Pidge,
He sounds a bit like our Bara was when she first came to us. She had been rejected by her first owners. Re. your points:-

1) FWIW I think this is mostly an age thing and will definately improve as he gets older

2) Have you tried growling back at him and then ignoring him.

3) This might upset a few people but why even try to remove food, bones, etc. the're his and IMO he should be allowed to keep them. FWIW I wouldn't ever try to remove a bone from Bara unless it was an old one she had finished with.

4) Rianna barks when in play mode, and growls too, there are (I'm told) ten types of bark and each has a specific meaning.

Occassionaly when playing with Bara she'll have a go at me but although she has her jaws across my arm she doesn't 'close' and at that point I always calm things down.

Bara is now 4 years 6 months and is a different dog to what she was at 1 year old so I do believe all the people above who've said he will get better, but it won't be an overnight thing and (at the risk of being shot at) I would say that anyone expecting their rebelious teenage son to change overnight is being unrealistic, same goes for dogs.

Forgot to say that I would also be taking up Shona's very kind offer. Maybe some time away would do you both some good?

Oh Pidge... 7 months is so young - really.

I was shocked by Takara's relentless energy and even dalmatian breeders, showers and rescuers thought she was mental!

I am constantly amazed by puppies who come to my training classes and just lay down by their owners and think 'why wasn't she like that?' (actually, she's still not like that in class!)

But she's now 4, comes to the shop with me all day every day and lays under the counter has two walks a day either side and then lays down at home (unless she's in the lounge and then she just pesters the hamsters).

I was convinced she had ADHD and her nickname of Psychobitch has stuck

To be honest - we've had a few problems of late and we're going right back to square one with her. I relaxed on her when lots of people told me I was too strict but it's no good - she needs me to be so we've gone back to that.

Besides which - they go through a funny phase at that age when they stop being little pain in the bum puppies and become total rat bag teenagers! You'll get there

I was thinking 'I can't work her out, how am I going to spend another 10 years with her how she is?' only yesterday but it gave me a boot up the bum to go and work with her again and do you know what? it worked - she was fab!

I must admit I find that serene-um really helps with Takara's training and her reactivity towards other dogs. Have you tried anything like that?
Also if there is anything really really wrong - a vet should be able to pick up on anything neurological.

You'll have good times and bad times - you'll have set backs and leaps forward, you'll laugh and you'll cry but it'll all be worth it eventually

Keep your chin up and feel free to pm me if you need to x

Great post.

Takara's never had food aggression with people but location guarding was an issue she had - now sorted.

Recently she's become a little madam on walks and has become very intolerant of other dogs she meets. We've gone back to NILIF. We used to do it and I was told I was too strict with her so I stopped it. Since then her focus is less and less on me and more on her environment, becoming hypervigilant and really not good with other dogs.

ClaireandDaisy's right - bright dogs test you. Takara tests me! Last night was our first night after starting back on NILIF and whilst she was great on her walk, she really pushed it in the evening. I decided the only way she would settle is to give her a time out in the kitchen!

So even at nearly 4, Takara still gets the odd time out (as a pup they were rather more frequent!)

I was wondering about this too Losos. It sounds as if things with Woody are really wearing you down at the moment Pidge and I guess all the different trainers/behaviourists/advice from Dogsey is possibly very overwhelming.

RE the biting, is he actually biting you - i.e. breaking the skin, injuring you - or could it be mouthing? All the dogs I've had (apart from one) have mouthed me during play. Bryan used to do it a lot when he was a puppy, but not so much now.

Puppies mouth a lot sometimes - it's their way of playing and exploring the world.

But if it's proper biting - meant to cause you harm - then that must be really difficult for you and for me, I would be finding it hard to trust Woody.

I hope you are ok x

First of all huge hugs xxx

Woody does sound like a lively, intelligent young dog, who is testing the boundaries to me maybe he is a bit confused of what is required too?

Pidge it does sound like an age thing,Mack had some really loony days, and thank God I think most are behind us now Meg did too, though not quite so full on

Without critising you, maybe Woody needs more to do? needs to go training as in Gundogs training, he sounds like he has a big work drive, and the behaviour is a way of him using his ensrgy, working his brain. He is only a baby, and is coping with finding his feet in the world, and has recently been castrated from what I read, so he needs time to settle down lots of male dogs go a bit nuts at this age.
I grew up with collies and springers, and one of them really springs to mind reading your posts, with maturity, I think he was my Dads best gundog

I think everyone on this board has had crap days with their dogs, and weeks too, but hang in there, I think with age, consistency,boundaries and something for him to do, not just obedience and walks etc he will be a fab boy XXXXXX


Huge hugs and to Woody too xxx

Not much to add to so much advice and experience. And I have never had to deal with puppies (although Muttley has possibly tried to discipline them using dog methods). I have not had problems with food aggression, and maybe I have just been lucky. But I make sure that Muttley waits patiently as I prepare and set down his food, and I also have him sit while I eat and I will occasionally hand feed him bits of food, and let him have scraps after I am finished.

There is an interesting video showing how a group of puppies will sort out their relative status when given a single bone, and yet will defer to the human handler. It is on a web page about dog fights, and there is other good information there that is good to know.
http://leerburg.com/dogfight.htm

Best of luck to you. It can be overwhelming with multiple problems but you seem determined enough to succeed. A confident attitude is almost everything!

Sorry Em i've only just seen this one. Springers are not my breed and i dont want to try and advise you, but i can imagine how you must be feeling.

I know although we are just round the corner we havent had a chance to catch up yet and go on that walk, so you dont know me or my dogs. Im happy to do what i can to help if you want me too, be it just the walk we are trying to arrange, or if you want me to dogsit for a few hours here and there to give you a break. I just need the next couple of days to sort out a situation with our foster dog, but send me a pm and we'll talk about it.

Alexa

Hey Pidge

Am not going to offload tons more advice on you as you have been given plenty of (great!) advice already on this thread and i don't want to overburden you. Just wanted to give you big hugs and try and see what we are all saying - this is not last days here, there is a massive potential for turn around, jsut try hard to not lose faith. And believe me I know how hard that can be! I love my dogs but they can be very tiring mentally and physically even without bigger behavioural issues.
I am here if you want to chat - just PM me.

x

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