Hi there, what you write sounds very familiar! Wondering if it's an age stage? We also have a 10-month old working cocker who recently has been refusing to go out for evening walks. That's when my sons take turns to walk her, and at first I thought they were fibbing cos they didn't fancy the walk themselves, but one actually filmed her on his phone: sitting down on her haunches, all stubborn and refusing to move! As I'm convinced that my boys need the exercise even if the dog doesn't I've persuaded them to persevere by tempting her along with treats, which seems to work (then she perks up a bit when they get to the park). When she's home she is often a bit restless on an evening but I suspect that what she's actually craving is attention and play and interaction (but sometimes we're too busy with cooking dinner, sorting out homework etc). Funny, also, that you mention that your dog has started to be a bit naughty! Ours too: she's recently started to destroy books and newspapers we've (stupidly) left lying around... And another change is that she randomly started barking at strangers in the half term holidays, whereas she's always been super-friendly and incredibly well socialised before (luckily she seems to have stopped that). I seem to remember reading somewhere that dogs become adolescent at this age, and do all sorts of untypical behaviours, so I reckon it's nothing to get unduly worried about. I just wish I remembered what the book said we were supposed to do when they hit the terrible teens!!
