Freshly One-Year-Old Blues
Hi everyone, looking for a pulse check on where I am at with my dog...
She is a rescue adopted at four months old and estimated birthday was a little over two weeks ago. She is a super mutt mixed breed but a lot of pitt, some german shepherd, husky, lab... she has a lot going on LOL
She is high energy and something I can confidently say is that she struggles with regulation. For example, when she is playing with other dogs, there is no pausing or stopping, just go go go. Side note, this is especially hard when with dogs who don't correct/she isn't being called out in the second for doing things she shouldn't be. We are also struggling with recall, specifically when outside if there are birds or squirrels around or people walking by.
Besides the energy issues, she is honestly a very good dog; smart, a fast learner, and loves people and life in general! Training has not been too tricky and she picks up on things quickly and responds very well to commands, especially when food or treats are involved. On the other side of that, her personality in itself is stubborn af and she can be a massive diva LOL Never anything crazy, but major side eye, attitude, or dead weighting and planting herself firmly where she is are pretty standard when she is told to do things she clearly doesn't want to do (like get in the car).
I have dealt with major puppy blues, and don't have to explain how tough puppies can be. In conversation, most people attribute her behavior and actions to puppy energy but now that I am reaching one year and nothing has changed, I am started to get worried... I see a lot of other posts on this sub of people saying to hold out to a year and things get so much better but I just don't know! Should I be worried and doing more? What else can I be doing? Or should I just try to be patient and keep on the same path?
ETA: Also wondering when forced naps should stop. She has outbursts and zoomies occasionally and when they do, she is put in her crate, hits a HARD nap, and is always better afterward. So with that said, she still benefits from them, but is that normal at this age?