# Why the bad behavior all of the sudden??



## Davika (Jan 12, 2011)

My Boomer who is a little over 6 months has started displaying some bad behaviors in the last two weeks. It has really been nerve racking to me. He has been in obedience training since he was 7 weeks old and has always been such a good dog. But lately he is resorting to bad behavior. His door manors have flown out the window. He used to sit at the door when opened but now if that door is opened watch out it's fair game. And he would not leave the front yard when did get out, now he runs straight across the street and starts barking at the neighbors little dog. He would come back immediately when called but is reluctant to do so now. I will say that he does come back after being called several times though. He doesn't run away down the street. 

He also has started being resistant to walking again on his leash. I have had to go back to training him all over again on walking on a leash. He wants to pull me and take the lead. 

The best part is...this morning at 0530 i had let him out of the pen to go potty when he started whining and decided to let him stay out to the pen and went back to bed. I heard this awful crashing sound and ran out into the living room and found my 60lb golden on top of my dining room table!! He had knocked over a chair to get on the table...hence the noise!! I was in shock. He has never done that. I immediately put him back in the pen. And he knew by the look on his face he was in BIG trouble. I scolded him and told him he was a bad doggy.

I'm wondering if he is reacting to the fact that I changed jobs and am gone 4 nights a week from 3-12 with my job and he misses me. And I say this because my son commented that every night since I started my job he sits by the door waiting on me and refuses to leave the spot until I come home. He has always been my boy and has gone everywhere with me. My hubby and kids like to joke that he is more a "Momma's boy" than my 4 year old. We have also taken in a foster puppy, but the bad behavior started before then and he has been wonderful with the little pup. Acting like her little guardian.

I'm so confused. I'm working with him on basic door manors again and refuse to let him off leash in the front yard. Is this just a phase?? I would love to hear what anyone thinks. This is our first golden. So this is all new to us.


----------



## LibertyME (Jan 6, 2007)

He is cutting the cord...becoming more independent...making his own decisions. Living more impulsively...Congrats! Youre ramping up to having a full fledged teenager in your house. 
It is a phase, BUT don't sit back, cross your fingers and wait for it it pass. Keep steady with his obedience...up your management no unsupervised time. More training time not less (he may enjoy learning tricks now more then ever)...more play with you not less...more exercise not less. Hang in there!


----------



## AmberSunrise (Apr 1, 2009)

Totally agree with LibertyME; he is asserting his independence but with your time, patience and continued training, he will come out the other side (in a few months) a good dog. This is normal behavior - he is leaving his puppyhood behind.


----------



## Willow52 (Aug 14, 2009)

He's now a teenager!!


----------



## cubbysan (Mar 13, 2007)

I agree with the above posts too - it is like they go brain dead, and forget everything you taught them. Just be consistent, and remember there is a light at the end of the tunnel.


----------



## Davika (Jan 12, 2011)

I had heard that golden's go through this, but had always prayed that my baby would be different....LOL OH BOY, am I wrong! He does have his moments of pure brilliance but does seem to have his moments of being brain dead!! I will make sure that I call our trainer and get him back into the next class. He just finished the intermediate one a few weeks ago. So, it's back to night school for him! Thanks so much for the encouragement!!


----------



## bioteach (Nov 13, 2010)

I have to agree too. His little neurons are being soaked in surges of testosterone and he is going through that stage that middle school boys go through....Yucccch! Nugget just went through that too and at 8 months he's become a gentleman again.

Hang in there - it's worth the wait.


----------



## Radarsdad (Apr 18, 2011)

> I'm wondering if he is reacting to the fact that I changed jobs and am gone 4 nights a week from 3-12 with my job and he misses me. And I say this because my son commented that every night since I started my job he sits by the door waiting on me and refuses to leave the spot until I come home.


That, (separation anxiety) plus teenage phase. Hang on,could be a wild ride,but be patient this too shall pass


----------



## knepp1bj (Jun 25, 2009)

YOUR 6 MONTH OLD IS 60 lBS?!

**** my 6month old is 36.5 lbs as of last week. we feed him what the vet recomends, he is almost as tall as my 75 lbs lab, just no weight.


----------



## paula bedard (Feb 5, 2008)

=) Ike went through 3 of these 'teenage rebellion' phases. One at six months, again around a year, and the last one at about 18 months. Just continue to be consistant with with him, just like you would a child. It may be nerve racking, but I bet you'll find that you've forged an even greater bond by the time he fully matures. Ike and I did.


----------



## Davika (Jan 12, 2011)

Yes, Boomer is 60lbs of pure fun. We feed him science diet puppy, which is what our vet recommended and the vet is pleased with his weight so far. No fat on this boy! His dad is around 95lbs and we think he is going to take after him. He has the biggest paws I have ever seen on a puppy! So I know my boy is going to be big. He is all muscle, trust me when I say that because he has pounced on me when I have been asleep to wake me up and he is a big lug!! He is really active and loves to run. We walk him off leash on 18 acres (it is fenced in) and he can run!


----------



## tippykayak (Oct 27, 2008)

Training through the "teenage" phase can be frustrating and slow going, but persistence, patience, and positivity during this period can help you lay the foundation for a lifetime of rock-solid obedience.

Plan lots of short, fun sessions with tons of positive reinforcement. DO NOT ASSUME he will "grow out" of any bad habits he develops in this time. He may grow out of some of them, but if you allow him to confirm a bad habit, he may keep it for years.

For example, if he's begun to run out the door, spend five minutes a day working on good door behavior. Prevent reinforcement for the undesired behavior (make sure he never gets to run out without permission) and give him lots of reinforcement for the desired behavior (easy, because getting released to run out the door with permission is lots of fun). For me, door behavior is non-negotiable because it's an issue of the safety, partly for the dog, but mostly for the humans. An elderly relative can be seriously injured by a dog with poor door manners.


----------



## Davika (Jan 12, 2011)

Thanks for all the wonderful advice. I have spent extra time with Boomer today and have been reinforcing his door manors, walking on the leash and just basic obedience. He is still being stubborn but we are working through it. 

He knows what he is supposed to be doing and gives me these looks like "oh mom do I have to?" It is really very funny to watch. He tilts his head and looks at me and wrinkles his face. And when he's been bad, and gets scolded, he slinks around with his tail down and gets the saddest look on his face. I never realized that goldens could be so expressive! I have always talked to him like he was one of my kids and I could swear he knows exactly what I'm saying...LOL 

We will keep working hard with him and keep you updated.


----------



## Radarsdad (Apr 18, 2011)

Facial expressions and tone of voice are what they can read the most including your body language. They can tell you are mad,nervous etc. Just by your posture and movements facial expression and your eyes.


----------



## jackie_hubert (Jun 2, 2010)

Happy teenage phase! We're still there but I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. We did have to really amp up the training though - an hour a day!

One word of advise: while teenage dogs have some bad antics I find them also more emotional and vulnerable, just like human teenagers. You may want to get rough with them but that almost always backfire. Patience, positivity and consistency are key. 

Good luck! It will probably get worse before it gets better...


----------



## LibertyME (Jan 6, 2007)

Ditto....also a great time to work on safe loading and unloading from a car in the relative safety of your driveway. 

If you have any interest...there is a DVD called 'Crate Games' which takes all of this energy and teaches fun ways to direct it toward something very useful....with great ideas for impulse control.

Welcome to Dogwise.com





tippykayak said:


> For me, door behavior is non-negotiable because it's an issue of the safety, partly for the dog, but mostly for the humans. An elderly relative can be serious injured by a dog with poor door manners.


----------



## tippykayak (Oct 27, 2008)

jackie_hubert said:


> One word of advise: while teenage dogs have some bad antics I find them also more emotional and vulnerable, just like human teenagers. You may want to get rough with them but that almost always backfire. Patience, positivity and consistency are key.


I second this. If you're getting hangdog behavior, chances are that you don't need to correct as firmly as you are. Some Goldens should be trained with a very soft touch.

I always say that it's easier to train your dog to do something you want rather than to train him not to do something he wants. For example, instead of training him that rushing out the door is bad, train him to sit when you open the door and to wait for your cue. It can be a subtle difference of mindset, but thinking in those terms has made me a lot more effective as a trainer, and my dogs get super happy and focused when I've done it right.


----------



## Davika (Jan 12, 2011)

I guess I never thought about or realized I might be too harsh on him. He can be sensitive at times. He such a good dog and so loving. I will definitely pay attention from now on.

Quick question...how do you get the quotes from others in your reply? Still new to site and haven't figured that out yet?


----------



## inge (Sep 20, 2009)

Davika said:


> Quick question...how do you get the quotes from others in your reply? Still new to site and haven't figured that out yet?


Just click "quote", right hand corner...


----------

