Dogolescence - what age does the trouble start?

[scruffyponies]

Our rescue Presa (probably a cross, 7 months) has settled in beautifully. Most of the time she's like an adult dog to have around, with only the occasional burst of excited energy remind me how young she still is. She's friendly with 2 and 4 legged visitors, and adores the other 3 dogs, especially the Cane Corso x in this photo, who immediately appointed herself 'mum'.

Question is, should I expect a change as her hormones kick in (we have been advised to wait to spay her), or will a happy, settled pup most likely make a happy settled dog?

 

[MissTyc]

In my experience, a happy settled pup will make a happy settled dog ... in the end .
Mine had a terrible phase 7-9 months but then reverted to lovely and I thought we'd got away with it, then at 20 months omg, madness ensued and I thought we were forever doomed. She's almost 2 years and started to come out of it. Hoping it's the last such phase!

 

[CorvusCorax]

Depends on the breed. German Shepherds' can last from 6-24 months my male didn't wise up until he was about 3 but it's all relative, he's still a lunatic at almost 12....

 

[honetpot]

It all depends on the dog. I got my RottiX at 10 months, she was an old lady then, she is now eleven and has never been any different. Her only, make me?, is to sit down and not budge.
I think girls are better than boys, boys can get a bit wilful, at about a year, and think doing what they know you do not want them to do a joke.

 

[scruffyponies]

he's still a lunatic at almost 12

My first dog was a working type setter from rescue, who in retrospect was a disastrous choice. She was an athletetic, determined and fiercely independent bird hunter. No amount of running tired her, and no fence would stop her. She finally settled into something manageable around 12, and was still breaking into a lope on a whim aged 16.

The new pup is not at all like our Cane Corso, who was a bit of a reactive twat until she was about 2 (and still likes to bark at visitors). She's more like my Rottie x who hasn't given us a moment's trouble in 12 years.

 

[CorvusCorax]

My first dog was a working type setter from rescue, who in retrospect was a disastrous choice. She was an athletetic, determined and fiercely independent bird hunter. No amount of running tired her, and no fence would stop her. She finally settled into something manageable around 12, and was still breaking into a lope on a whim aged 16.

The new pup is not at all like our Cane Corso, who was a bit of a reactive twat until she was about 2 (and still likes to bark at visitors). She's more like my Rottie x who hasn't given us a moment's trouble in 12 years.

Hopefully you get lucky! I just have a breed who tend to be absolutely horrid for the first part of their lives!!
I do enjoy posts about young dogs where the training is all going swimmingly and the recall is perfect, I think 'oh, sweet summer child...'
Then I remember rolling around in the mud with an eight-month-old who took severe exception to being told 'no, you can't do that' and came back up the line at me, then spending years and various methods of trying to get him to come back
He isn't a rescue, bred in the purple, just, er, Belgian heritage...

 

[Christmascinnamoncookie]

2 of mine at 18 months decided to rebel. We re-started them, heeling, staying, not moving til told-that’s a very strong command we like them all to know. It didn’t take long, they were really good dogs anyway (springers)

 

[P3LH]

One of mine at three and a half has only just mellowed - she’s still sharp as a tack, will tell you off if told she can’t do something, and gives the evil eye - but it isn’t as relentless. Equally I have another of the same breed who at nearly 16 months remains good as gold - the only thing I ever tell him off for is having an obsessive pissing contest with my twelve year old intact dog. We shall see if it lasts! Over the years we’ve had some who’ve remained consistently marvellous and others who have been consistently twatty

 

[Boulty]

Mine became a twit at 5 months & has largely remained one (he's 1 1/2 now). He has calmed down slightly with some things since castration (had 2 retained testicles) such as peeing everywhere obsessively and wanting to run off with other dogs but he can still be a bit feral sometimes!

 

[Jenko109]

One of mine has hit that stage about a month ago, aged 11 months.

Despite having been around horses almost daily since a puppy, he had decided that now they are mega interesting and will run up and under legs.

So a step back in training we have had to go, which is frustrating when he never paid them any attention whatsoever for so long.