why is he so naughty now???

[Jan/Billy]

Can anyone explain why my almost 7 month old pup has suddenly become very naughty again? It is as though he has gone back to the time when he was 8 weeks old!

We take him to training classes where he has done fantastic, he even won a certificate a few weeks ago and has been moved up to the intermediate class which for his age is very good apparently
His recall is fantastic, on command he will sit, stay, down, leave,come,stop and paw. Last tuesday we took him to the park and let him off the lead and he refused to come back when called ! The following night at his training class he was terrible, he refused to do anything and barked his way throught the entire class. He was that giddy he was not allowed to be let off the lead during class. Billy is usually the best dog there off the lead!   I was just so so embarassed

I just dont know whats got into him. He is fully house trained, has been since he was 5months old then last night he weed on the carpet! He has also started biting again.
Then today i came home to find he has chewed the kitchen skirting board, chewed a hole in the wall, chewed my kitchen door and also chewed the bottom of my kitchen cupboard doors! There were flakes of paint from the doors and walls all over the floor  :oops: When i caught him doing it i said a firm "no" he jumped up and nipped me! When i went to walk away he bit my leg! Why has he suddenly become like this and how long will it last?                    

[*Jay*]

Ah, I remember it well  Billy is now a "teenager" and you tend to find that all the good habits they had learned up to now go right out teh window :roll:  Just keep reinforcing the good behaviour and ignoring the bad and it will soon pass(she says hopefully :wink: ). A lot of people when they are going through this go back to basics eg, with the biting and nipping, do exactly as you would if he were a puppy. It was about this age that Vegas decided he would throw a wobbly but he didn't get away with it and he soon gave up. Just remember that you should always have the upper hand so don't let him get away with any unacceptable behaviour. After going through it with Vegas, I was all prepared for Dallas but he didn't do a 'Kevin" on me.....hes just a wee angel.                    

[padfoot]

Toby was 6/7 months when we got him and he's 10 mths now. In that time he has gone through so many phases or naughty behaviour. He'll go for weeks doing nothing and then have a week where he wees in the house and chews everything.
I know they go through different teething stages, and someone once told me that the 6-8 month teething stage can be worse than the small puppy chewing.
We have foster pups at the moment and Toby is regressing again  :roll:  He always does when there are pups here. That's probably why people say to wait until the dog is 18 months or older before introducing a new puppy                      

[PennyB]

I remember it well. Wilf hit the big 7 months and decided to do a runner on me and of course his recall went out the window on that one

The joys of 'kevinhood'                    

[mum of kimmi]

Oh god!!

Just rading this make me think 'not again'. :roll:

Kimmi is now at the stage where she will come back when called, and is very good with the sit command, also very good with the house training.

Will she regress shortly, or is it just a 'boy' thing? :evil:

Some assurance would be very helpful, as hubby already said she would have to go if she ate the skirting boards again!!

Sarah & Kimmi                    

[Jan/Billy]

thanks everyone, was starting to think there was something wrong with him! You mention teething, i noticed he has some new teeth at the side of his mouth coming through,perhaps they are giving him trouble. He has lots of things to chew on (apart from my house!) Tonight he has been as good as gold so i am preparing for a bad day tomorrow! . He has good days and bad days.Suppose i willl have to persevere and be patient. He has been put into the kitchen a few times this week for being naughty, it does seem to do the trick for a short period. the trainer at the training classes strongly recommends we have him spade, she says it will calm him down especially around other dogs. Although I am not so sure i could put him through that :cry:                    

[Sandie]

Hi,

    I am so glad my 8month old Welsey is normal too...he has started doing exactly the same.....weeing on the carpet when there is an open door a few feet away to let him in the garden. I even go outside with him and coax him to have a wee and praise him when he does one but as soon as my back is turned he comes back in and wees. Sometime he poos too  :cry:  I am sure Aimee is starting it to......what is  happening to my dogs?

Welsey's  latest chewing habits include plastic bags.....if i go shopping he has shreaded the bags before i even get to empty the contents. Also into chewing zips out of handbags..... two he has had of mine in a week so far and its not as if i leave them where he can get them! He's also attacked the architrave in the kitchen even though he has his kong, nylabone, tuggy rope, cuddly toy all there with him, and Aimee is there for company too.

Never noticed this behaviour with any other of my cockers, is it just a dog puppy thing? Talking to Aimee's breeder today she says that dogs can mature a lot later than bitches. I just hope he stops the habit soon
otherwise he won't live until is 1st birthday  :x

Oh the joy of owning teenage cockers  :wink:

Sandie                    

[SarahJ]

I'm so relieved its the same for you too Sandie.  Harvey has decided we need to redecorate as he has stripped the wallpaper in 3 places in the lounge, 2 in the dining room and 3 in the kitchen! Obviously it wasn't to his taste!!
If I'm putting on shoes to take him for a walk he bites my hands, then again when I'm trying to put his lead on and yet again when I take it off!
Can't seem to get past the overnight poo in the house despite midnight walks in the pouring rain...
Please.... is there light at the end of this very long tunnel???

Sarah and Harvey.xx                    

[PennyB]

Ruby's recall remained the same (good) throughout this stage but she seemed not to listen to anything else anymore. Now she's 2 you sense she will try to behave if she must because she really does know what the word 'no' means again. Wilf on the other hand has forgotten what the word 'no' is again—I sense he's dancing round going la la la la la in his head every time I mention the word (and would've stuck his paws in his ears if he could while doing it).                    

[Louis]

I'am having the same problems with Louis, he won't even sit now!!! something he would do all the time at one point.  My trainer says its the teenage years too.  Welcome to kevin and perry land, I'am sure if he could speak he would say "I hate you mam" and I'am sure sometimes I see him sticking his paws up at me when I've told him off.  

I have had Louis neutered, but the problem is it doesn't really take effect straight away, it can take up to 18 months before they calm down.  I wish I had never had it done, but I was given advice by my vet and a trainer and they told me all the benefits etc, and me being new to the cocker world went ahead, but now totally regret it.  The reason being that he has turned out to be such a lovely cocker, I have been told by the breeder that he would have been good enough to show, and now that I know more about the show world since getting Louis, I would have loved to have taken part and shown him, but there's nothing I can do about that now.

If you are thinking about getting your cocker neutered/spayed I would find out as much as possible about the pros and cons and don't do what I did and just take one person's advice.

Saying all that he is a lovely cocker and I'am really happy with him, wouldn't know what to do without him, and that's the most important thing.                    

[Pipers Mummy]

Welcome to kevin and perry land, I'am sure if he could speak he would say \"I hate you mam\" and I'am sure sometimes I see him sticking his paws up at me when I've told him off.  

                   

[Jan/Billy]

We were considering having billy done.  :cry:  its our trainer who keeps saying he needs to be done to calm him down. My fiance wants him done but i dont, i just dont feel as though it fair. Although we would never show Billy, it doesnt interest us.

what pros and cons are there? why do you regret it?                    

[*Jay*]

Have a look at this FAQ on neutering

http://www.cockersonline.co.uk/forum/viewt...opic.php?t=3239

Unfortunately, nobody can make up your mind for you :wink:  but if after reading it, you are not 100% sure that you want to have Billy neutered yet, then don't do it. Once they are off, you can't sew them back on :wink:     I had Vegas neutered at 6 months and have regretted it every day since  He was still very much a puppy, not fully matured either physically or mentally.  Since having him done, he has had problems with male dogs trying to mount him, and they really do mean business.  Its got so bad that it has affected his confidence quite a bit and if any dog sniffs him down below for too long, he gets a bit growly and thats just not him.  If he wasn't such a confident boy, i really do feel that his personality would have changed for the worse due to this :?                    

[Shirley]

Just to say, I've not had and do not plan to have either of my boys neutered - neither do I intend to breed from them.  My auntie got a retriever cross at the same time as we got Morgan and she had him neutered at 8 months to try to calm him down  :roll:  :roll:  :roll:   He was jumping the fence and running away and was also quite lively/bouncy around visitors.  With such a big dog, at 8 months he was still very much a puppy but I couldn't convince her to wait.  He will be 2 years old next month and I can honestly say it has not made a blind bit of difference to him  :wink: .  Nobody can tell you if it will or won't make a difference to your dog but I think a lot of people think it's a magic cure for all manner of problems  :?    Good luck with your decision                      

[Louis]

Hi Jan/Billy

I feel the same way as Gill, that Louis was too young and I didn't give him a chance to mature.  I feel that the trainer at the class that I was attending made a general comment about all kinds of dogs, saying if you are not going to breed from them then you should get him neutered. She didn't mention that Louis would be more prone to weight gain, as the hormones that burn calories would be removed, and that his coat would more than likely end up thick and wooly.

The main reason I regrett it is because I would loved to have shown him, now that I have learn't more about the subject, I feel Louis and I have missed out on not being able to take part in shows, saying that, he would be able to take part, but would be at a disadvantage because of his coat, therefore making it very unlikely that he would win anything.

I know there are other kinds of shows that we could take part in, and I am also going to take him to gundog classes.  I just hope it doesn't effect his personality in any way, as he is very friendly and confident.

Gemma & Louis