# ten month old gets very snarly/snappy outside



## mylissyk (Feb 25, 2007)

Do you have the ability to walk away from him when he starts this?


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## nolefan (Nov 6, 2009)

I'm sorry you're having such a hard time with him... I'm afraid you covered my suggestions already (long lead, exercise, obedience) Is he food motivated? Have you tried keeping a baggie with his favorite treat in your pocket and attempting to anticipate some of this, working on some 'sit' and 'down' as distraction? Does he like to retrieve enough that you could try to anticipate and re-direct with toys?

If he isn't pulling this with anyone but you, it sort of sounds like you are his favorite playmate, he's pushing his boundaries a bit and knows you aren't likely to discipline him. Do you allow him up on furniture? Does he get to crawl up in your lap or jump on you uninvited (when you're sitting on the couch, watching t.v. etc)? You might consider looking at nothing in life is free and see if you might want to make him earn more of his privleges from you. Teach him a down/stay and 'wait' until you release him to eat, make him sit and wait to go outdoors till you give permission etc. 

I'm sorry about the bruises, it sounds like you are working on it and eventually he will grow out of this behavior, just not a lot of fun right now


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## Tucker's mommy (Nov 9, 2011)

Thanks - and yes, I kind of already impliment the "nothing in life is free" idea. He is not allowed on furniture, I have him sit/stay for meals, before going outside, before a pet, before he's allowed to fetch a ball, etc. So frustrating! I've tried walking away, but he usually follows, jumping at me and biting at my arms/elbows as I go. Really really obnoxious. Not to mention a bit painful at times! I guess I just need to keep on it. I had a similar problem on-leash when walking with him a couple months ago, but I got through that by redirecting with training/treats and doing longer heels. I do the same thing outside with some success with play, but every day, I usually have one excited bout of the mouthiness, and it's getting very old.


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## Tucker's mommy (Nov 9, 2011)

Enough's enough. I called the training facility we use to see if they could bring some one to our home to assess our issues. I've had it. I had another episode this morning - I had to drag him inside twice/crate him for a few minutes because he couldn't get his mouthiness and jumping under control. Then he took it up a notch and started challenging me inside. I know his age is a huge part of it, but MY GOD! What a beast! These moments are just too frustrating.


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## Tucker's mommy (Nov 9, 2011)

Don't get me wrong - I love Tucker. But these teenage months/years REALLY suck.


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## mooselips (Dec 4, 2011)

I am experiencing exactly the same behavior you are speaking about, and Bridget is only 4.5 months old!

It happens only when outside, and usually on a walk...first she starts mouthing the leash, the jumps, growls, and tries to bite me.

Doesn't do it to the 3 year old grandson, or my husband, just lucky me.
(The gal who walks her)

We have a personal trainer coming to the house, and I thought it was getting better, but as of today, it started all over again..yikes, I am actually bleeding from an episode out in the backyard tonight!

Let me know if you find anything that helps.......

My pup is extremely food oriented...but I am always rewarding, I don't think that's my answer either.

My girl, just thinks she's queen of the roost!!!


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## Tucker's mommy (Nov 9, 2011)

Yep. Exactly our issue. And it started the same way, at about five months, on the leash. I corrected that with constant training/reinforcement while walking. It's as if working his brain more corrected the problem. But outside now, it's a nightmare. I just posted in the "parents of teenage pups" thread what happened tonight. I am in tears right now. Beyond frustrated. We are hoping to get a trainer in here soon, if she ever calls back.


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## mooselips (Dec 4, 2011)

I called our trainer today.
He comes once a week.

Anyway, after having an awful experience walking her this a.m. biting, jumping, growling........
His advice is to extremely shorten the leash, as to where my hand will be next to her collar.....yikes, not sure about that...

This evening, she was on a long lead in the backyard, I was attempting to get her to fetch, and just call her, and reward her when she came.

She grabbed the leash, I told her to drop it, started to walk away and she jumped, and started her bad behavior, and her puppy teeth cut my arm..

I have to fix this...but obedience classes once a week, and a private trainer once a week...doesn't seem to be helping.

I also was in tears this p.m. frustrated.


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## nolefan (Nov 6, 2009)

I'm sorry for your frustration, it's no fun to feel like things are out of control. I'm hoping someone will see this... maybe you could PM someone who has give you good advice on training issues before. 
Do you ever arrange any puppy playdates? I know you said he gets good daily exercise, brisk 3 mile walks on hills. I have a 10 month old collie, Mack, and I will do the exact same walk with him, sometimes over 4 miles in an hour and we will come to the end of the walk, and he will get excited (usually we see my parents and their dog who live a block or so away) and Mack will start going nuts, zoomies on the leash, leaping 3 feet in the air and twisting like a kite at the end of the leash. It's very clear that after an hour of exercise I am ready to take a break and he is just getting warmed up. 

The only thing that will wear Mack out is a playdate with my friend's puppy who is the same age. I am wondering if trying to find a playdate with another energetic young dog would help give your pup an outlet. I am not saying that I think it isn't a training issue, but I wonder if the additional exercise could be part of the puzzle. If you ask around you can probably find someone else through your trainer or puppy classes who would help you out. Or doggy day care one or two afternoons a week. 

My heart goes out to you, I hope you're able to resolve this soon....


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## penparson (Sep 19, 2010)

Hang in there, Tucker's Mom. We've been there and are just coming through the far end of the brattiness, I hope! Wakefield's 17 months now. He was an absolute monster for most of last summer (9-11 months). It was next to impossible to walk him on a lead, my arms were covered with bruises and scratches and he consumed part of the kitchen wall. A far cry from my previous 3 golden boys. He'd been to Puppy Kindergarten and Good Manners and done well, so it's not like we didn't try. We spent about 6 weeks last Fall working with a trainer a couple of times a week. It takes a lot of work and PATIENCE, but they do grow up eventually.


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## MaggieO (Sep 25, 2011)

*Teenage tantrums*

Hi, I'm so interested in this thread as I posted about a similar problem I had a few months ago when Ella was about 7 months old. Basically if she didn't get her own way when being walked on the lead e.g. to meet another dog, to get at something she shouldn't have or when we were on the way home, she would lunge and jump up at me in a snarly bitey angry frenzy - very scary! I was at my wits end as we have been going to obedience classes since she was 15 weeks old. To cut a long story short, at first I found the most effective thing to do was to stand on the lead and get her into a sit or down position so that she couldn't get at me and wait, totally ignoring her. Sometimes when i released her she would start all over again so I would do the same thing until we could move on walking nicely. Soon that didn't work so well so I would rattle a can of coins and that worked for a while. At 14 months old now I thought at last she had outgrown this as she hasn't done it for a couple of months but no - twice in the past week she's thrown the same tantrums. She's normally walked for about an hour twice a day with plenty of off-lead running within that time. I'm really disappointed and fed up with it all because I thought I'd finally cracked this one!:no: I'm also fed up with the bruises caused by her hard-mouthing my arms. I know that this is her way of yelling at me and telling me that she doesn't want to do what I want but I can't let this go on. It's putting me off walking her - just when I thought things were going so well. Can anyone out there who's had the same problems tell me what else I should be doing and if and when she will stop this horrible behaviour?


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## mooselips (Dec 4, 2011)

After trying absolutely everything, I resorted to my last choice, I just couldn't take it anymore.

I was trained to use a prong collar.

She doesn't jump anymore, and finally my arms are healing.

I had her out yesterday to play fetch on the long 30 foot lead, with just her flat collar on, and she started it again. For now, when she is on a leash, I will use the prong collar.

It was not a choice I wanted to make, but after depleting every other idea, I'm using it.


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## MaggieO (Sep 25, 2011)

I would like to ask penparson if Wakefield is better on the lead now and if so did he just grow out of it? I've always used positive training methods with Ella but must admit standing passively like a tree did not work with this one which is why I resorted to standing on the lead and rattling a can of coins at her.


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## MaggieO (Sep 25, 2011)

Mooselips I'm glad you've found something that works because this is really really horrible! Your Golden looks so beautiful and everyone says how beautiful and friendly Ella is - I now see past the beauty. Looks can be deceiving


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## laprincessa (Mar 24, 2008)

They outgrow most of it but I still have bruises from a happy crazy boy who jumps only on me.


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## Tucker's mommy (Nov 9, 2011)

Hi all - I started this thread awhile ago - and things ARE much better now that he's almost a year old. But, once in awhile (not on walks - usually outside when he's on his long lead running free in our invisible fenced yard) he still decides to jump on me and bite, trying to engage in rough play. One milestone for me was realizing that for Tucker - that's exactly what he was doing/ and still is - attempting to engage in rough play. What works for us now, is pinning him to our side and holding him firmly but gently still, not allowing him to break free until he calms down. When he's really really mouthy, I muzzle his mouth firmly but gently with one hand as well. It usually takes about 30 seconds for him to calm down, and I can command a down/stay from him, followed by the look command. Then, I request kisses, and once he licks me, I give him lots of praise and a treat. We've had to do this less and less, but when he does get overexcited, we know we can use this technique to calm him. It took months of work from us to figure our dog out, though, and it was extremely frustrating. But, we're seeing the light at the end of the tunnel, and finally getting much more gentle affection from him. Good luck to you all - I know these crazy pups will grow up eventually!


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## MaggieO (Sep 25, 2011)

Thanks Tucker's Mommy that's really reassuring to know. I'm doing much the same thing with Ella at the moment. This behaviour had all but disappeared by the time she was one but now at 14 months it's back - so disappointing after all our hard work:uhoh:.


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## Tucker's mommy (Nov 9, 2011)

Maggieo - one thing I noticed with our Tucker was an increase in the excitement level outside when the weather took a positive change a few weeks ago. We all of a sudden had much more outside time with him, and he seemed real ramped up and excited by it. But then, it became "routine" to be out playing with us and the kids off and on throughout the day, and he is much calmer again outside. It's amazing how changes to the environment, or just simple changes to your routine or schedule, can trigger behaviour changes in these dogs. I wonder if that's part of what you're seeing with your recent episodes? Just a thought...


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## MaggieO (Sep 25, 2011)

Tucker's Mommy - thanks so much. I've noticed this with Ella too. When it's windy she's really hyper and to be honest she still needs quite a bit of supervision in the garden (re-landscaping the lawn  ). She's such a gem in every other way and I've put in so much work with her. Ah well I guess she's just regressing a little before we move on again. Walked this morning and she thought about the biting lunging attack but I kind of growled at her and she had second thoughts. To be honest she's not getting her usual off-the-lead romps with her friends this week because she was spayed a week ago and has to be careful until the stitches come out. I'm hoping this is pent up energy/frustration and will pass when she's back to her usual couple of hours of excercise! Roll on Thursday  She sounds a lot like Tucker because she used to get really wound up playing fetch outside and just lose it so we had to stop until she calmed down. My other Golden was never like this - hard work isn't it? Unfortunately the weather here in Bonnie Scotland is still unseasonally chilly at the moment but hopefully will improve soon. Thanks for your time and thoughts.


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