So many questions

[mlynn27634]

Rocco is 6 months old now. He just got neutered two weeks ago and we have lived to tell about it.

One of my main concerns is Rocco keeps pulling up Tufts of grass and eating them which upset his stomach. He runs away so we can't get them from him before he can just them. I try throwing a ball or a frisbee or a toy to try and get him to lose interest in the grass but that doesn't seem to work. Does anybody have any ideas of what we can do. Our yard is not big enough to have a special place for him just to dig.

At what age do you change from puppy food to Adult food? Rocco is losing interest in his puppy food and he seems to have a slightly sensitive stomach so I was wondering if anybody had any suggestions on brands of food and treats.

Since Rocco has been neutered he wants nothing to do with me. He will go to my husband more often then to me unless I am doing some training with him. Any other time he ignores me or will not even come to me.

How do you keep a dog from jumping on the couch? I have been leaving the room and ignoring him and it seems that he will then jump off the couch but as soon as I come back in the room he jumps up on the couch again.

My life has become very stressful lately dealing with age of parents and a sister going through double knee replacement Rehabilitation. This does not leave much time for working with Rocco and when I do I don't have as much patience. This also doesn't give me much time to take him to any training classes. My husband works 12 hours a day so he doesn't have the time either. Rocco is not in his kennel all this time. Friends of ours watch him for 6 hours a day so he is with other people and a 16 year old Brittany. Any ideas of what I can do so Rocco continues to become a better behaved Brittany.

[gagesbarb]

So sorry things are so stressful...there is, of course, no magic answer, but I think a lot of this is understandable and things will be OK...several thoughts--
Take a deep breath and remember that dogs, (especially Britts, in my opinion), are very sensitive dogs and he is probably picking up on your emotional state...that is not to blame you at all or to make you feel guilty, but to say there are reasons for what you are seeing, and they can be dealt with. I would focus on "prevention" of those problem behaviors...if you find most of your interactions with him are having to try to stop those behaviors once they happen, much of your interaction is either negative or accidentally reinforcing...the first may be why he doesn't come to you as readily but also, he just wants to play with you and has found some "games" that are fun for him, albeit not for you (and involve chase).
He is 6 months old and a teenager. I teach puppy Kindergarten (under 4 months) and puppy elementary (4 months plus)...entirely different dogs...just like human teens, puppy-teens are more active and independent, full of themselves and challenging as they learn who they are and their self-control is often not a strength. Even though he is bigger, he is still very young and needs supervision. I would not let him have the freedom of running in the living room bc he's found a great game- jump on the couch, make mom move, get off the couch and make mom come back and then back to couch...fun! try snapping a leash on and step on it so he can't get on the couch in the first place...grass eating also sounds like a game, in part (I also know lots of dogs who eat grass in the spring--new and tender?). Eating grass and throwing it back up (that's what you mean?) may not be the worst...I would either prevent the option (snap a leash on and walk him so you can supervise) or just ignore him...chasing again becomes a great game...
Others here know more about feeding than I do, but my guess would be that he is naturally slowing down eating because he is not growing as rapidly...think how rapidly he grew between the time you got him and 4/5 months of age...now. rate is slowing naturally and he may not need as much food...be careful not to start adding extras to entice him to eat or he'll learn some other behaviors that are less than optimal...obviously if he is really not eating, or throwing up repeatedly, check with the vet, but this all may be normal "growing up." This phase will pass--a lot of what to do is not make it worse by attending to inappropriate behavior.
Also, if you are like many of us, you are very good at taking care of everybody else...but make sure to take care of yourself as well...remember the airline analogy...when you are with your child and the oxygen masks drop, our tendency is to put the oxygen on the child first, then worry about ourselves...but we need to make sure we have the oxygen, so we are able to take care of everyone else...so, make sure you have enough oxygen during this stressful time for you...
Sorry to go on and on...please keep in touch...people here have so much experience (and remember the "search" function in the upper left). Also, we all understand both how much you love Rocco, but also how trying a teenager can be, especially when there are a million other things pulling at you...

[dfwskier]

As Barb mentioned, just (try to) be patient. This too shall pass, but it might take a while.

As far as getting Rocco to pay attention to you, you might want to wait til he's with your husband, and get involved by loving him up. He'll find that you are as good at it as your husband is.

As far as keeping him off the couch, besides what Barb said, you could put a bunch of empty tin cans on the couch. When Rocco jumps up, then the cans get all upset, clanging together, and (hopefully) startling Rocco -- which might mean that he'll think twice before he jumping on the couch and getting startled again.

[mlynn27634]

Thank you I will try the tin cans. We have been keeping him on a leash and that seems to help a little.yup