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Rocky - The Terrible Teenage Stage. When Will It End???

By Belinda Spillman

Real Estate Agent with Aspen Lane Real Estate Colorful Colorado CRE# 40005863

December 27, 2010 01:35 PM

Rocky Some of you may have read my blogs about my golden retriever Rocky. If not, he is now almost 10 months old and, for the most part, a sweet boy.

We went to dog obedience together and learned all about sitting, staying, and the usual commands. He was quite a hit at Pet Smart and still has a following when he graces their doors with his golden fur coat. It didn't take him long to win the hearts of many of the employees there and even some of the other patrons. He graduated obedience training with all the glory that comes with it. He even had his picture taken with a graduation hat on and it is displayed along with all the other graduates in the Pet Smart training room.

I was hopeful that maybe he was on his way to being a well behaved young gentleman. Boy was I wrong! He has a mind of his own and could care less how I feel about anything that he is currently engaged in. I use all the tricks that I learned in the class but, alas, he has no use for them. He has a one track mind especially when it comes to destruction.

In the last month he has been chewing holes in my kitchen walls Rock and kitty which is where he is penned up when I can't constantly watch him or if I am out of the house. I have to keep everything away from the edge of the counters because as soon as I turn my back, he will grab whatever he can reach and have a field day with it. I made the mistake of leaving a notepad and pen too close to the danger zone the other day. I came home to shredded paper everywhere and a chewed up pen. Maybe he was trying to learn to write - who knows.

He had a stuffed kitty which he dearly loved. One night I came downstairs to find kitty's gut scattered all over the family room. Last night we went out for a few hours and came home to his bed completely shredded all over the kitchen floor. He had another bed in the family room. This morning he snuck in there and promptly tore open the seem and had stuffing everywhere - AGAIN!.

When I try to discipline him and tell him it is not OK to destroy everything, he runs from me and plays the "see if you can catch me" game. Of course he is much faster than I.

While I love Rocky to pieces, I am ready to murder him. Does anyone have suggestions for turning this crazy teenage brat into a good boy? I need help!

Rock bed Crazy Rocky Rocky

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Joan Cox

House to Home, Inc. - Denver Real Estate - 720-231-6373 - Denver, CO

Denver Real Estate - Selling One Home at a Time

That is a tough one Belinda, I would have killed him too! Good luck!

Dec 27, 2010 01:42 PM

Susan Emo

Sotheby's International Realty Canada - Brokerage - Kingston, ON

Kingston and the 1000 Islands Area

I hate to tell you this but your beautiful boy is bored! He needs more exercise. He learned all the good puppy kindergarten stuff but he is telling you he is smart and he is going to entertain himself if you don't do it for him. A friend of mine has a German Shepherd who now rearranges her furniture while she is away. Actually moves couches across the room, chairs blocking doorways, etc.

Get him out and let him run til he can run no more! And, continue to love him because he sounds like quite the comical guy!

Dec 27, 2010 01:57 PM

Jeff & Koreen Firnstahl

Team Firnstahl - Keller Williams Classic Realty - Andover, MN

Try reading Ceasar Millan's 50 Tips for Training & Understanding Your Dog. He has a gift for working with dogs & his techniques really work. Good Luck!

Dec 27, 2010 01:58 PM

Belinda Spillman

Aspen Lane Real Estate Colorful Colorado - Aurora, CO

Colorado Living!

Thanks Susan. I guess I should feel lucky that he hasn't started re-arranging furniture. My daughter does enough of that for one household. I appreciate your suggestions. I will try to find a place to run him.

Dec 27, 2010 02:55 PM

Belinda Spillman

Aspen Lane Real Estate Colorful Colorado - Aurora, CO

Colorado Living!

Thanks Team Firnstahl, I will look for that book.

Dec 27, 2010 02:56 PM

Mike Carlier

Lakeville, MN

More opinions than you want to hear about.

My patience is also being tested with an almost 8 month old Golden. I know that he will mature eventually and that there is a year and a half of growing up ahead of him. Goldens need lots of exercise and mental stimulation. Ongoing training is a must, and you may want to consider agility training along with advanced obedience. It may not help the behavior a lot, but the time between now and 2012 will seem to pass more rapidly.

I think that you need a crate for Rocky. Dogs adapt easily to crate-conditioning and consider the crate their den. Our dogs have always used their crate as a place to retire to whenever they wanted a private nap. The door on the crate is only closed when we are not going to be present. Without confining your dog to the safety of a crate when you're not present, you are subjecting him to lots of harmful (to him) things as well as things he can harm.

With a little patience and a few physical barriers between him and home demolition, Rocky is going to be the best dog you have ever had.

Dec 28, 2010 02:54 AM

Belinda Spillman

Aspen Lane Real Estate Colorful Colorado - Aurora, CO

Colorado Living!

Thanks Mike. We tried a crate for Rocky when he first came home with us but he went crazy. He made himself sick in there. We asked the breeder why he wouldn't stay in the crate and she said her dogs always sleep in her bed with her. That was no help. So we have him gated off in the kitchen.

Dec 28, 2010 03:11 AM

Kathy Burke

Sensational Home Staging~~Danville, CA - Danville, CA

S.F. East Bay Home Staging

I once had a trainer tell me...."4 months of a tethered dog to train them what not to do....life time of a happy dog and owner". Worked for me as my Cosmo would have LOVED to tear apart everything in his path....but doesn't. Always say....good thing they are cute or they would all be gone (or murdered :-)

Good LUCK!!

Dec 28, 2010 07:09 AM

Carol Zingone

Berkshire Hathaway Home Services Florida Network Realty - Jacksonville Beach, FL

Global Realtor in Jax Beach, FL - ABR, CRS, CIPS

Belinda, I had a similar time with Dane/Weimeraner/Black Lab mix years ago - I think he does need more stimulation as suggested above. There are toys at PetSmart (and other retailers) that you can put something like peanut butter in, and he will have to work to get at it - that may be an answer for the immediate short term, but I think the real answer could be more gradual crate training. He needs to think the crate is HIS CAVE and he is safe in there.

Dec 29, 2010 12:58 AM

Belinda Spillman

Aspen Lane Real Estate Colorful Colorado - Aurora, CO

Colorado Living!

Thanks Kathy. I know he will be great once he grows out of this psycho state. Tic Toc.

Carol, Yes I have every toy from Pet Smart that you stuff pnut butter in. I even put them in the freezer to make it more of a challenge. I've discovered that pnut butter has lots of sugar. Yikes!

Dec 29, 2010 03:28 AM

Joyce Godwin, Realtor, CRS

RE/MAX Elite Properties; Serving Cypress, Spring, Tomball, NW Houston - Houston, TX

RE/MAX Elite Properties

Belinda, He is such a pretty dog, it must be hard to get mad at him, but it must be driving you crazy to deal with his destructiveness. I would have thought the crate would be a good idea for when he is inside. Good luck. I hope you find the magic trick to helping him improve his behavior.

Dec 29, 2010 02:00 PM

Belinda Spillman

Aspen Lane Real Estate Colorful Colorado - Aurora, CO

Colorado Living!

Thanks Joyce. I wish I could get him to stay in the crate. He goes crazy and almost tips the darn thing over.

Dec 30, 2010 02:36 AM

Mike Carlier

Lakeville, MN

More opinions than you want to hear about.

Belinda, start with feeding him in his crate every time he eats. Play fetch with his favorite toy by throwing it into his crate. A few times a day, toss a favorite treat into the crate. Don't close the door until he starts looking like he owns the space. In a couple weeks, he will learn that the crate is a good place. Patience and persistance, along with lots of positive reinforcement will make both your lives better.

Jan 01, 2011 02:14 AM