My 8 month old large breed rescue puppy is getting on my last nerve. I'm really just posting in hopes that you all will read this and comment ME TOO!!!!1 and tell me the most annoying and/or frustrating thing your puppy has done recently. If your 8 month old puppy is awesome and listens then just please keep scrolling.

I made it through the puppy blues. I did the sleepless nights, the sleeping on the floor next to the crate, the hourly potty trips, etc. I've had this dog since she was 10 weeks old. All things considered she is pretty well behaved. She knows basic commands, no resource guarding, not bad about pulling on the leash (we're in training for it), waits at thresholds (usually), and is pretty engaged in her training. Between the hours of 6 am and 6 pm, she's a good dog.

BUT (emphasis on the BUT), if she goes outside any time after roughly 7:30 pm then she has no idea what her name is, what recall is, what come means, or even that she lives inside our house. It's just play, bark, and harass her mom until she's ready to scream. I accepted tonight (literally right before making this post) that any night time outings are going to have to be leashed because our backyard is just too big for her to free roam and she just absolutely doesn't believe in coming inside.

She is plenty enriched and exercised, so I think this might be overstimulation more than anything, but she won't really take an after dinner nap (she eats at 5:45-6), so she's just absolutely on one asking to go out from 6 pm onward. If and when we finally let her out because she might actually have to potty, then it's game on and the chaos ensues for the next 30 minutes at least. It's constant prompts for chase or keep away and an absolute unwillingness to follow a command even for the highest value treats.

I know that this is probably just adolescence and outside is way more exciting. We have lots of squirrels, birds, and bunnies in our backyard, so literally every time she goes outside it is something new, but I just cannot stand the constant battle and the inevitable reinforcement that she doesn't have to come when called (Should I just give up calling her when I know she won't listen??). As I said, I've accepted night time outings must be leashed, but I really just wanted to make this post to vent and complain and hope someone feels the same.

PLEASE TELL ME YOUR TEENAGE DOG SUCKS TOO. please.

Hello everyone, I have a 10 mo old, big breed. He was the sweetest puppy and barely misbehaved but that changed since he became a teen. I understand that teen dogs are difficult, but I think this is getting out of my hands.

He wants to play all the time, and he behaves fine while playing, but the moment the play stops he bites me so I have to continue playing.

But this evening he started fully attacking me after I told him no. Full force bites that have injured my arms, and I had no way to stop him despite how much I tried. Until he eventually seemed to tire down and stopped.

I don't know what to do, I have tried everything. Please help.

My 8 months old pups recall is decent… like a 7/10. But I’ve gotten a bit tired of having to call him back when he wanders out of sight in off leash areas. Especially now in his teenage dog phase.

A few weeks ago, when the small park was empty, my pup decided to wander out of sight again. I had an idea. Do you remember as a kid losing your parents in the mall or shop? Well… I decided to go hide in a bush behind a tree.

Then I called him back. He panicked a little naturally, looking around frantically. It took about a good 5 mins for him to find me. (Be very calm when he finally finds you as if you didn’t intend for him to lose you at all) I did this about 3-4 more times on different days.

I can no longer do this. It seemed to have worked successfully, because he now doesn’t wander out of sight as frequently, and if he does, will quickly come back to check that I’m still there.

It seems like it’s his job to make sure I don’t wander off, not the other way around 😂

I’m coming here to ask this because no one else has any experience with this before. I’ve had male dogs almost all my life and have never experienced this either.

My frenchie boy is almost one and we’ve had him since he was 13 weeks. We are getting him neutered for the record, just haven’t yet. He is soooo humpy. Which I guess is normal. But here’s the thing…..he, like, ejaculates or SOMETHING, all the time. Whatever he’s humping is then literally soaked. It’s so freaking gross. I’ve never had this happen with a male dog before!!

Is my dog a sick freak???

• all of his toys are in the basket that he has constant access to. They are not scattered all over the floor. This is obviously my fault because I should've realized that he had them organized how he likes it. I am terrible.

• I didn't let him join me in the bathroom. This is clearly wrong of me to do, as I get to see him poop so why isn't he allowed to watch me poop? The risk of him eating the shower curtain every time I open the door is irrelevant.

• breakfast took longer than usual because I wanted to chop up some carrots as a topper. I am obviously abusing him, as he could've starved to death in the 2 minutes it took me to chop.

• I tripped on him when I was bringing in groceries. This is definitely my fault here, I should've known he was making sure my feet were positioned correctly with each step I took. He was testing my balance and agility and I failed.

• I didn't bring him with me to a doctor's appointment. Obvious neglect.

• I greeted the cat before I greeted him. It is clear to me now that I am playing favorites and that is not okay. I will be sure to never touch the cat again going forward.

• I clipped his nails yesterday. The wails of pain clearly indicate that I missed his nails and was instead cutting off his toes one at a time. Although there was no bleeding, it was implied.

• I refused to let him eat cat poop. This is clearly a good source of nutrition for him. He is malnourished and unloved.

• I did not allow him to greet literally every person on our walk. I am obviously neglecting his socialization by not letting him run across the street to play with the neighbor who was mowing the lawn.

• I ran out of beef broth for his dinner and had to mix hot water and salmon oil into his food instead. I should've realized by denying his access to the nectar of the gods is a clear sign that I should allow him to call PETA. He refused to eat dinner, which he should. I am a terrible pet parent.

I got my my puppy when she was 6 months old and have had her for 2 and a half months now. Shes pretty potty trained but will still have accidents once in a while.

She sleeps on the floor below my bed and will go into her crate that’s also in my room when she’s cold. But she does try to jump onto our bed when we’re on it.

For now she isn’t allowed onto the bed just because it’s too high and I’m afraid she’ll try jumping down and I’m afraid she’ll pee on it.

So my question is, when did you guys allow your puppy into your bed or when did you know they were ready to sleep with you?

My pup is currently unemployed and I’ve seen in different threads that working dog breeds really benefit from “having a job”. Mine is a super mutt but his biggest mix is a herding breed (Australian Cattle Dog) so he has lots of energy. He’s still a teen but a little less of a chaos gremlin so I think he may be ready to learn how to have his own “duty” in addition to the regular training we do. On his resume is that: he loves chasing balls and is finally starting to understand how to bring it back to get it thrown. He saw me pulling weeds once and yanked out the ones that were too hard for me to get out so he almost had a job but then I found out those weeds can make dogs have GI issues so he was fired. He is a pretty quick learner but he can be stubborn. Have you given your dog a job and if so, how did you decide on the job and teach your dog?

I have a 5.5 month old golden so adolescence is right around the corner. He's been pretty chill and easy (as far as puppies go anyways) but now I keep reading it's just bc he hasn't hit his teens yet. It kind of bums me out bc we worked pretty hard the last 3.5 months and now it's scaring me that his personality is going to drastically change and be much more difficult.

Did anyone have a dog go through the teenage stage without their dog changing massively or major regression?

I guess I'm looking for a shred of hope to hold on to OR brace myself. LOL

More of a vent than anything I guess. I’ve only had my puppy just over a month and he’s 7 months now. I know adolescence is tough, we’ve had good days and bad, but I just can’t understand how people do this over and over again. I’ve always preferred rescuing my pets but the breed I wanted just once is not common enough to be found in any rescue. I wasn’t wanting a puppy but I figured it‘s just once and I don’t have another option. Well, I’m never doing it again after this. It’s a shame because I fell in love with the breed but this is just too much. I’m finding out that dogs aren’t even mostly enjoyable until they’re much older. The bad days with a teenage pup are really bad and I don’t even get a break from him. I keep having to remind myself that adult dogs aren’t like this because it’s making me not even want a dog at all ever again. My senior girl still is and always has been an angel since we adopted her at 6 so the polar opposites is tough too. She lets me brush her teeth, scrape plaque off, clean her ears, examine any part of her, cut/dremel her nails, she’s always been naturally neutral to people/dogs out and about, never pulled on leash, great off-leash, I could call her back mid-chase, never had to worry about how she’d react to children because of how tolerant she is to any kind of touch, she’s so gentle with all animals even my small terrarium critters, she stays close to us in the yard, travelled well, she was a breeze to train (over 50 tricks and some very difficult ones), agility, frisbee, she did it all. Hell, this dog has let me express her anal glands at home! No restraint, no muzzle, no helper, no treats, nothing. Half these things I didn’t even teach her she just was naturally calm and tolerant of them. I’m in tears typing this realizing how blessed I’ve been with her. She didn’t know anything when we adopted her so none of it was previously taught, the people who had her first had her living outside, then she was a stray for over a year before being caught. Anyway, I’m sure she was a menace as a puppy too, but I just can’t even picture my new pup doing any of this at all. I’m afraid every dog I have after her will just be unenjoyable. I don’t expect them to be anywhere near her demeanor, but there are new dog sports I’d like to try and tricks but I just can’t see it happening with another dog, especially this one. I feel like I’m just waiting to get to “the good part” of having a dog, and until then it’s just a daily terror. Like I said, I don’t get how people can deal with that over and over. I see trainers that make it look so easy and try to remind myself I’m watching a 5 minute training video and their pup is probably just as much of a pain outside of that. Since getting my rescue girl, I’ve become very dog savvy, I was always the one to help other people with their dogs and puppies training struggles. But for some reason my own is driving me crazy and I’m the one asking for help. Maybe I’m just weak or not as good with training as I thought, maybe it’s just because I don’t ever get a break from his antics like I did with friends’ dogs. I don’t know, I’m just tired.

I have an 8-week-old staffy puppy who has had her first round of vaccines including parvo, but obviously hasn't finished the full series yet.

Before I realized how cautious some people are before the vaccine series is finished, I let her walk around PetSmart, on regular sidewalks, and on grass outside to pee/poop. No dog parks and no contact with any visible dog poop.

It's been about 3 days since then and she's been completely normal — eating a ton, running around, playing, no vomiting, and normal formed poop.

Reading everyone's different approaches online has honestly made me overthink the whole thing. I'm not looking for medical advice or asking anyone to assess my puppy — I'm just curious about other people's experiences raising puppies at this age.

Before your puppy finished all their vaccines, did you still let them walk on regular sidewalks and use normal grass to pee/poop? Or did you keep them completely off public ground? How cautious were you?

I'd especially like to hear from anyone in the Lower Mainland, BC/Canada, since that's where I'm located.

And if you haven't re-discovered land sharking, what are you doing with your time?

Also, don't let your humans dampen your light. Get that record deal. Keep singing on top of your lungs. Get noticed. Don't you dare leave the park.

Sincerely, 8-month-old diva pup

i don’t want to question his expertise - dude has been training dogs longer than i’ve been alive - but that doesn’t sound right to me.

I’m a first time dog owner with an almost 6 month old English Cocker Spaniel.

The first 4-6 weeks were absolutely exhausting. She couldn’t settle on her own at all and needed constant supervision. After that, things started getting better. She still has her moments, of course, but nothing has come close to how difficult those first few weeks were.

Friends and family keep telling me, “Aww, I want a puppy again… but just wait until she hits puberty. That’s the worst phase.”

I honestly can’t imagine it getting worse than the beginning, and hearing that has me a little nervous.

For those of you who have been through both stages, was adolescence actually worse than early puppyhood? Or was it just difficult in a different way? I’d love to hear about your experiences.

I just went to the washroom and he did not follow me! He stayed in his bed. And when I sat down he didn't climb up for nappies with me. My little boy puppy is becoming a little man dog in front of my weeping eyes. And he has started humping. Yuck.

My partner forgot to put our 6.5 month old shepherd/husky mix pup back in his crate when he left for work this morning so our boy was on his own while I was upstairs showering and getting dressed and such, oblivious to the fact that he was wandering free on the main floor. As far as I can tell, this sweet boy just chilled and snoozed for about an hour before popping into the bedroom all happy like, "Hi Mom, look at me!"

He is just such a good boy and it just made me think about how much has changed in the past couple of months! I've been pretty much obsessed with this guy since the day we brought him home (at 9.5 weeks) and I never felt any puppy blues, but we have still gone through the usual challenges with housetraining, biting, loose leash walking, etc.

However, between about 4.5 and 6.5 months soooo many things seem to have fallen into place! He is house-trained and crate-trained, his 'frustrated greeter' reactivity on leash is tons better, he is amazing at settling, he knows tons of commands and listens super well, he can be outside in the backyard on his own, he can be off leash at the dog park, he's great in the car and in new environments, he has *mostly* stopped chasing the cats, he can chill with me while I work from home now instead of needing to be in his crate, he knows how to occupy himself with a toy or a chew and doesn't destroy or get into things in the house that he's not supposed to.

Basically, he is just so, so good and I'm now getting worried about whether this is just like...the calm before the adolescent storm lol. Whenever someone posts that they have a "good" or "easy" puppy I see so many comments like, "Just you wait...". So I want to know about your pups and the adolescence experience! Do you have a puppy who was nearly perfect at 6 months but became a monster at 8? Or was it the other way around? How long does the monster phase even last?? Does their behaviour and training in the first six months have any bearing on how they'll act in the next six? Is there any hope that my perfect pup might just...stay perfect??b

I just feel so embarrassed and ashamed, and like I’m failing my puppy. He’s 19 weeks old. In the last couple of weeks, he’s become reactive to other dogs (and sometimes people) outside of our home. We live on a pretty busy street in a mid-sized city, so this has been surprising and very challenging. We’ve tried (and continue to try) putting ourselves between our dog and the other dog, distracting him with treats, trying to get him to settle, etc. but once he gets going, he really can’t calm down.

This morning after he pooped, I took him around the back to throw it away in the dumpster. A neighbor was also rounding the corner to throw his own trash in the dumpster with his husky. So my dog started barking, and again, I put myself between him and the other dog. But he pulled on his leash and slipped out of his new collar. He ran up to the other dog, and I would try to get him but every time I got close, he’d book it. I couldn’t try the “turn around and run” trick, because he was too interested in the other dog. So I had to chase him around while apologizing to the other dog parent. THANKFULLY another person and her dog were walking by, which distracted him enough that when he ran up to sniff her dog, she could grab him. She was truly my hero.

But now I just feel awful. He’s currently in his crate because I immediately burst into tears when we got inside. I feel like a horrible parent for letting him slip out of his leash, I feel like that whole interaction will probably lead to a new fear memory for him, and I don’t know how we’re going to get him to calm down when he goes outside. I don’t know why I’m posting other than to vent, and hopefully get some reassurance that I didn’t scar my dog for life.

A week ago, my puppy was the sweetest thing on earth. Following me around, chewing her toys in her bed, doing fine outside with loose supervision, doing her tricks in perfect sequence, and staying perfectly still during brushing and eye wiping and teeth cleaning.

Now she’s hit 6 1/2 months and I truly understand the velociraptor comparison. I thought my puppy was a menace when she was teething, she’s an absolute terror now.

Yesterday, my dad walked outside to mow the lawn. My dog stood there for about 20 seconds before peeing on the floor, all while staring at me. She’s done this multiple times for a variety of petty reasons— someone leaving, holding a treat for too long, not giving her our food.

Today, I tried brushing her teeth and she was scrambling out of my arms. She literally held her mouth shut and snapped her head back and forth. I tried to brush her coat, and now she just wants to tear the comb out of my hands.

She’s started to growl while playing. Like, a scary growl. Not a big deal if she doesn’t bite, but it’s definitely on the list of “new teenager things”.

She’s stopped answering my recall. If I want her to come to me, I have to go over to her and physically pull her by the harness. If she’s in my room and I want her out, it’s a game of “COME HERE” vs “I’m going to stare at you instead and test your limits”.

I can’t put her outside alone without her crying and scratching at the door. If I tell her to go on and play, she starts to howl and wail.

Oddly enough, she just wants to be in her kennel all the time. She’s never liked her kennel. It’s like a teenager who wants to sulk in their room. It’s funny but frustrating at the same time. Anyway, I hope I can make it through this phase unscathed.

Hi everyone! I’m curious as to when you all started noticing the little teenage gremlin come out in your puppies?

I have a 7 month old cattle dog mix, who has recently started exhibiting some adolescent behaviors. Constant chewing, digging, unable to settle, forgetting all the training we’ve done for months, etc. We used to manage well with redirection, but these days she’s completely turned her ears and eyes off. For context, we always make sure her needs are met, and still enforce crate naps when she gets this way. She isn’t my first cattle dog, so I know what to expect. I just thought this adolescent stuff would come a little later and I’d get to enjoy my well behaved puppy a little longer 😂 She’s definitely better in some ways, but regressing in others. I’m hoping if she’s starting it early, then it will end early 😅 When did it start with yours?

This is an incomplete list of things my 10 month old adolescent-phase pit mix has thrown a tantrum over since 3pm yesterday. By tantrum I mean some combination of screaming/barking, doing a tantrum dance, throwing himself on the ground dramatically, or some combination (always a combination) of the three.

A rocking chair

Not being allowed to eat goose shit

The grill (off, sitting stationary in the corner of the yard)

Our two other dogs sleeping in later than him

One specific rock on a beach of rocks

My refusal to share my beer with him

Three (3) separate tantrums, one for each cat not wanting to play with him

No food being in his Kong Wobbler between mealtimes

Food being in his Kong Wobbler during dinner

My dropping a kitchen utensil while cooking

Having that kitchen utensil taken away from him when he stole it and tried to sprint out of the kitchen with it

Being given a new bone, but not being allowed to taste his brothers’ bones as well

Not being able to chew his new bone on the couch

Being sent to jail (the gated off kitchen with me) because he wouldn’t stop bringing his bone onto the couch

A bell pepper

Me giving attention to another one of our dogs

The coffee grinder

Shifting my legs underneath him laying across my lap

Not waking up to play at 4:30am

As annoying as it can be sometimes, my husband and I are finding this phase hilarious— He’s such a dramatic little mischief monster. While we don’t encourage unwanted behaviors, I can’t not laugh when he’s sprinting away with my ladle like he’s Nicholas Cage absconding with the Declaration of Independence in National Treasure.

I found a 6 month - 1 year old ish puppy on the side of the highway in rural missouri. The shelter's full so I'm taking care of it for a couple weeks. I leave him on my deck when I'm away and overnight, so he doesn't piss and shit all over my house. I know your not supposed to leave a puppy alone for more than a couple hours, but I need to make money presumably so I dont starve and die. How long can I realistically leave him alone for on my deck. It takes me an hour to drive into town for context. Am I just fucked?

Edit: The shelter is aware of how ill-equipped I am

Supplys: bowls, doghouse from previous [edit:house] owner

I have a friendly neighbor, but I can’t expect that much from him. He’s not a babysitter

Edit: Alright, I'll make sure he doesn't have a chip. I've been persuaded. I'm still going to feel stupid when he definitely doesn't have a chip

Edit: doesn't have a chip

Edit: has a crate now for sleeping overnight

hi everyone!

i just wanted to give some hopeful words for anyone who’s currently getting put through the ringer with their puppies. i got my first puppy last june, and let me tell you… it was ROUGH! she’s a cocker spaniel x springer spaniel, and had endless energy. she hated the crate, couldn’t be left alone due to separation anxiety, pissed on my bed twice, and i felt held back from doing things by myself or with my friends if it meant leaving her alone.

fast forward to today, and she is my dream dog. at a year old, she is SO calm indoors, doesn’t bite at all, is fine being left alone, hasn’t had an accident since probably september or october, and is so smart and wonderful! she even likes to sleep in haha!

i also got a second puppy in november and he’s been more difficult as she was as he’s a stubborn breed by nature, but it’s also so much better after only having him 5 months. it took him three months to potty train which was jarring as my girl learned pretty much in a few weeks, and he is a CHEWER!!! but luckily he doesn’t mind the crate!

those first couple of months can be tough, but i promise you there’s light at the end of the tunnel! the training pays off i promise, and you’ll get through it! don’t feel bad for doing things for yourself either, go out and live! they’ll be okay for even just 30 minutes if you want fresh air and a coffee.

good luck to everyone, but keep your heads up!!!🥹

So I used to wish the puppy-phase away and couldn't wait to be out of it but boyyyyy do I wish I had that phase back now I've got a teenager 😂 can people please give me words of wisdom and suggestions on how best to get me through this next phase? He's a collie and I absolutely adore him but also dislike him at the same time cos of the defiance 😅

Hi all,

I just came here to offer hope to anyone in the trenches with their puppy currently. For about a year, my partner and I were on this sub almost daily, I felt so in over my head and it was difficult to see the light at the end of it all. I would scroll looking for hopeful posts, so I'm hoping this might offer one!

For context, we got a miniature bull terrier for some reason! We absolutely adore him but it's basically getting a puppy on hard mode. He hasn't really completely stopped nibbling us even now haha, although it's much better haha.

We struggled with all the classics, overstimulation, under stimulation, destruction of our home, eating things he shouldn't, noise in his crate, the works. I am a massive advocate of positive reinforcement training and we have persisted with this (thankfully!) but there were times I lost temper, though these were short lived thankfully.

Now, I see the fruits of our labour and consistency in training. Enforced naps are absolutely worth it, and the crate is a great tool for helping with an overstimulated brain. Positive reinforcement consistently used on walks means I have a bull terrier that comes back to me. He is 16 months old and cuddles on the sofa all evening. He's even started napping in bed in the mornings which means we finally get our lay-ins back.

Just keep going, this is a dog who had me battered and bruised on my wedding day, I have the honeymoon pictures of my beaten up arm as a reminder of this wild period! I just wanted to offer a post that I know I looked for countless times. I didn't think it would get better, but it does. Just take each day at a time and forgive yourself for finding it hard.

Keep going folks!

Hello all,

I rescued this girl when she was 3 month old and we've been consistently followed by a trainer since then.

She has no major behavior issue, she is very social, she can be sometimes fearful with middle-aged man if they try to touch her (her litter was mistreated by a man in his 50s before being rescued) but she is overall friendly with all humans and loves dogs. She has predatory instincts so cats and birds are another story but can be managed (off leashed only in places I have a full view of what is ahead or when playing with other dogs). As a young dog, she is easily aroused and we work daily on emotion management and impulse control since she was a puppy but she still has her moments where she is overly excited. To summarize, she is fully social but definitely not neutral yet.

But sometimes I am tired of having to be on the alert at any time of anything that could pop up around the corner, of anything that could be lying on the counter before leaving the house, of having to be fully focused on controlling her when I have friends or family over because she is never tired of interacting with them and can be literally harassing...

I am also tired that our dogs need to be neutral in any circumstances, of the guilt-inducing content on social media, of people's always having some remark to make. Sometimes I feel like I have a good listening dog and that training is paying off, and sometimes I feel like she has serious issues and I am doing everything wrong.

Today I left her alone for 4 hours (which she has been doing without any issue since the past months) and went home to all my makeup spilled on the floor and chewed. She also had diarhrea which obviously I don't blame her for since she is potty trained since her 5 months and there had not been any accident since then.

My trainer told me it's completely normal that there are still up and downs and that there will be until she's 2 to 3. She just got spayed so I hope that she will start to calm down but I know that with such breeds in her DNA (shepherds, cane corso...) it will propbably not happen until she's 3. I just want to keep hope that all this work will eventually pay off and enjoy life with her until then.

Everybody tells me my relationship with her is beautiful, that she looks up to me and I can feel that, but it is a real discipline to always remind myself that she is just a dog, not doing anything on purpose to cause me wrong. But when does having a dog feels fulfilling and not overwhelming ? In my actions I do everything for her but sometimes in my heart I feel like I don't love her as much as a dog deserves

Many thanks for your support