Ch Ch Ch Ch Changes!

[Tedsmum]

Having the OH at home and walking Ted together over the last few days has been very interesting (I won't get into a moan about how he cannot let me deal with things and has to butt in - I am sure you know what I mean).
OH never walks Ted on the beach for some reason whereas I do it a lot. He has pointed out how much his behaviour has changed and frankly it has been a gradual change that I had not really noticed until he pointed it out to me.
For example, Ted used to charge around like a thing posessed at the beach and it was quite an ordeal to take him at times, mostly due to over excitement. He ran into the sea and drank his own body weight at the first chance (with unpleasant consequences as you can imagine).
He formerly found it impossible to go past an approaching dog without going off to say hello and lost interest in his ball very quickly in favour of other dogs.
On thinking about it, he does none of the above any more and is much more focused and well mannered at the beach, but it has taken for someone else to point it out to me. DOH!
Another thing he has just started to do automatically is use his bed!
Can you believe it? After nearly two years of coaxing him and him thinking it was more of a punishment than a pleasure, he has recently decided to go and sleep there and I don't have to tell him to stay there for an hour after a walk - he comes straight in the front door and just does it.
I think he is finally maturing and it appears that any behaviour that is repeated more than a couple of times becomes a habit now for him.
I like all this stuff, he was almost perfect before but now he is double perfect!
Anyone else noticed this kind of thing after the second birthday?

[jesterjenn]

Awww well done

That's the thing - we don't notice our dogs habits changing as we see them every day until someone points them out.

I can't really comment as I got Jess at about 2 yrs and Harley has always been a calm dude lol

[Moobli]

I think there are many little issues with dogs that just seem ironed out by age, as well as the extra training/socialising etc.

I have noticed it with my own dogs at times and with others dogs too.

Well done on helping Ted along to becoming a great ambassador for this wonderful breed of ours

[LOVEGSD]

Aw how great that you've seen these changes, makes all the hard work so worth it...xx

[nisbreagha]

It's a nice feeling to notice how our dogs behaviour is improving or they are learning the lessons we have been teaching them. Well done consistency pays off and our dogs are much happier too.