Terrible 6 months?

Where did my sweet Owen go? Well I realize he has had his ups and downs but I feel like he is going through a nasty phase. He is almost six months (next fri) and not fixed yet. He can not be penned in the hallway by anything that is not screwed in the wall. He has pushed through everything we have used to barracade him in! So we are getting a better gate. He is not trustworthy in the open in the house. A few times he got out this last week I don't know where he finds it but paper is shredded through out the house!

Also Owen was coming when called but all of a sudden is his halfway down the neighborhood if he isn't on leash! Even in the house when I came home from work to let him out - he went nuts (got out of his pen earlier) and wouldn't let me get his leash on. His leash wrestling is back too!

So help?! Is this a phase. On our part we have only taken him on one long walk after work. So he will now get a medium walk in the morning and a short one at lunch if I don't have a lunch meeting. The screw in the wall gate will go up. We are feeding him 1/2 cup/3 times a day and he is 18.5 lbs- is that too much? Any other ideas.

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Permalink Reply by Alla on November 1, 2008 at 1:08pm

we are still in the sweet stage - 5 months. But we only give Charlie 1/2 cup 2 times a day.

I wonder if he is going to change too?.. :(

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Permalink Reply by Carlie on November 1, 2008 at 3:18pm

We feed Kiwi 1/3 cup in the morning and 1/2 at night. I've heard that once they hit the 5-6 month mark they can start eating twice a day, instead of 3 times, Kiwi never ate 3 times a day, and seems to be right in line with the weight charts. She is about 21 lbs and is 9 months old.

His behavior sounds like a phase, it could have to do with him not being fixed yet, but a lot of times puppies go through their tough stages because of the crazy hormones. At least this is what our trainer has told us. Have you tried crating him? A crate might help to contain him during the day. You could also look into doggie day care a couple of times a week, that might help with his energy levels. We've noticed that Kiwi has so much more energy, so we try to go to the dog park as much as possible, and we try to take her on a nice long run/walk at night. Have you tried the gentle leader? It really helped Kiwi learn how to walk on a leash. They do not hurt the dog at all, they are simply a training tool to help the dog learn how to self correct. The gentle leader also comes with a training dvd to help you learn how to correctly use it. From what I've heard, now (the 6 month age) is the time to reinforce all of their training, and just be really on top of them with obedience, so they don't learn any bad habits now. Anyway, good luck, hope this helps a little!

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Permalink Reply by Sam Tsang on November 1, 2008 at 4:37pm

yes, he's entering the adolescence stage, keep up with the training and walk, do not trust and let him roam the house until he's 9 mo- 1 yr. Corgis need mental stimulation and other physical challenges, they are herding dogs and need jobs. You can reduce the feeding amount to twice a day, it really depends on his daily activity. Good luck! this phrase shall pass :)

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Permalink Reply by Ross on November 11, 2008 at 2:45pm

What others here have said. Make sure your pup gets plenty of excercise, and yes this is a phase. Our dog Atlas is pretty stubborn now, but about 4-6 months he turned into a complete nightmare.
Just make sure you are using lots of positive reinforcement, and don't let your emotions get the best of you, try and stay calm and assertive when you discipline him, dogs are non verbal communicators so they are more sensitive to things like tone and posture.
When you say long walk, how long do you mean? We can't get Atlas tired by just simply walking him. These dogs were bred to herd cattle for 8+ hours a day! So your dog really needs to get some serious exercise. I usually take Atlas to the dog park for at least an hour or two almost every day. And if the weathers bad I play with him inside.

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Permalink Reply by Lusa on November 11, 2008 at 3:46pm

Callie is the same age and I knew she was small for her age (with her being a runt), but comparing her to a pup who was born with in the same week makes her seem really small. She is 12.7 pounds and I feed her 3/4 cup twice a day. The vet says she's healthy. Infact I believe her mom was only 18 pounds.
I never have any problem with Callie breaking down the gate, she's afraid of it. She has been going through a little phase too, so I've been having her go outside and play more and she's settled down some.