Hello everyone,

This is my first visit to the site and i have been reading a few topics on here etc as i was waiting for my email verification to come through.

Well my name is steve and my OH is called vicky, we live in stoke-on-trent and currenty own a 14 week old puppy english springer.

we have been strict and training him since we had him as we beleive its easier to acomplish small things quickly when there young.

He has already establsihed who is boss, and sits, lyes down, begs, and rolls over.

Up untill around 2 weeks ago he has started to push the boundries a little bit and see how far he can go by point blank refusing what we say to him. Is this normal??

i have also enrolled him on a basic obediance class which starts on the 29th.

He has had his jabs and wormed. i have started him on walks (short 15/25 mins) round the block. he has a loverly tempermant but has started to devlop a few small habbits listed below;

loves cushions, bites chews etc
pulls on lead
chews cardboard boxes (we just moved into house few months back)
and keeps chewing phone cables etc...

apart from that he is VERY well behaved.

Well here are some pictures of jake for you all to see;

www.real-creative.co.uk/gallery/jake

Welcome Steve! I can't help with your questions as I have just got a little 9 week old springer and am having enough trouble with training him!

I'm sure the experienced springer owners will be able to offer some advice.

Hi&welcome The Biting and chewing could be that he is teethig&chewing is a way to sooth it. When Sam was like this i gave him ice cubes to chew. But not straight from freezer Sam is nearly 4 and still pulls on lead And as for pushing the boundries sam also tries this but is firmley put in his place Try puting your wee one in his crate when he plays up. He could just be tired

Dont worry everything will come together

Ryan&Sam

Hi, welcome to ST, i agree with Ryzo, get a crate (but don't use it a a punishment block!) They are so useful and the dogs grow to love them and see them as their own little den - plus so handy if you have to go out shopping and want to come back to a house still in 1 piece!

Tyr to keep the training very short and sweet and not too structured, he is still very young, try and implement the things you want him to learn in general play and feeding ie sit, wait/stay etc. Most importantly is to be consistent, you can't let him get away with stuff one minute then allow it as a special treat - if you give them an inch they will use it to their full advantage!

I think its great you have enroled in classes - it so much better when you see other people having the same problems!! Saying that Angel was the naughtiest in her class!

Good luck

Yep, crate will save you big BT bills and also stop him getting electrocuted!
The chewing is perfectly normal at this age. Just like us they develop their canine teeth after their first ones, if I remember correctly (mine out of puppy stage now.) I think it goes on until about nine months. Give him things that he is allowed to chew. (not those hide things, they are dangerous unless dog is being watched)
Tell him "no" if he tries to chew other things and "good boy" for the right ones.
Springers don't really do walking on the lead. It is harder work than with your average dog, but obedience lady/man is the person for this one.
He's learning about his boundaries.
No harm in him pushing it a bit, as long as he doesn't win!
Welcome to the site.

I have just looked at the photos! VERY HARD to say no to that one, so cute!

Hello! Steve and Vicki and the adorable Jake,Is that all they chew I have two pups nearly 5 mths old This week the only thing they have chewed is cardboard boxes and my OH rubber mallot..so it does get better, I buy them the little chews,godsend at the moment as they are teething, they have lost 14 teeth between them up to now My OH has just bought me a book by Joe Irving about training spaniels, he says not to try too hard until they are about six months(just quoting) as long as they sit,stay and recall that should be fine! Seems fine with my two, they play a lot, but still do as told.

Tracey and the Munchkins

Hello Steve, Vicky & Jake Welcome to ST

It all sounds like normal puppy stuff to me.......

Err IMHO yes, selective deafness....just wait till he gets to his teenage years - he'll completely 'forget' everything you ever taught him and then it will just snap back

As mentioned already keep your training short at that age, and fun

Hi and welcome to ST we have poppy and she is just coming up to 5 mths now, we have found with the chewing that kongs filled are a great way to stop them having a pop at your sofa and also using a crate when you are out (only for short amounts of time) are perfect to allow you to come home to a intact house.
Also playing lots of games that include training (although they think its a game ) are perfect for wearing them out metally which with Poppy (who up to now with all my fingers crossed has not chewed anything she should not in the house) doesnt allow her to get bored and so start chewing things she shouldnt. Its not just the physical excercise springers need its also the mental and they from what I have heard can drive themselves potty with nothing to do.
With the pulling like has been said its a springer thing by the looks of it although ive just ordered me a gun dog training book so I will let you know how I get on.
I hope thats of some help, as like I said weve only been puppie owners for a while ourselves. Also ask lots of questions on here as they are great.

EDITED as this morning i can not seem to spell to save my life

hi and welcome to ST

your pup sounds lovely, springers do seem to have minds of there own and pulling on the lead is one of them
these are lots of post re this

As previously said, pulling on the lead seems to be a springer trait. Acting up a bit around his age is normal as he may be just going into the teenage phase. Between 4 and 6 months Zack was a little terror! Doing things he knew he wasnt allowed to do just to -*test*-('") me, answering me back (by barking at me!) when i corrected him by removing article he wasnt allowed/moving him off sofas, beds etc etc

Zack had an interest in chewing cables too. Just before i picked him up from the breeder he chewed through the webcam cable which was safely tucked away before he got at it. He's chewed through two phone chargers and a laptop mouse cable amongst other things. I found putting bitter apple or stopchew stuff on it didnt help, he actually got to like the taste! But something hot and spicey such as hot sauce spread on wires combined with careful placement of the wires did the trick eventually.

Zack also pulls cardboard boxes to bits. He thinks its a great game, so far i just have to make sure any that i want for the future are stored away somewhere safe.

What a little cutie!