Bentley has been behaving like a spoiled brat. Even Ky can't put him in his place, well she does but he doesn't stay there. He's refusing to mind us too. He bites her nonstop and tries it with us but I put him in puppy jail for it.
We just got back from class. He was terrible there too, being extremely mean to the other puppies, not listening or focusing. Normally the trainer uses Bentley to demonstrate what we're doing next because he's really good at it but she even had problems with him today.
Her verdict, he's entering the dreaded "teenage years", I said no, he can't be he's only 4 1/2 months old. She said yes he is.
So we will be doing even more training than usual, I'm not sure where the extra time will come from since we train a lot now but he's so annoying to be around right now I'll train around the clock if I have too!
She showed me a way to grab his cheek when he won't stop biting us, not to hurt him but he hates it. I'm going to give it a try. She also said we should go back to our normal walks. We were doing 1 mile 3 times a day and he was a great dog. His Dr said that's too much and told me to cut it down to 1/2 mile 3 times a day.
So much different advice my head spins

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Hehe your Bentley is such a stinker . You should be getting close to the time when all that biting stops....I think Cooper was around 4 1/2 months old or so when he finished teething and that made such a difference. You are such a good puppy momma! I'm sure you'll get him back in-line in no time!

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--Briana--

Heh, heh... Bentley has become an early adolescent. Hmmm. Guess that means we'll continue to get entertaining Bentley stories for a while.

As someone with two canine teenagers, all I can say is to do what you're doing--repeat and reinforce the training. Give no quarter and make no exceptions. When you're through with all this stuff, you're going to have a really great happy dog. But getting there is a bit of a journey. Glad you've got Ky there to assist. LOL.

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Kathleen, mom to one human, age 17, three canines, and a bunch of fish.

I know, right? It's hard to know whom to believe. It's not like there haven't been puppies in the world before this. You'd think people would have it down, right?

I guess it just goes to show that there are as many solutions to problems as there are puppies in the world. Bentley is a great doggy, I'm sure he'll get through it whatever you decide to do, and maybe whatever you do won't make any difference and he'll just get past it when he does.

But I have to tell you, with a puppy coming in my near future, I've sure been watching your adventures with Bentley. Sometimes your posts make me want my puppy sooner, and other times they scare me to death! Lol!

There was a time when Mick was around 5 months old that I actually had the original devil dog. He was so bad in obedience classes I was always beet red. I took him for long walks before classes and that helped. He finished 16th in a class of 16. But he finished.
The biting was horrible. I was expecting his little head to start spinning and puking pea soup on me. It was a constant battle. Then slowly at about 7 months he chilled. Sometimes he forgot himself but that went away as well.
Just hang in there. He's a brat not a teenager. That comes next.

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She showed me a way to grab his cheek when he won't stop biting us, not to hurt him but he hates it. I'm going to give it a try. She also said we should go back to our normal walks. We were doing 1 mile 3 times a day and he was a great dog. His Dr said that's too much and told me to cut it down to 1/2 mile 3 times a day.

Came back to add--your trainer just wants him tired out (a tired dog is a good dog) but your vet doesn't want him forced to walk too far. Can you throw a ball for him in the back yard, or do something other than leash walking to tire him? He just needs to run around in such a way that he can start and stop and start and stop.

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Kathleen, mom to one human, age 17, three canines, and a bunch of fish.

I love this article. It's pretty much all the things we already know but it is a reminder during this trying time of all the little things we can do to get through it.
Especially the section on the Demon Spawn.

http://www.clickersolutions.com/articles/spt/SPT_Puppies.htm#Adolscence

Puppy Adolscence - or Demon Spawn

Melissa Alexander 2002

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hehehe -- "this too... shall pass!"

Pira was so so so crazy at that age.. During her zoomies she would actually turn to us, jump and bite us! I was sure that it was directed to us. She did that inside the house, outside while off leash, with visitors. This was reeeeeally scary for me.

We found a way to prevent that (or at least decrease the amount of times) from happen.. we sort of tried to see what were the triggers: when she was thirsty, too tired, when it was between 7-10pm, when she was not comfortable (dog parks, we kind of stopped going.. we socialize in other ways now), she was a little bit of the stairs of one particular park (she would always get the zoomies there when she was off leash, for example), etc.

At one point she just stopped. I was really happy that this phase ended. : o )

Hang in there! Of course you know all that already! But I just thought about sharing Pira's teenager moments too..

Love hearing your stories!

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i am very very lucky to have her.

DanaRuns- That's what I think too! I can't wait until you get your puppy and see the craziness you go through

Tennyson- Thanks for that last line, you made an old lady cry like a baby

Solinvictus- Thanks for that article, at least it made me smile

Outwest- Yes, I play a game with him where I through his ball on top of Ky's roof and he runs up the ramp to get it. He loves that game, might be a way to wear him out but he's like the energizer bunny

I think it's just shocking to me because Bentley, for the most part has been a pretty easy puppy. Most of what he does is on the lines of class clown type stuff so now that he's bratty it's like your honor roll son coming home wearing a dunce cap.
I just did a little training session with him and when I told him to sit I heard him say, "You're not the boss of me!" as he turned and left the room. Training commenced on leash

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Teeny suggestion... and this is based on Jacks who had his moments between 10 weeks and 7 months -

Baby gates are AWESOME. You don't have to crate Bentley all the time, but you probably SHOULD seperate the dogs to allow Ky a little comfort time to herself. We had to do the same with our Danny who didn't have a tough bone in his body and refused to correct Jacks.

Baby gates are awesome. Younger dog stays with you or with your husband. Train him to be in the same room as you and not have to be the center of attention all the time.

Yep. Between 10 weeks and 7 months.... that sweet marshmallow you brought home turns into the "puppy from hell" according to my mom.

I'd listen to your vet. o_O

Remember, growing bones....

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Always loved, never forgotten, all our previous boys -