Turbo4go Posted April 25, 2007 Report Share Posted April 25, 2007 Yesterday I encountered a problem with Turbo. He is now 10 months old, and up until yesterday, he has been fantastic in obedience. I had him over at the park, and we were working out as we do almost daily. Some other people came around with there dogs, and in no time at all, everything Turbo had learned about obedience, and listening to commands went out the window. He would not come when called, he wouldn't even look my way. He just continued to run with the other dogs. I was always proud of Turbo, as he always set an example to the other dog owners, but yesterday he was out right disobedient. Do BC's go through a stage where they test their independence ? Is this normal ? If not, any suggestions to prevent a re-occurance. As I said, this was a first, and hopefully a last breakdown of command. I don't want him running wild, out of control ever again. Dennis Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kat's Dogs Posted April 25, 2007 Report Share Posted April 25, 2007 It IS normal, right at that age too. All dogs (not just BCs) tend to test their limits, and press your buttons around 7-14 months. The important thing is, don't think it will just pass on its own and you will have your good ol' dog back in a few weeks. You can't let him win these little battles. Work through it. Often times that means go right back to the very beginning (long lines, always have treats in your pocket, always on leash, etc). The good news is, they "re-learn" faster then they learn in most cases - unless they are REALLY testing their limits. So just work through it like it was all new to him, and lower your expectations for other commands/manners too - as they may have flown away to never-never land also. Good luck!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Turbo4go Posted April 25, 2007 Author Report Share Posted April 25, 2007 Thank You Kat's Dog, I suspected that could be the cause, but I don't remember my last dog going through that stage. Of course she never progressed as rapidly as Turbo has, so there was less to rebel against. If Turbo was a child, I'd classify him as a rowdy teenager right now. It could also have been "peer preasure" from the other dogs. I will concentrate on enforcing the rules, and not let him win this battle. OH the joys of trying to outsmart a BC! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maralynn Posted April 25, 2007 Report Share Posted April 25, 2007 It could also have been "peer preasure" from the other dogs. I wouldn't call it peer preasure, rather a distraction. Other dogs are one of the biggest distraction to your dog. All of a sudden those dogs became a whole lot more interesting than you, and being a young fun lovin' dog, off Turbo went. If you don't regularly train around that type of distraction it's a whole new ballgame for your dog when you encounter it. Solid obedience comes with consistent training in a variety of situation. And it doesn't hurt to carry high value treats or toys to reward your dog and help keep his attention on you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mobcmom Posted April 27, 2007 Report Share Posted April 27, 2007 We may be heading down a similar path soon. Our bc is 15 months old and over time I thingk people forget the effort and time it took to get to a well behaved, trained dog. You tend to take things forgranted. My family had a 2 yr old foster bc. He was an absolute sweetheart, but untrained. We were starting from scratch. He learned quickly and was great, but you begin to appreciate the investment your making for the dogs to become good compaions. We are picking up our new puppy from her foster home, next week. We will be starting at square one again and may have some backsliding with our 15 month old bc, but you go back to the basics, reinforce the right behaviors, and provide consistancy. Before you know it the dogs are back on track and headed in the right direction. Then you can lookforward to many many years of loving companionship. They are worth it. mobcmom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rebecca, Irena Farm Posted April 28, 2007 Report Share Posted April 28, 2007 My pup is nine months old and he's in the same stage. He gives me the middle digit every day on some new front. I don't look at it as willfulness or disobedience. I view it as a chance to fine tune our relationship, especially since he's the kind of pup who only needs one go round to accept something as the law. In about, um, a year, he'll have presented me with all the potential scenarios under which my guidance applies and we'll be ready for a lifetime together! It's quite an exciting time if you view it that way - look at these "problems" as opportunities for training! From a practical point of view, I'd put pup on a long line every time I went into a new situation for a while. Make sure if he challenges your recall, that you can do something about it - minimally catch him and try again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
philip4420 Posted May 2, 2007 Report Share Posted May 2, 2007 Dale looks as if he's heading into the rebellious stage too. I was interested to hear the advice about always using a long line or lead. Can you really give a BC enough exercise like this? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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