It doesnt take long for our puppies to turn into a challenging teenager.  Some get there sooner than others.

Yesterday I did a One to One with a 6 month old Doberman as he is jumping up at the owners out on walks and also humping bedding.

When they are puppies they are happy to play with their cuddly toys, have a nice walk, perhaps a good chew and then a nice bed ot curl up in and have some sleeps.  THEN all of a sudden they become more playful, pulling on the lead to get to the walk, perhaps not coming back when they would before, jumping up at you, mouthing a lot more (ouch now their teeth are growing) and needing less sleep.

With Harry he seemed to remain a teenager for a very long time, I was told that he would get better at 1, then 2 but it didnt happen like that.  I couldnt understand why he was so disruptive as I walked him on long walks, in different locations and he had the other 2 dogs for company.

It was pointed out to me that he needed more.  He needed more interaction with me.  He just needed!!!! I would be working and he would be picking up slippers and running around with them, I would then stop what I was doing to rescue said slipper, but it didnt stop there.  Still to this day Harry barks for attention, not in quite the same way, but the behaviour is still there.  What he is saying is that I am not fulfilling his needs.  That day a walk round the block and then me expecting him to go off to bed and that is it, whilst I catch up with work is just not enough!!!

Now back to the teenager part.  I know you would of probably heard all this before but tips to help you survive and your puppy flourish start with.

On a walk, why not try some games, Hide and Seek, a little running around a tree, a game of “Look at that”, a game of pendulum.  Just more than what you were giving before.  Not on every walk but when you have time, this pays off massively, not only helping your dog to engage their brain but also builds a stronger relationship with your dog.

In the house, there are various different games to play.  Buying some enrichment games for your dog helps, getting a tyre and filling it with balls, hiding treats under old flower pots in the garden or teaching your dog some scent work.  Also plenty of KONG type toys to fill.  Some filling suggestions are Sweet Potato and Cottage Cheese, their Raw dog food if you feed Raw, Banana and Dog Safe Peanut Butter are the ones I use but there are plenty of different ideas which can be found on Facebook or Google.

Looking at what you are feeding your dog also makes a massive difference.  I would really recommend visiting www.allaboutdogfood.co.uk to see how the food you feed your dog rates.  If you do need any further advise with that we will be happy to help you in the shop.

Doing some of the above will help you get through this stage in your dogs life and make walking your dog easier.

If you want further help I do offer One to One lessons as well as classes for dogs of all ages.  Please contact me via email [email protected] for more information. Alternative visit www.leadondogtraining.co.uk