# 10month old driving me demented help!



## Daisy246 (Oct 22, 2014)

Hi
I’ve just joined the forum and I’m posting on behalf of my parents who have a 10month old cockapoo; miniature poodle and working cocker spaniel. 

They are demented with him! He has a good walk everyday on the beach or in the woods with another doodle so he runs mad. He is digging up their garden and flower beds, constantly stealing anything he can, destructive in the house and generally making their lives a misery! He is fed on Naturesdiet.
Is there anyobody with a cockapoo who is of working cocker decent that can throw any hope to them?

Thanks in advance


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## Cat 53 (Aug 26, 2012)

Has he always been like this or is it a recent thing? If it's recent then he is probably in teenage mode. Or.......his puppyhood training has not been consistent. The trouble is it's cute if a puppy steals your socks, not so cute when an older dog does it, but if you let them get away with it in puppyhood how are they supposed to know its wrong when older. So my advice is to start again. Reward based clicker training. Go to some training classes with him. Oh yes.....the digging, no chance. They love to dig. Try to give him an area in the garden where it's ok to dig! My garden is like a moon scape. They are particularly fond of mole hills! They ain't hills for long!


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## lady amanda (Nov 26, 2010)

Training is going to be key, and remembering that he is still very young. 
Also, take it all in stride, this is a puppy, and training is going to help but getting stressed out about the situation is not going to be benificial for anyone or the puppy as they can sense the energy off you. They will adjust and so will he, they do calm down around the year and half mark. but that is not to say that waiting these behaviours out is a good idea. 
Sometimes changing foods can help, as well what do you mean by a good walk? does he get off leash time? does he get play time later or just let into the back yard?


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## Marzi (Sep 17, 2012)

It seems to me that the energy levels of our nutty poos is often a surprise to us. 
I don't think that it is fair to just blame the possible working cocker side. Poodles are high energy dogs - a friend with a standard poodle describe his dog as being like Tigger on speed. Kiki my cavapoo is a high energy hunter, certainly more than just a curl up on your knee dog - although she does enjoy doing that too!
My Dot who is show cocker cross is as mad as a hatter and loves to dig and find things around the house that she can modify. Dot gets plenty of exercise and training and her naughtiness seems to happen in the first half hour after she is left at home before she settles to sleep. I have learnt to always leave her with a chewy treat or some scattered kibble to distract her as she adjusts to having been left. I also blame myself if things get left where she can chew them. Digging can happen any time - but generally when she has been left with free access to the garden and basically ignored. In other words usually my fault it could have been avoided if I'd been with her.
That said - she is much better than she was, in another 10 years or so she'll probably be perfect 
For your parents - can they involve the dog in their lives more? Are they retired and basically at home? Could they maybe plan more walks - maybe down to the newsagent in the morning to collect the paper with your father - out with your mum to go to the post office. Play a game the three of them in the garden with a ball - doggy in the middle - or get some bubbles to blow, mine love chasing them. If the dog pulls when being walked invest in a good harness with a front clip so that your parents feel in control. Get them to research whether there are organized walks they can all go on together, or get them to try out local parks and see whether there is a time when plenty of similar aged people walk there dogs. Is there a good dog training club locally they could join?
If your parents are having fun with their boy, he won't irritate them half so much. Do they have grandchildren old enough to come and play with the dog? Or would they consider paying a dog walker to take him out a couple of times a week, or once a day so he gets extra exercise.
Is there a local dog friendly pub they could walk down to in the evening?
Enjoy being with him and having him with them, that is the key.


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## Lexi&Beemer (May 5, 2013)

At 10 months I was taking my dogs twice a day an hour each time to the dog park on top of playing at daycare. But my two also would regulate themselves well. They would stop and sleep without needing someone to make them. Now at 19 months it doesn't take much for them to settle. 


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## Daisy246 (Oct 22, 2014)

Thanks for all your replies. He has always been like this really, some days are better than others. An example would be he dug up all the potted plants so Mum told him off and replanted them.....he went back and dug them up!

He gets an hour off the lead each day running wild with another dog in the woods or on the beach, swimming and playing. My mum is at home all day so he’s only left for shopping trips and the like. They do take him to a dog friendly pub but he won’t settle and makes it stressful. He has his own toy box for play times and with them both. They’ve had dogs all their life but he is the first cockapoo. I have a 4yr goldendoodle but when Archie comes over to our house he terrorises him, hangs off his ears and runs riot in the house – makes it difficult to mind him if Mum and Dad want to go away overnight and can’t take him.

We wondered if the ‘working’ cocker was an error and he should have been brought up on a farm. Hopefully he will calm down in the next 6 months.


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## lady amanda (Nov 26, 2010)

I would suggest some classes in the mean time...they are fun...and will help


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## DB1 (Jan 20, 2012)

sounds like he is a handful but is probably just an energetic pup that thinks everything is a game, likely to be thinking 'yeay mum thanks for re doing those plants for me - lets dig again!', they love getting attention, good or bad and I think he has probably worked out just what gets him that! Dudley was a handful, people who have been on here a while will remember my 'oh Dudley!' posts! but being on here helped me see the funny side of it all, he did calm down but it took a while to be honest, I do agility with him and some of the people there are older. He has always been very good at learning things as he has my attention then, I think they may need to do more little training sessions during the day to teach him how they do want him to behave. When Dudley was little if I got out the dustpan and brush he would immediately attack the brush thinking that was a great game, however I learnt that if I had a few treats and told him to sit I could brush all around him without him moving a muscle! (needed to frequently repeat the command).


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## wellerfeller (Jul 12, 2011)

Hi, sounds to me like that energy and enthusiasm just needs channeling. As Lady Amanda said, training classes would be a great start but you could also look into agility or scent work classes or even gun dog training.. I think it's more his brain that needs occupying rather than his energy, bored dogs equal destructive dogs. Training will also improve the bond between your parents and the dog as he will begin to look to them for instruction rather than just being seen as a great big pest. It will enable them to build a much more harmonious relationship.


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## tessybear (May 1, 2011)

Your poor parents! It may sound a bit unhelpful to say he just sounds like a normal puppy. Their dog sounds just like my two were at his age, very active and lively. Both are from show spaniels not from working. He is still a puppy and the stealing behàviour is just him being young and full of mischief. What a pity he is causing them to be miserable when they should be having such fun with him.

I'm afraid they have a digger and my Bonnie is a compulsive digger. She is an obedient dog, very willing to please but its hard to stop her digging. I let her dig in woods and parks buy not in my garden. When she digs in my garden I clap my hands hard and say no. I put her straight inside if she doesn't stop. Cockapoos are highly intelligent and he should get the hang of it if your parents are firm and consistent. Distraction is always useful maybe a ball or toy?

Long lasting chews are a very useful way of using up energy. Paddywack, Pizzle sticks or even frozen yoghurt in a kong will keep him busy for a good half hour. He will calm down as he matures, mine are so much better now although Dexter will still grab socks and run away with them but we have to ignore him! Good luck to your parents I'm sure things will improve.


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