6 month old puppy all of a sudden won't listen to me

[eckum54]

I'm a first time dog owner and our 6 month old lab suddenly wont listen to any of my comands while walking him on or off leash...while in the house he still listens. Do puppies go though phases where they just don't listen, and how do I get him back on track?

[Farley]

Hard to say without walking with you and the pup. The pup could be testing you as far as what he can get away with. Could be distracted. Could be he doesnt know the commands that well. You could try starting him off with things he knows well, to build his confidence and to get him listening to you before the walk. It definetly takes patience.

[PurpleFloyd]

You are being tested and you need to re establish who is the leader and who is the follower.

[LABS4ME]

Pups will go through a couple of phases where they will not follow commands... it is their adolescent stage... usually happens between 6 months and a year.

Keep the pup on lead, ensure they follow all commands on the 1st command, DO NOT plead with them or give them the command multiple times. You are only instilling that they can get away with following command on their own schedule when they want. Keep reinforcing and drilling your basic obedience commands over and over throughout the day in a confined setting with a minimum of distractions, or outside ON lead. Several 5-10 minute drill times are light years ahead of (1) 30-40 minute period. Go back to basics, try to minimize any exposing pup to new drills. Keep at it and keep your expectations high and make sure they are compliant before moving on to any new commands. They must have Sit, Stay, Here and Heel down pat and doing it on the 1st command before any advanced, hunting or retrieving skills can be expected. If the dog has not been trained to whistle commands, now would be a good time to introduce those when doing your obedience drills. The sharp crisp blast of a whistle usually gets their attention better than your voice... I usually do not do retrieving drills when a dog is not obeying obedience commands until I am sure they are again complying to what command is given. Most guys drill retrieving off lead and it gives the dog too much ability to blow off listening to you and going about 'their' business. If you feel compelled to throw some retrieves, make them short and do them on a 50' lead. Make sure they are steady at heel, out and back to retrieve and then back to heel. You will be in control as long as they are on lead... quick and simple corrections given when needed.

Keep at it, make sure they obey all commands given on the 1st command or immediately correct them and you will have a great foundation for your hunting dog for years to come.

Good Luck!

Ken

[BMaxus]

Is an e-collar a good option for this kind of stuff?

[pureinsanity]

The puppy is distracted by spring smells, its surroundings ect. Keep them focused on the walk not whats around them. I can walk my dog and have a dog barking at him and he will look over at him. A small jerk on the leash and his head goes right back to looking straight ahead.

Keep the dog focused and not on the outside distractions. Sure it will listen in the house there is not a lot going on in the house. same old smells, same old people, ect. The house is boring to a dog, but the outside smells and scenery is much more exciting.

[Rick]

My opinion on e-collar is to use it when your dog has a good grasp of the commands and is really only meant when you give a command at distance.

Before using you should definitely learn more about dog training.

All commands given to a dog you are unsure of should only be given when you can enforce or teach those commands. Every failure following a command teaches them they don't have to listen.

Come or Here command for a puppy should always be a positive experience. I use it when they are already coming to me and use of treats helps. A hallway is a good place to work it or on a long lead where you can ensure they come to you using the lead. You want the come or here command to be 100% successful on a puppy so don't use it unless you are relatively certain the command will be obeyed.

Hup or sit should be done while the pup is walking with you on lead at heel. If you plan to hunt with your lab a whistle with a single short loud tweet should be used for the hup command as well.

Keep training sessions short and always try to end on a good note. You want them wanting more. Don't over do retrieves on a puppy-stop while they want to go get it still.

[jeffreyd]

neither will my wife or 15 yr old son

[Farley]

I would try to get him on track without the e collar first. E collars arent the magic tool that makes dogs listen, it all in the training.

[eckum54]

Thanks for all the advice. It will go to good use

[Farmboy1]

Pups will go through a couple of phases where they will not follow commands... it is their adolescent stage... usually happens between 6 months and a year.

Keep the pup on lead, ensure they follow all commands on the 1st command, DO NOT plead with them or give them the command multiple times. You are only instilling that they can get away with following command on their own schedule when they want. Keep reinforcing and drilling your basic obedience commands over and over throughout the day in a confined setting with a minimum of distractions, or outside ON lead. Several 5-10 minute drill times are light years ahead of (1) 30-40 minute period. Go back to basics, try to minimize any exposing pup to new drills. Keep at it and keep your expectations high and make sure they are compliant before moving on to any new commands. They must have Sit, Stay, Here and Heel down pat and doing it on the 1st command before any advanced, hunting or retrieving skills can be expected. If the dog has not been trained to whistle commands, now would be a good time to introduce those when doing your obedience drills. The sharp crisp blast of a whistle usually gets their attention better than your voice... I usually do not do retrieving drills when a dog is not obeying obedience commands until I am sure they are again complying to what command is given. Most guys drill retrieving off lead and it gives the dog too much ability to blow off listening to you and going about 'their' business. If you feel compelled to throw some retrieves, make them short and do them on a 50' lead. Make sure they are steady at heel, out and back to retrieve and then back to heel. You will be in control as long as they are on lead... quick and simple corrections given when needed.

Keep at it, make sure they obey all commands given on the 1st command or immediately correct them and you will have a great foundation for your hunting dog for years to come.

Good Luck!

Ken

What he said. Great Post!

[BMaxus]

No e-collar for a 6 month old pup, sounds correct to me. I was reading some stuff previously posted about young puppies and use of an e-collar, and I was confused. Thanks for clearing it up.

Good Luck and have fun with that pup.

[HookEmHard84]

Im having the same issues with my pup. He is almost a year, and I am definatley seeing him testing his limits with me this spring.

Here is a follow up question: My biggest problem is "come", he will do it on a check cord with no problem, once its off, no chance he will do it. How do you enforce the command off the check cord? Is this the right time to start with the e-collar?

[LightningBG]

Im having the same issues with my pup. He is almost a year, and I am definatley seeing him testing his limits with me this spring.

Here is a follow up question: My biggest problem is "come", he will do it on a check cord with no problem, once its off, no chance he will do it. How do you enforce the command off the check cord? Is this the right time to start with the e-collar?

Sounds about right. Sound like he knows you dont have any enforcement options so he does as he pleases.

[LABS4ME]

Not sure your level of training with a collar or if you've introduced collars before. Thought I'd throw a couple of thoughts out for you or anyone else in the same situation...

You can start to bring the e-collar into the fold. If you have not trained with a collar, get a good book on it to understand what, when and how to use it. It is easy to start lighting the dog up when he won't 'come', but you really need to condition him to understand what it is he is recieving the correction for...

I use the check cord to teach him 'come' inconjunction with the collar. In essence the collar replaces the checkcord over a couple weeks period. It is used to correct and to make comply... not to punish for not listening... After proper intro. the check cord and collar are one in the same.

Good Luck!

Ken

[BMaxus]

Ain't it funny how they get like that.

My dog bolted from the garage yerserday. I didn't even bother with trying to stop him. !5 minutes and a couple blocks later I found and called him in, no problem. Then I praised and leashed him and we worked on heel all the way home.

He wouldn't even try if a cord or e-collar was around his neck.

[Farmboy1]

Here is a follow up question: My biggest problem is "come", he will do it on a check cord with no problem, once its off, no chance he will do it. How do you enforce the command off the check cord? Is this the right time to start with the e-collar?

I like to use the check cord for a few minutes until the dog is working and listening well. Then take it off. Normally the dog listens well for a while, and then starts to understand you cannot enforce the rules. I put them back on the check cord and do it again. After a few revolutions of this, the dog starts to understand that not listening leads to the check cord, and when they listen they don't have to drag it.

[BMaxus]

I agree with Farmboy1.

Older pups are like, whats this? You gonna rope me now, OK I'll listen. Then after while we let'em loose and they do good for a bit, but begin to test us. Back on the rope the dog goes. I'll also add a pinch collar sometimes, when that thing gets strapped on he knows I'm for real.

An e-collar is only used when he flat out disobeys a command.

My pooch is almost 2 and I wouldn't use an e-collar on any puppy under a year old. Really I don't like to use them at all.

[BMaxus]

Another idea.

Training doesn't have to be a planned event. When you're sitting on the sofa watching the tube, call him to you and praise him when he comes. If he's poking around, command sit but be ready enforce it if he don't mind you. You can do stuff like this all day and it's training, but not like training. Don't forget the praise, they thrive on it. Get my drift?

These guys have given you good advice.

Don't worry about it,if you put in some effort he'll figure it out.

[mww24]

my dog does the same. He'll run up to you and stop then try and bolt. He gets the leash then. i only give him about a foot to move and he comes back to listening. I feel like he is trying to constantly become the alpha. I actually like the challenge. They seem to come around pretty fast. Like said. Never let them win and don't say the command more than once. Another point to add. If he runs and won't listen. Don't punish him when he finally obeys the come command. Otherwise he may start associating coming with punishment.