How much do they really change around 1 year old?
- Thread starter mikail
- Start date
@mikail She will get used to it. I WFH and mine used to bug me to play and play when I was working. After a while he learned that work time is not play time. But after work we go have fun. I do take mine out for lunch everyday and he is super chill after that. Took me a long time to get to this point though and also a lot of patience. Keep it up!
ironmike663
New member
@mikail I agree with what others are saying - it does get better and the constant need to manage does go away! For mine, the hardest months were around the 5-8 months. Their whole body and new teeth are settling into place and their mind is so sharp that I think it's a really uncomfortable/exciting period for them.
It was then a very gradual lessening of the constant "need to do something" until around 10-11 months. Then all of a sudden it clicked for her and she wanted to start settling just as hard as she wanted to play. We'd then have the occasional week after that where she'd be extra crazy or out of sorts (I swear it was during growth spurts), but I found by her first birthday forgetting about how tiring those first months were.
She's two now and absolutely keeps me active through daily walks, trick training, sports, etc., but we can both enjoy the occasional down day now and it's not like the puppy phase of needing to spend all my brain power keeping an eye on her.
ACDs make such amazing partners, so I think working through the tiring times is totally worth it to have a pup that's so into everything you do with them. The reactivity might always be there to some extent (part of the breed to be aware and suspicious of all things), but once she's out of the extra drama teenage phase, even the reactivity can become a (shouty but fun) dialogue you have with her
What worked for me during those months was to lean into any sort of training to basically entertain my pup and I. I figured if I was going to be exhausted, might as well make the activity useful. Also having enforced nap times 2-3x/day for about an hour to give us both a break from each other.
It was then a very gradual lessening of the constant "need to do something" until around 10-11 months. Then all of a sudden it clicked for her and she wanted to start settling just as hard as she wanted to play. We'd then have the occasional week after that where she'd be extra crazy or out of sorts (I swear it was during growth spurts), but I found by her first birthday forgetting about how tiring those first months were.
She's two now and absolutely keeps me active through daily walks, trick training, sports, etc., but we can both enjoy the occasional down day now and it's not like the puppy phase of needing to spend all my brain power keeping an eye on her.
ACDs make such amazing partners, so I think working through the tiring times is totally worth it to have a pup that's so into everything you do with them. The reactivity might always be there to some extent (part of the breed to be aware and suspicious of all things), but once she's out of the extra drama teenage phase, even the reactivity can become a (shouty but fun) dialogue you have with her
What worked for me during those months was to lean into any sort of training to basically entertain my pup and I. I figured if I was going to be exhausted, might as well make the activity useful. Also having enforced nap times 2-3x/day for about an hour to give us both a break from each other.
@ironmike663 This is super encouraging! I really hope that’s the path we’re on as well. The responses here are mixed and it’s definitely not guaranteed, but I hope that she does learn to relax more over the next few months. That’s exactly what’s so exhausting: having to manage her all the time, like you said. I’d love to just have her there next to me when we’re not playing/training/walking.
ironmike663
New member
@mikail You will totally get there, and I hope for you that it's sooner than later! It sounds like you're doing all the right things and it's so promising you're already seeing hints of calm. I remember jackpot treating my girl when I'd catch her quietly entertaining herself or just chilling - although that can be tough if it gets them all ramped up again
Best of luck, and feel free to DM me if you want to talk ideas or need some support!
Best of luck, and feel free to DM me if you want to talk ideas or need some support!
benjaminndavid
New member
@mikail I don't have specific tips but want to offer a glimmer of hope and realistic expectations. We have an almost 3 year old purebred cattle dog that's been home with us since 8 weeks old and everyday I can see him getting closer to being a great dog. My partner grew up with dogs while this is my first. Oh...we also live in a large urban city because I apparently wanted to try dog ownership in hard mode.
As puppy, he seemed to have endless energy. Could fetch for literally 1-2 hours with only intermittent breaks...and I am talking about launching the ball hundreds of feet each time with one of those launch sticks. However, he was super cute, learned commands very fast and listened to them very well so it was easy to cope with the high energy even though I sacrificed most of my free time to exercise him. In terms of energy level, he did mellow out at 1 and again around 2 I noticed another huge drop where he will actually get tired from fetch quite faster and will want to stop playing. Currently, a 30 min session of fetch along with other tricks and indoor play throughout the day can keep him happy. When I work from home, he can now have stretches of 3-4 hours napping without bothering me. I can leave him out for 8 hours at home unattended and he is fine.
What I wasn't prepared for was the reactivity. I noticed signs of it around 8 months and it really kicked in around 1. I feel like we socialized him pretty well as a puppy but maybe the urban environment was too stimulating or we didn't handle his fear periods correctly, I'll never know. It was pretty terrible - barking/growling/lunging at dogs, people, cars, bikes, and just about anything else. Even redirecting onto us during those reactive moments. This time was one of the most stressful and emotionally difficult periods of my life; even more than the stress I felt when I did my bachelor and master engineering degrees together in under 4 years. It was a constant cycle of frustration, resentment, and guilt. I would be lying if I said that rehoming did not cross my mind. What ended up happening is that we spent countless hours and thousands on training. If possible I would encourage you to work with a trainer on the reactivity before it gets to the point that we reached. Now I can have mostly peaceful walks in the city and pass people and dogs with calm behavior over 95% of the time. He still struggles on some days but I noticed a pretty big reduction in reactivity around 2.5 years old and just recently again as he approaches 3.
If I had to do it all over again, I would tell myself that patience, structure, empathy, and consistency is key.
As puppy, he seemed to have endless energy. Could fetch for literally 1-2 hours with only intermittent breaks...and I am talking about launching the ball hundreds of feet each time with one of those launch sticks. However, he was super cute, learned commands very fast and listened to them very well so it was easy to cope with the high energy even though I sacrificed most of my free time to exercise him. In terms of energy level, he did mellow out at 1 and again around 2 I noticed another huge drop where he will actually get tired from fetch quite faster and will want to stop playing. Currently, a 30 min session of fetch along with other tricks and indoor play throughout the day can keep him happy. When I work from home, he can now have stretches of 3-4 hours napping without bothering me. I can leave him out for 8 hours at home unattended and he is fine.
What I wasn't prepared for was the reactivity. I noticed signs of it around 8 months and it really kicked in around 1. I feel like we socialized him pretty well as a puppy but maybe the urban environment was too stimulating or we didn't handle his fear periods correctly, I'll never know. It was pretty terrible - barking/growling/lunging at dogs, people, cars, bikes, and just about anything else. Even redirecting onto us during those reactive moments. This time was one of the most stressful and emotionally difficult periods of my life; even more than the stress I felt when I did my bachelor and master engineering degrees together in under 4 years. It was a constant cycle of frustration, resentment, and guilt. I would be lying if I said that rehoming did not cross my mind. What ended up happening is that we spent countless hours and thousands on training. If possible I would encourage you to work with a trainer on the reactivity before it gets to the point that we reached. Now I can have mostly peaceful walks in the city and pass people and dogs with calm behavior over 95% of the time. He still struggles on some days but I noticed a pretty big reduction in reactivity around 2.5 years old and just recently again as he approaches 3.
If I had to do it all over again, I would tell myself that patience, structure, empathy, and consistency is key.
leywastridge
New member
@benjaminndavid Hi! We are dealing with almost the EXACT situation. Would be so grateful if you could go into the kind of training you believe has helped with the reactivity. (We have a trainer but would love to hear what you’ve seen success with!) thank you!
@leywastridge We’re working with a trainer as well, and it’s all positive reinforcement. The mantra is just “trigger equals treat.” It sounds counterintuitive, but it’s all about timing. Make sure you’re not reinforcing the barking/lunging by giving the treat too late. If they’re actively reacting, you waited too long and the dog is over threshold.
You have to pay close attention to their body language and give the marker (“yes!”) and treat right when they’re alerting (ears up, head up) ans BEFORE they’re reacting. If you catch it right, they’ll learn to look to you as soon as they see/hear the trigger, and then you can reinforce THAT check-in so that the “trigger means treat” instead of danger.
It’s worked for me with cars and trucks after just a week. We’re still working on squirrels
You have to pay close attention to their body language and give the marker (“yes!”) and treat right when they’re alerting (ears up, head up) ans BEFORE they’re reacting. If you catch it right, they’ll learn to look to you as soon as they see/hear the trigger, and then you can reinforce THAT check-in so that the “trigger means treat” instead of danger.
It’s worked for me with cars and trucks after just a week. We’re still working on squirrels
leywastridge
New member
Will note that we are dealing with reactivity in general but especially unfortunately he is redirecting his frustration/reactivity at us lately, despite being absolutely enamored with us too.
benjaminndavid
New member
@leywastridge Hi, I agree with OP that ultimately it is about management and positive reinforcement before they are above their threshold. I do believe that with the right environment and patience, positive reinforcement is the best way to go about it.
However, pure positive did not work for us due to environmental factors. We live in an urban environment and it was just not always possible to control distance and distraction levels for our dog to remain below threshold. Reactions were nearly everyday so it was a constant cycle of elevated stress which led to more reactions. We had to work with a board and train to sort of break us out of this cycle, allowing our dog to reset in a more controlled environment and sort of a mental break for us as well. After the training, things weren't perfect but we had a different mind set and the tools to slowly work towards a calmer dog. We do use a prong collar because we need something to refocus his attention quickly after a reaction. Treats and rewards don't work once they are above threshold. Flat collars and harnesses do not work well in our environment. So again, if you live in a setting where you are able to manage distance very well I would say that positive reinforcement should be the primary method. If you are unable to control the environment very well, you may want to consider other tools and methods. The key is to be balanced and calm.
However, pure positive did not work for us due to environmental factors. We live in an urban environment and it was just not always possible to control distance and distraction levels for our dog to remain below threshold. Reactions were nearly everyday so it was a constant cycle of elevated stress which led to more reactions. We had to work with a board and train to sort of break us out of this cycle, allowing our dog to reset in a more controlled environment and sort of a mental break for us as well. After the training, things weren't perfect but we had a different mind set and the tools to slowly work towards a calmer dog. We do use a prong collar because we need something to refocus his attention quickly after a reaction. Treats and rewards don't work once they are above threshold. Flat collars and harnesses do not work well in our environment. So again, if you live in a setting where you are able to manage distance very well I would say that positive reinforcement should be the primary method. If you are unable to control the environment very well, you may want to consider other tools and methods. The key is to be balanced and calm.
leywastridge
New member
@benjaminndavid Thank you for this! We also have to use a prong collar as well due to being in an urban environment, and it helps a lot. Currently our training happens within our neighborhood but perhaps a board and train might help him settle as well. And agreed that positive reinforcement should always be the preferred method wherever possible! Thank you again!
@mikail I have found that at those points if you just keep trying ( not super forcefully of course ) and just keep encouraging the good behaviors and avoiding situations that trigger reactivity they will get better. Usually after those discouraging moments if you stick it out comes more gratitude for them.
@norlmasih Thanks — I’m trying to keep that perspective. Perseverance! Endurance! Its a quality of the breed, so makes sense to be a quality of the owner as well.
@mikail You sound frustrated but so well equipped with the techniques you and the dog are learning. I don't really have any advice not already being mentioned but just wanted to give you kudos. It will be worth it. Also it sounds to me like with everything you are doing you won't easily find someone better prepared than you to rehome to. Keep your head up!