What is normal puppy behavior?

[Dreeza]

Ok, I know that obviously every dog is different...but in general, it seems that every 3 month old or younger puppy I meet is very calm & very obedient. After that, they are lil hellions.

Is this pretty normal, or is this just some weird coincidence thing that I keep coming across??


I just find so many people with these calm puppies who are like "omg, I don't even need to train him...he always stays by me & never runs away"; "he never has chewed ANYTHING of mine...he is going to be the perfect dog", etc etc...

I kinda said something to someone at the dog park yesterday ... saying that she should start training anyways, because he is likely going to grow out of his calm/timid phase & could become a little devil.

Then I realized I had absolutely no proof to back up that statement...so I just wanted to make sure I wasn't making things up, ahaha.

I just think it is stupid that people assume they don't need to train their puppy...i mean, even if it IS going to stay calm, you still need to train it!!!

 

[Doberluv]

It's pretty normal, all right. Most puppies love to hang close to their owners when they're really young and in that fear period. They seem to not be so brave and don't try as much stuff. Then they get a little older...around 5 or 6 months, like you describe and all hell brakes loose. LOL. They are ready to branch out. All of a sudden, the calm, "obedient" puppy that always loved to come when called and comply about all kinds of things becomes deaf. LOL They get so distracted easily by all the exciting things out there that coming to their owner is the last thing they want to do. That's when the training that should have been well started should be beefed up and excelerated. It's about stages, just like with kids when they mature and come "into themselves."

 

[Southpaw]

absolutely correct! when juno was a pup she was a good dog lol. if i wanted to leave the dog park, all i had to do was start walking and she'd run after me. now, she wouldn't even notice if i left and sat in my car. they're just so dependent on people at that age. it's a survival instinct. but they get older, more independent.... and don't care about you anymore!

 

[Lizmo]

Something I just thought about, not sure if it's really true or not...

But when the puppy is really young you are pretty interesting to your new puppy. They don't know you very well, so alot of things you do are new and insteresting to the puppy. That might make a difference?

 

[lizzybeth727]

Yep, you're right. It's almost impossible to convince a 6-10 week old puppy owner that they need to get into puppy class.

This is also why temperment testing puppies in shelters is so difficult.... they all act pretty much the same and they all seem perfect.

 

[Laurelin]

They keep toy breed puppies so long that by the time you get them they're already to the hellion stage...

 

[Dreeza]

Ok phew...glad I'm not crazy, haha. At least next time I can hopefully try to convince someone to get started on their training!

It always cracks me up when someone at the dog park is like "ohh, its just so hard getting my dog to come when I want to leave"...and im like...suuure...

Then conveniently call Oakley from the other side of the dog park, and calmly leash him with zero issue...

Training...who knew it could be so useful?

 

[RD]

Yep. Young puppies are absolutely angelic.

4-5 months and older, they turn into hellborn fiends.

 

[Southpaw]

Ok phew...glad I'm not crazy, haha. At least next time I can hopefully try to convince someone to get started on their training!

It always cracks me up when someone at the dog park is like "ohh, its just so hard getting my dog to come when I want to leave"...and im like...suuure...

Then conveniently call Oakley from the other side of the dog park, and calmly leash him with zero issue...

Training...who knew it could be so useful?

Lol it ain't that easy! You should see what it's like with Juno at the park sometimes. It's rather embarrassing because she's a smart dog and I work hard with her, but the dog park can be awful for me. If there are more than a couple dogs there, forget about any recall. She likes to dance within 5 feet of me.... or if I try to just go grab her, yeah right, she takes off like a deer. She's a butthead sometimes. I'm holding out hope that one day she'll mature!

 

[filarotten]

Titus turned into demon spawn about 3.5 mos. He seems to have forgotten his name when he is outside. Ugh... PUPPIES!!! But, I can't stay mad at him. He is just to darn cute and such a sweetheart when he wants to be.

 

[babymomma]

Hailey went through that. .

Fo the first **** week she was here.. Shes only 11 or so weeks now and she's already the spawn of satan. And has been for a while.

 

[Dreeza]

Lol it ain't that easy! You should see what it's like with Juno at the park sometimes. It's rather embarrassing because she's a smart dog and I work hard with her, but the dog park can be awful for me. If there are more than a couple dogs there, forget about any recall. She likes to dance within 5 feet of me.... or if I try to just go grab her, yeah right, she takes off like a deer. She's a butthead sometimes. I'm holding out hope that one day she'll mature!

oh haha thats totally diff...Juno is still young! And you are actually TRYING to train her!

 

[Deathcricket]

If there are more than a couple dogs there, forget about any recall. She likes to dance within 5 feet of me.... or if I try to just go grab her, yeah right, she takes off like a deer. She's a butthead sometimes. I'm holding out hope that one day she'll mature!

I had this problem too. I think it's either intelligence or hard headedness, hehe. Probably both. But mine would dance just outside of range when he didn't want to go home "just yet" either. He also would do what I call a "welcome bark" when a dog was approaching from outside that he especially had enjoyed playing with the day before. And it was annoying. My verbal cues to him didn't seem to matter since he was well out of my range and not on leash for a "corrective jerking". So I got an e-collar. This insures no matter where he is I can still control him. It has vibrate and shock settings. The vibrate seems to work better than the shock actually. I think it's interpreted as a warning growl. Anyways, fixed both these problems within the first hour. Might work for you too. Keeping control of your dog all times is very important IMO. Just think if they got loose with out a fence around and you could not recall them...

 

[Doberluv]

I think using a shock to train a dog to come is so unnecessary. Punishment like that has no place in training imo. I much prefer building a trusting relationship and having my dog want to come because it's so fun to come to me, not because if he doesn't, something awful will happen.

If you get your dog to come by playing hide and seek or some other chase-type game while you're out with him in the park and not looking like you're about to go home and end all the fun, you can teach him to come easily. Play with him. When he comes even close, toss a super tasty treat. Gradually raise the ante so he has to come all the way to you and then he gets the treat. (NO BRIBING, only reward AFTER he comes) Hold his collar, treat and then turn him loose again. Repeat many times through-out your time there. That way he learns to come to you because he's not being punished for coming. (punished by ending his fun and going in the boring car to boring home...compared to the dog park) So, owners commonly inadvertently punish their dogs for coming and that is why it's hard to get a good recall on their dogs.

If you can't entice your dog to follow you, play tag with you or hide and seek. If squeeky, fun, playfulness on your part doesn't get your dog coming so you can really reinforce him, then he needs to be kept on a long line for a while more AND practiced in a less distracting environment where it's easy for him to comply and build from there.

Your dog should get to the point where, because he's been heavily reinforced for a long time for coming to you, (every time) he will come check in without your even calling him to get the treat. Don't forget to hold his collar when he comes, reinforce with praise AND A HIGH VALUE TREAT and release to go do what he was doing and repeat a bunch of times. Then when you really do have to leave and he has to get in the car, reinforce again. Go home and don't make all the fun stop the minute you get out of the car. Have a minute or two of a fun game. Try to make the assocation of leaving the dog park a perfectly acceptable and fine thing to do. Once he is coming very well for a long time, you can switch to treating him every few times. Mix up how many times he complies before he gets a treat....every 2nd time for a few, every 4th, every 7, every 3, every 5, every 9th etc. Gradually spread it out more. But never completely stop all reinforcement or the behavior may regress. Praise is fine and dandy, but a primary reinforcer greatly raises the odds of success. You can cue your dog as much as you please, but cues aren't what makes behavior happen. What happens after is what counts and it better be something the dog loves.