Anyone have a puppy that was extremely difficult as a puppy, but turned out to be a well behaved adult?

...pleeeeease tell me yes!
Is it possible to love a puppy yet feel like I cant stand him at the same time???
(cue to having a 14 year old teenager in the house...) OK, so I guess it IS possible. LOL
Rowdy is clearly going to be a completely different ballgame than my Shorty (my Corgi that was stolen in June).
I find myself comparing Rowdy to Shorty, like Rowdy is some red headed step child. Shorty was truly a phenominal doggie. People think I am exaggerating when I say that Shorty never did anything bad, but he truly didnt. He learned everything in just a few tries (although my hundreds of attempts to 'shake hands' never did get through to him!! LOL) OK, he DID like to dig, but he was not destructive with it.
Shorty never barked, learned not to bite (as a small puppy) within a day or two, learned how to walk with his harness without protest in one walk, and to heel and sit at corners/intersections within 2-3 walks. He was crate trained within days. He understood what 'NO!' meant. Shorty never knew what a choke collar was. I sure miss my litle man Shorty. I got two calls from people who had seen my hundreds of ads... but nothing came of them.
Hopefully one day (SOON) that microchip will lead him back home. I am sure that someone probably has him in their home however, and I would want to keep him if I found him too.
Fast forward to new Puppy 'Rowdy'..... sigh....
9 weeks old - keep in mind I have had him for a month...
Bad points:
Still is nipping and have the marks to prove it.
Thinks 'No' means YES YES YES!
Fought like bloody murder against the harness and leash training. Moved to choke chain with success, finally.
Barks like a mad man.
Chewed a brand new rug.
Has never ending energy, even though he acts like he is on the brink of collapse when I am walking him... (picture thirsty man painfully crawling through hot desert... yet 'mysteriously' as soon as I open the front door and take the leash off... I have Seabiscuit racing around the living room like a madman... MAGIC!!)
Is it possible for a Corgi to have a multiple personality disorder?
Good points: ...
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...
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... ok, he's darned cute!
But really, I got Cesar Millans books and have been reading and applying his principles. I can see a difference, but I fear that he will always be a handful.
He is super smart, he must be if he is outsmarting ME! I always thought I was a good pack leader, but Rowdy is making me rethink my whole role in this world.
He WAS a breeze to crate train, and is almost 100% housetrained, and he does great with the cats. So he is not all bad.
I do love him... I just need to hear that others have had horror puppies that turned out to be model citizens (using term loosely) as adults.
PS I do understand 'normal' puppy behavior, but Rowdy truly seems like he has 'Attention Deficit Disorder' to the EXTREME.
Please give me hope! :)

SIDENOTE:
Before I had my first Corgi, I had always been a "Dog Whisperer (TV show) Junkie". I think that is a reason Shorty did so well with me. I was undeniably his pack leader. After Rowdy, I recently bought Cesar Millans book to remind me of things I had forgotten.
Like Cesar suggests, Exercise first, Discipline next, THEN affection. In a short time, it is making a difference with Rowdy, I walk him twice a day.
Something I failed to mention in the post is that when I had Shorty as a puppy, I lived alone.
Now with Rowdy, my boyfriend and his 14 year old son live with me. They think I am hitler with the puppy because from day one I have asked them not to do certain things to no avail, prime example being: from day #1 they will take him, start playing very roughly with him, getting him super hyper and all worked up. They thought it was funny and cute when he wouldstart barking non stop at them, and I personally believe this is the root of most of Rowdy's problems. Now that I have threatened to find Rowdy another home, they are trying to follow the rules according to Cesar, and it is making a difference.
Thankfully.... it is hard work always being right.... hee hee hee

UPDATE 08-21-09:
Since I have my whole household with me on correctly training Rowdy, there has been a tremendous improvement. I can now consider him back to 'normal' puppy behavior.
His nipping and biting is getting much better, and his crazed out of control general state of mind is much more balanced now (no doubt an effect of the two boys in my house changing their behavior around the puppy)
He is walking on a leash with little fighting, and will walk all three levels of balance beam on the playground and loves it. I think we have found his calling... lol.
He has had no accidents in the house for quite some time, I am VERY impressed for him to be so good at only 10 weeks old tomorrow, but my Shorty was good about not pottying inside as well. I think my extremely consistant training since day 1 has helped me with both doggies.
Thank you for everyones input!
PHEW!!
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Replies to This Discussion

OMG... I had to laugh at your comment, not at you, but just the whole comedy of hitting the head on the table, sounds like something that would happen to me! LOL. Hope you are okay.
I am trying to constantly have a substitute ready when Rowdy bites. He usually does it to my toes while I am sitting down when he feels like I am not giving him enough attention. It is hard trying not to react, it hurts!! (as you well know!)
It is funny because now that he is getting the idea, he does these little 'bluff' bites, when he does the whole biting motion, but then stops just short of biting or eyes me to see if I am really watching what he is doing...
Silly dogs. I love him, but man what a challenge!
Cesar really does have a gift. I know there are many ways to train dogs, but his seem to be the most logical that I have seen. I applied a lot of his techniques with my Shorty that was stolen, and he was a SAINT! :)
Girls, try to watch Victoria Stilwel, on Animal Planet, every Friday.
She has so many useful techniques and they take time, but they really work.
Are you sure your boyfriend and son aren't related to my husband and stepdaughter???? LOL! I have the same problem, I'm the big old meanie with the dogs in making them behave.

Your Shorty/Rowdy story reminds me of my experience with the two corgis I've owned. My first corgi I had (many years ago) was a perfect angel. Well behaved, mannered, etc.....along comes Duncan, the complete opposite. Bull headed and stubborn; learns fast but figures out how to get around the rules.

Yes, they do get better, somewhat. Just keep up with the rules and if your boyfriend and his son help in following the rules.....that's where the rollup newspaper and a whack on the nose will fix it!!
Should I wack my boyfriend, or his son on the nose with the rolled up newspaper... ? LOL
Is the nose the only appropriate place for them?
I'm gonna told them you said it was OK.... hee hee
(I know what you meant, really)
:)
Yep, whack the boyfriend and son with the paper....they're the trouble makers...LOL. Whacking on the nose seems to get their attention quicker than other places on the body. I have also threatened my husband to sending him to obedience school; imagine him with a collar on and teaching him to heel. HEY! What a great idea! Take husbands to obedience school right after the marriage.....teach them potty training (putting the seat down), tricks (how to load the dishwasher or put their clothes in the hamper) and recall (have them come home early enough when out with the boys).....someone could make a fortune doing that.
hee hee hee!! I think you may have something there!!! This is a great idea... Lou Ann, the husband whisperer!

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