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Permalink Reply by Beth on March 30, 2015 at 3:22pm

At this age they realize they don't HAVE to listen to you and start to develop their own mind. If they are around well-behaved adult dogs, it can help because they've usually lost "puppy license" and adult dogs will correct their over-exuberant behavior.

This is a good time to tighten up a bit. Less freedom, regular schedules for exercise and confinement, and lots and LOTS of short training sessions. Usually around now you need to start reducing food to adult levels. Reduce a bit further and use part of his meals as treats for training. "Wait" at the dinner bowl and "sit" before I throw a toy are two of my favorites to teach some self-control and manners.

It's also a good time to really sharpen up recall. Recall games are a great way to firm up training and burn off energy, and there is nothing quite like the joy of seeing your Corgi pick his head up in the middle of playing or sniffing off-leash and swing around, grinning, to run full speed to you at your recall command. One day it may save his life, so this one is super important.

And just remember, this too shall pass. One day you will look back at these days as the good days.

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Permalink Reply by susan on March 31, 2015 at 11:00am

Sounds like puppy adolescents has kicked in.  Just like with any teenager it can be a trying time.  They test their boundaries and it might seem like all he knew before he has forgotten.  It will pass, but this is a great time to reinforce everything you have previously worked on, and a great time to take an obedience class or get involved in a dog sport.  The recall game that Beth describes is great.  We still play that at our house out in the yard.  Jeli has to run between the three of us.  She loves the game, gets some good recall action in, and it tires her out.  A tired puppy is a good puppy! 

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Permalink Reply by Vicky Hay on March 31, 2015 at 5:21pm

Heh heh heh heh... Think "teenager." You poor soul.

Ruby the Corgi Pup just continued to barrel through puppyhood at that age. Other dogs who have come to live with me moved into a new and special stage at about 10 months: the "False Sense of Confidence" era. This period's theme is Tricking the Human into Thinking All Is Going Well. :-D

You think the dog is now house-trained, ohhh yes, reliably house-trained.

Wrong.

You think the dog is past eating the furniture.

Wrong.

You think the dog has given up excavating the backyard.

Wrong.

You think the dog will not, after all, figure out how to unroll the toilet paper, convert it to confetti, and scatter it all over the house.

Wrong.

You think the dog has acquiesced to the concept that a steak on the kitchen counter is not its dinner.

Wrong.

We could, from a human point of view, call it the "Wrong" phase.

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Permalink Reply by Holly on April 3, 2015 at 4:02pm

I also have a Sully who is older, almost 5 I think, who sometimes exhibits odd behaviors, not often, but it is surprising when it happens. In the case of my Sully she is very well-behaved but she was never socialized so she does things like chew on rugs and such if she is anxious or bored or hears an odd noise outside. Along with the suggestions others mentioned I would think continued exposure to various situations will help your Sully learn what is expected to see and hear and how he is expected to behave in various situations. Of course, you probably have socialized him much more than the previous owners did my dog. As for the accidents, you can Goggle a cheap, simple home remedy to make to remove the stain and odor so he doesn't go in the same spot again. It has hydrogen peroxide and mild detergent, water and vinegar I think.

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