:
Sofa 'OFF' is now a game all fine
Swap or drop for getting him to let go of things - or just 'that's mine' and light fingers to remove it if it is actually mine (never any growling or complaints)
We are all trying very hard not to raise voices and be calm, seems to be working
I have cleared the 'outer' 1000 m^2 garden (as opposed to his 'inner' patios) and we have let him run around there and practised recall, sit, down, and now moving onto stay - all going great with the help of small bits of treat as rewards - actually, he susses out what will come next and rushes off to do it before we open our mouths if we don't mix up the order a bit
I take him for a 25 min walk on the short lead around the streets in the morning and 25 mins on the long 5m extendable lead in the forest in the afternoon - he is excellently behaved on the lead
But, he still has episodes where he is going for us (there is no other way to put it).
I have been observing him during these, and:
With me he is barking and growling and snapping at me, darting in and out.
If I didn't know him I would be terrified, but if I just put my hands down he will launch and snap at them in what appears to be a vicious way, but there is very little bite force - similarly on my legs (although skin puncture and bleeding occurs most times due to tiny teeth).
He is also with his head down low, often with his tail wagging.
Sometimes this is interspersed with tail-between-the-legs mad circular Wall-Of-Death type Zoomies (outside)
To me, he seems to be asking for attention, specifically for a rough play-fight.
If I can get him and pick him up in a cuddle he is all licks and stops immediately.
If we are inside I try to calmly remove him to outside
If we are outside I try to calmly remove myself.
With my (psychologist) wife its similar, she just said she thought he was much better, but that he was definitely 'trying his luck and pushing boundaries'.
With my daughter, he is the best with her in training, but when he goes snappy at her she understandable flinches away and isn't always totally calm (she is only 9, but is doing really well) and so he pushes it more, until we come in as back up.
We are using time outs in his patio (when he immediately starts crying but soon stops), or in his bedroom for forced naps
He is loosing his teeth - only lower canines now and others further back missing.
I am hoping that his adult ones don't come through
Only joking.
I bought a few tug toys but he shows very little interest in these
Am buying all manner of chews - they seem to keep him happy but he has a very short attention span in terms of needing new types .....
still trying to find yakers or bully sticks here, he did like the veggie Cerea toothbrushes but seems to have gone off them.
Actually, I think his mouth could be a bit too sore and that's why he prefers biting us softer Humans
In terms of food, he is still very bad at eating regularly and needs coercion / being shut in his bedroom to finish his meals without wandering off looking for something more interesting to do.
EDIT: from the 'Teething' Section of
http://www.cockersonline.co.uk/puppy.htm: "
Puppies may also go off their usual food around this time (soaking the food to soften it can sometimes help if this happens) " I have been soaking the food and this has helped
I have to say, this is a lot, lot, lot harder than my previous puppy, and my Wife's previous Cockers were never anything like this apparently, but we all have a very strong bond with the little B*gger
So, anything I should be changing?
I think I am already pushing at the limit in terms of exercise?