Terrible Teen...

A few of the other puppy raising blogs I read have been talking about how their pups are regressing in what they know. Hobart and Haddie are 4 months old and are doing things like having accidents and not doing the commands that they know. I well remember when Spark was at this stage. I was so happy when he grew out of it. Little did I know what was coming next!

Spark was wonderful for about 2 months. Then last night out of the blue, he started not really regressing so much as rebelling. He is in his 'terrible teen' puppyhood stage.
He refuses to do things when I tell him and prefers to do what HE wants when HE wants to. There is NO way I am allowing him to do this.  For instance, I tell him to come and he comes- but by the most indirect and slow route. Or here's an even better one, last night I was making dinner and he was outside, I put the food in the oven and then looked out in the backyard to see what he was up to. The answer? T-R-O-U-B-L-E! He was digging a hole. Now digging was bad enough but the worst part was that it had rained Wednesday night and it was really muddy.  Digging + mud = Disgusting puppy. I went out and stopped him, but then I had to go back inside to check on dinner. When I looked out at Spark again he was at it again, now in a new spot. I went out, corrected him and he stopped. He repeated this again and again until I finally brought him in and put him in his kennel. I now have close to 10! big holes to fill.

He isn't like this all the time, but he's like it enough that it's exhausting. I try to stay patient with him, but there are times where I just have to put him in his kennel and walk away for awhile.

I am beginning to wonder if our Bunson is daring him to do these things so that she can look like an angel while he's in trouble. Spark has been misbehaving outside mostly when she is with him. She wants to be in the backyard only because that is the only way she can be outside when my brothers play ball with the neighbor boys across the street. (They have chickens that they let roam their yard so the dogs can't be with them. Bunson dislikes this.)

Dare I say I can't wait until Spark grows out of this stage? Who knows what might come next!

Well I've got a dog to keep an eye on and lots of holes to fill. Enjoy the pictures.

I'm a teen now so I can act and dress as I please.

I'm not looking at or listening to you.

I love you so much, I'll put up with anything.

REALLY! Do you have to do this Lady???

This is me ignoring a certain someone...

This is my good side- I don't have to look.

Why can't he always be like this?

Look I do know how to obey!