# 5 month old male behavior issues



## Brave (Oct 26, 2012)

I don't think this is teenager stuff yet. Nor do I think it's due to him being unaltered. However, I've noticed with my almost 5 month old (neutered) boy that his energy level is going up almost exponentially as of late. 

I would recommend more exercise, more mental stimulation, more training and no more being let out unleashed in the front yard. If his recall isn't 100%, it isn't worth the risk. 

Good luck!!! More fun to come. 


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## Sheldon's Mom (Dec 29, 2012)

Sheldon is 4 1/2 months old. Still a very mellow pup. If I see a change will let you 
know. I agree with Brave. Keep him leashed . He is too young to be free.
I've had three other female goldens that have passed and I kept them leashed at
all times during the first year. Keep up the obedience and exercise and you will have
an awesome golden.


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## jackie_hubert (Jun 2, 2010)

At around 4.5 months Goldens will usually start to exhibit their adult temperament. Dog Temperament assessments are usually quite predictive of future behaviour if done after this age. Before that they are not. So, yes, you can expect some changes right around now. In fact, it was at this age that my ultra calm aloof pup turned into his hyper-excitable adult self. 

Lunging and barking (without sign of overt aggression) COULD be a frustrated response because he wants to interact and therefore a reactive behaviour. Is he growling or barring his teeth? 

While it may be counter intuitive I think it's important you listen to what your dog is trying to communicate and act accordingly. If he doesn't feel comfortable with the kids it is paramount that you do not use punishment (leash corrections, telling him NO) because this could cause him to stop communicating and result in a quiet dog that may go from quiet to biting if approached by a child.

I'm in no way saying that this has happened but I often see children harassing dogs to such an extent that the dog despite many many sign of discomfort is not being left alone and eventually will develop more overt ways of saying "leave me alone!" Something to keep in mind when letting him be around kids.

Is the biting at the feet a game for him do you think? When does he do that behaviour? While playing?


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## Karri (Jan 12, 2013)

Thank you for the suggestions. To answer some questions, no-he is not growling or barring his teeth (thank god). He does this lunge/nip (at their thighs! - they are 9 and 11) when they are doing other things. So it would appear to be a "pay attention to meeee!" thing. But we can't seem to distract him with his toys to change the behavior.


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## USAFWife74 (Jan 13, 2013)

My pup does that when she's wound up.....that signals to me she's got some energy to burn. She doesn't do it with my teenager unless he asks for that type of play, but she has done it to my 10 year old. My son didn't really know how to take it, and so I tell him to stand up straight and ask for her to sit. Or turn around and ignore her, so she knows this is not how to ask for playtime. She's getting better now at 8 months old....we just keep her busy and tired....tired puppies are good puppies! =)


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## Leslie B (Mar 17, 2011)

I thought of my girls (dogs) as I read your post. They love to wrestle with each other and I try to get them to confine their play to the yard. One in particular loves to grab the back leg of another. When one wont play, she will grab from behind and do her best to get the first dog to chase her in the classic "catch me if you can" game.

Without seeing your boy, it sounds a lot like this is what he is doing with your kids. I would up his exercise schedule. Get him out and run him for 20 - 30 minutes every day. Just letting him outside to pee is not enough for a Golden. He needs to burn some of that extra energy.


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## Claudia M (Aug 8, 2012)

The way I see it, they go thru do many body changes and growth spurts that takes that extra energy out of them. While you thought he was mellow he was just growing and getting ready to show you his "full potential"  Once their growth slows down they have that extra energy to burn.


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## ladyofherbs (Dec 30, 2012)

When I had a pup like that I taught doggie push ups. Down- up down up,,,,,,I would do it until I saw the pup was tired and ready to play with a toy. This was helpful in bad weather and if you were in the middle of something. That dog also liked to go after feet, especially if you had on new footware.


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