11 month puppy super reactive to cars very suspicious of strangers

[Ravenbird]

Less sensitive to correction should be part of Daisy's name.

I reeeeally think our dogs are related... but if so, I will give you the good news that this hardheadedness eases up as she ages.

It's kind of a weird combo, but mine would completely ignore physical pain if she was in drive of some sort, yet is very soft emotionally. When she was about 4 - 5 months old she discovered cactus - would poke it with her nose and of course it would poke her back. She'd bark at it and paw slap it, and of course it would poke her again. She repeated this a few times a month for several months before she left cactus alone. So yes, hard headed and impervious to pain. But if I'm upset about something (nothing to do with her), she gets very quiet and just watches me or puts her head on my knee.

 

[JanS]

It's kind of a weird combo, but mine would completely ignore physical pain if she was in drive of some sort, yet is very soft emotionally.

That's exactly how Della was too, with fox in particular.

 

[Josette]

I reeeeally think our dogs are related... but if so, I will give you the good news that this hardheadedness eases up as she ages.

It's kind of a weird combo, but mine would completely ignore physical pain if she was in drive of some sort, yet is very soft emotionally. When she was about 4 - 5 months old she discovered cactus - would poke it with her nose and of course it would poke her back. She'd bark at it and paw slap it, and of course it would poke her again. She repeated this a few times a month for several months before she left cactus alone. So yes, hard headed and impervious to pain. But if I'm upset about something (nothing to do with her), she gets very quiet and just watches me or puts her head on my knee.

That's funny about the cactus. They do seem so alike! Daisy is exactly as you described! When she cut her leg and needed stitches, she kinda licked it once and kept running laps! I do see that now that she's 13 months, she isn't equally as hardheaded every single day, but she is still often relentlessly hardheaded. But she is so super in tune with me and extremely affectionate. Always touching me. I can rub or kiss her when she's sleeping and she's perfectly at ease. When I'm walking in the house she keeps perfect step with me beside me. She tries not to be ahead or behind in case I make a sudden change. She is literally bumping against my leg looking up at me. I have a funny video I'll share about my husband trying to let her outside and not go with her. If she accidentally puts her teeth on me while playing and I yelp she is instantly sorry. But she is not sorry without discipline for breaking off rose bush branches and chewing them (with thorns) or any of the million things she gets into in the backyard , and especially annoying when I'm trying to cook although I never give her food from my hand when I do. She is slooowwllly accepting that certain boundaries are gonna stay but, man, she is exhausting at how much she tries them.

I did get a child lock for the trash can (we talked about that earlier) and only have to lock it when we leave the house or if there are chicken bones in there.

I am also leaving her free in the house instead of in the kennel now when we aren't home. We keep all bedroom and bathroom doors closed so she has limited access. She hasn't harmed anything in the house and we are surely celebrating this milestone.

 

[Ravenbird]

Thanks for the update. Sometimes the biggest challenges in your life become the things that you never regret happening. My Asha is that.