Rebellious Puppy?

My five month old Kelpie (an Australian sheep dog) was really good at all the commands but now she has decided she doesn't want to do them anymore.

When I tell her to sit, she wags her tail, sticks her head in the air and walks away, usually to hide under a table or something. It's like she is "above" the basic commands.

Furthermore, she still doesn't listen on walks and doesn't come or stop unless it suits her.

When there are other dogs or people, or leaves, or pretty much anything that will hold her attention, she pretends she cant hear me.

What's going on? Have a trained my dog to be a princess?

Is it too late to get her on the right track? Perhaps she's still to young or perhaps she needs some tough life???

What should I do- there is only one princess allowed in the house and that's me!




Hi
Annoying and frustrating as this is, it's actually very normal behavior. Your pup is leaving the baby/toddler stage and is moving into adolescence. Her behavior is typical (and if you think about human adolescent behavior you'll see the connection!)

She's testing her limits, and is no longer quite as dependent or focused on you. This is a stage that will pass if you continue to work with her and are consistent, patient and loving. I would definitely not recommend anything other than continued positive reinforcement (treat/reward based training). Any harsh or punitive training will only make the situation worse - again, imagine what happens when a parent reacts harshly to a teenager and tries to 'force' them to do something. Not productive!

It is important though, that you never give your pup a command that you're not willing/able to enforce. For the moment I would suggest always having your pup on the leash when you are going to give her a command. If you tell her to 'sit', she has to sit. If she won't comply herself, then gently push her butt to the floor while raising a treat in front of her nose. You basically have to go back to the way you trained her in the first place.

Never tell her to "come" unless she is on a leash or long training rope, and you can make her come to you. Puppies learn through repetition and association, and she needs to 'forget' that she can choose to ignore you. Until she is responding to you without question (while on the leash/training rope) don't try commands without it. This could take weeks or longer, but is worth it.

I would also strongly recommend enrolling her in a Basic Obedience Class at a local Dog Obedience Training School. It will help you both.

Just be patient and consistent, work with her every day, and get her into a formal class and she will do just fine. Herding dogs are extremely intelligent and willing to please, but they can also be stubborn and some are independent minded. Make the training sessions fun for her and always end on a positive note (when she's done something really well), so that she is eager for the next session.

Best of luck.