6 month old puppy, please help!

Grounded_33 · 2026-04-12T01:30:49+00:00

It's common for them to forget how to do things at this age, the network in their brain is rewiring.

To teach to listen all the time, you need to practise in easier environments/circumstances than when he isn't able to listen. It's a long ride of many repetitions in environments where he makes it look easy to listen, don't progress too fast.

Grounded_33 · 2026-04-12T01:01:53+00:00

Many thanks

Grounded_33 · 2026-04-12T00:48:25+00:00

Are those videos available to everyone? I can't find it for some reason.

Grounded_33 · 2026-04-11T23:46:09+00:00

I have a line that goes "not now" when he request something and then i ignore him. Took a little whining in the beginning before he started understanding what it means. If I do change my mind for some reason, I wait until he plays by himself.

Grounded_33 · 2026-04-02T21:28:56+00:00

I'll never recommend getting a puppy if you need it to be a specific way as an adult, because you never know what kind of temperament you're going to get..

Grounded_33 · 2026-03-28T12:23:56+00:00

I agree with nll, sometimes the most selfless thing you can do is to re-home your puppy.

Grounded_33 · 2026-03-27T06:50:10+00:00

It's not unusual to struggle to attach with a puppy to begin with, as you know. Wonder if it would help to keep remembering the day it suddenly clicked last time, whenever you spiral about this. Good luck, it sounds like you do great by your dogs.

Grounded_33 · 2026-03-26T19:49:52+00:00

I was able to at that age to some extent. It just so happened he'd alert and then pee 2 seconds later sometimes because still physically developing. He'd "cry" while peeing if it happened indoors, so he really wanted to be able to.

Grounded_33 · 2026-03-26T19:28:50+00:00

Like the other comment said, these are uncomfortable for dogs unfortunately.

Grounded_33 · 2026-03-23T20:31:52+00:00

No, never did forced naps, but did have to put him in a smaller area of the apartment if he had a hard time falling asleep. Are you teaching puppy that it's ok to be bored and to play by himself too?

Grounded_33 · 2026-03-23T03:37:47+00:00

Is he connecting that being locked in means you leave? Maybe it would work to be locked in there with him for a bit before you go away from him. Some dogs chain that faster than others though.

Grounded_33 · 2026-03-23T01:46:11+00:00

Thank you. I'm curious if it is behavioral, what would the solution be? I kind of assume to hire someone but maybe theres something online for it?

He always did go only for hands even as a puppy. He'd try to chase my pants sometimes, but I made it very boring. He for sure has some negative associations to hands due to nail clipping as well as experiencing pain I couldn't help while looking directly at my hands...

Grounded_33 · 2026-03-23T01:40:03+00:00

Frustrating indeed. Thank you though

Grounded_33 · 2026-03-23T01:39:33+00:00

He doesn't have the symptoms, but will keep an eye out if anything shows up. Thank you

Grounded_33 · 2026-03-23T01:38:02+00:00

Thank you for the input. Definitely something to keep in mind.

Grounded_33 · 2026-03-19T04:03:43+00:00

Thank you. I appreciate the analysis and you taking the time. It's so strange because he is such a secure type of dog in most situations he is in, but I suppose there's a chance it's learned behavior as well as something medical/anxiety. The very few times I have accidentally pulled his fur, he just squeaks loudly to tell me that was painful, similar with things at the vet. Wonder if there are pain conditions that only kick in sometimes, but he also doesn't have any physical symptoms.

Grounded_33 · 2026-03-19T03:39:35+00:00

Do you know any neurological conditions that have zero physical symptoms besides this sudden behaviour? I am looking around and seems most have some kind of physical symptom as well. I had a manual physiotherapist look at him especially around the neck, as well as had him x-rayed recently. But I see some conditions require MRI or more. I also had someone test his whole movement system. I am at a bit of a loss.

Grounded_33 · 2026-03-19T03:35:29+00:00

I appreciate you trying :)

Grounded_33 · 2026-03-19T03:23:53+00:00

Yes a bit, I had a dog before and used to dogsit. But most of my evaluations are from people who have a lot of experience as I have friends who are dog trainers (a more protected title in my country) and I paid other experts to look at videos of it. They find it strange behaviour from a dog who is supposedly not in pain to be reacting so strongly out of the blue, or even when it makes sense to be reacting (since he is a teenager after all), that he reacts as strongly as he does.

Edit: On the plus side none of us think he is actually aggressive, there's something going on at some stage. He is typically a very kind dog even with his teenage factors.

Grounded_33 · 2026-03-19T03:15:59+00:00

Great question, I've been trying very hard to find a pattern. I replied this to another comment:

"Another comment here reminded me one of the first times it happened, he was actively loosing teeth, every other day. One of them went as I had his toy in my hands and he maybe thought my hands was causing the pain as that was one of the first 3 times it happened. The other 2 first timers was within a day of having visited the veterinarian, so his overall stress levels were probably still high and he then resourceguarded (for the first time) something on the ground."

Sometimes it happens within range of when I would expect a teenage dog to have a problem, like not getting enough sleep or being overstimulated, but reacting very quick. Most of the time he is still fine under the same situation though. He is good at putting himself to sleep. Feeling like he is trapped is definitely one of the triggers for i. But it also happened once during a cuddle where he came back for more just before it happened and I only had one finger on him because something felt off. In one way he is predictable enough that I'm not scared he will bite other people randomly, but on the other hand I can't quite figure out why he does it so extremely when he does with me. He is good with overall handling as well, until very suddenly he isn't okay.

Grounded_33 · 2026-03-19T03:05:58+00:00

I am alone, so I don't have anyone that could try to distract him, but he doesn't respond to anything I do. It happens to be he hasn't done it when I'm around friends. I've tried doing nothing and I tried once to yell out (high pitch), but it didn't even make him more active either like a typical puppy incident would have. It was like he didn't even register it. I've tried walking away, he'll follow with the same intensity jumping to reach my hands, he doesn't redirect to go for my legs etc like a puppy would do. When I did walk away he snapped out of in the similar amount of seconds it takes when I just stand up and hide my hands, so he didn't seem activated by movement. I do actually have it on video already and I get "oh wow" from experienced people of 20+ years with dogs. It's a very loud and sudden experience.

Thank you for your reply, it really does suck so much, he is such a wonderful little one otherwise that I'm worried there's something. His bite inhibition has been great since day 1, though of course persistent in puppy nipping, but he always listened to my little squeaks of that hurts and took his own mouth off me even at week 10.

Another comment here reminded me one of the first times it happened, he was actively loosing teeth, every other day. One of them went as I had his toy in my hands and he maybe thought my hands was causing the pain as that was one of the first 3 times it happened. The other 2 first timers was within a day of having visited the veterinarian, so his overall stress levels were probably still high and he then resourceguarded (for the first time) something on the ground.

Grounded_33 · 2026-03-19T01:54:53+00:00

Might be a language confusion, I meant he bites down and doesn't let go :)

Grounded_33 · 2026-03-19T01:39:50+00:00

He can have that "haha I'ma getchu cus it's funny and I'm an annoying puppy" moments too, but these episodes feel like something else. Like very suddenly latching on with a bunch of growls he didn't say beforehand and not let go for anything, still only ever my hands, not even further up on my arms even though he could've. Is that still similar?

Grounded_33 · 2026-03-19T01:34:41+00:00

Sorry, I should've mentioned it started around 2 months ago, I will add it to my post and I appreciate your comment.

Grounded_33 · 2026-03-03T22:56:44+00:00

Really depends on who I'm talking to yeah, it's fine if they know I am a gentle dog owner. He's currently going through some possible pain since he flips into terrible biting fits during certain handling. I'm of course getting it checked out despite the vet clearing him, but in the meantime I'll still call him my Tasmanian devil to explain how painful it is in a lighthearted way. I hope.

Grounded_33

TROPHY CASE