u/themissinglink_143

My guy is now 6 months old and definitely entering the "Everything you taught me goes out the window!" stage. Some things are so hot and cold, come and go, and unpredictable by the day that I'm probably more exhausted now than I was when he was 8-12 weeks old.

For instance, one day he will be an absolute terror and then the next a total angel (sometimes it's hard not to worry). His enforced naps are even more challenging now, even when I know he's overstimulated and tired, but he fights them more vigilantly now than ever! Also, he's off and on less interested in mealtime except for when its treats.

What was your sure-fire sign your auss was in their teenage phase?

Our 5 mo. old mini finally lost all his baby teeth and most of the adult teeth are almost all the way out so, thankfully, his mouthy habits in general have subsided.

BUT, about a month ago, I went to take him for a walk and put on tennis shoes for the first time. He did not like them...at all. I ended up not being able to take him for a walk because he wouldn't stop biting my shoes. (Haven't worn tennis shoes since, lol, which is probably a stupid idea)

Then he turned to socks... we can't wear socks. And now he's been increasingly biting at our feet and ankles ever since. Oftentimes it's difficult to walk around the house freely because he now goes for our feet, and at 5 months old he's biting pretty hard at times.

Like I said, the biting has really subsided otherwise but now it's turned to this.

Needless to say I'm frustrated. Has anyone else dealt with this, and have any advice?

I know this isn't subject to just Aussie pups, but I wanted to know if anyone else with an Aussie experienced this.

My 5 month old Aussie was (is, rather) an absolutely perfect sleeper since we've had him. He's crate trained to sleep in our spare room (we've done this since night 1).

He's only occasionally woken up in the night (once for a tummy upset). He's always gone down at 830-9pm (still does), and for the first few weeks he would sleep until 7-730am.

I hate that I'm complaining, but over the course of having him for almost 3 months, he's been slowly waking up earlier and earlier.

This morning....430am. And I mean he is awake-awake - there's no getting him back down to sleep.

I'm trying to give him grace with growth spurts and hormones, but like...it's still dark out! Lol

I've pulled out all the stops since day 1 (which I think have been helpful), like a white noise machine, blackout curtains, crate cover, etc. At this point I move to the couch when he wakes up, where he has a bigger playpen crate, and I put him in there to settle (and he does) because I want to keep breakfast time consistent.

I guess I'm wondering if this is normal (like, expected) or part of a phase? Advice? Feedback? Can anyone relate to this during the puppy phase with their auss?

Has anyone experienced this with their puppies around 4-6 mo. of age (and those with an AS)?

For context, since we brought him home at 8 weeks we've crate trained him, which has actually worked out pretty well for the most part. We've been following - religiously - a 1 hour awake, 1-3 hour down/rest method (depending on the time of day). This has been a godsend for him, especially being the stereotypical auss.

But lately it seems, all of a sudden, he's refusing naps or is experiencing extreme nap reduction. For example, he's used to napping for at least 2 hours in the morning but this morning he woke up after 40 minutes, and that was after a refusal initially.

Could a growth spurt or the fact he's teething be a cause?

My little guy is hardcore in his chewing/teething/eating/biting everything phase, and while he loves those healthy edibles bones (specifically for puppies)...he chews through one in less than 5 minutes now 😭. It's like he's getting a meal at that point.

He won't touch your typical plastic/rubber/nylon bones, even the scented ones. I've wasted so much money on them at this point. I've also tried the frozen washcloth as well as frozen carrot/cucumber (while he likes them, he gets bored after a couple mins).

I'm terrified to go back to the bully stick route because my other Aussie cracked a tooth a few years ago on them (even though he did fine on them for years - I think he was stress gnawing on them too hard after our other dog passed away). Plus, my vet basically malfunctioned telling me to avoid giving them to my puppy (or anything my nail can't puncture).

Anyway, I'm desperate for ideas. I have 6-7 mind puzzle games, multiple snuffle mats, licky mats and treat toys like kongs, so please don't recommend those (I use those at specific times and, again, he spends very little time on them). Plus, they don't seem to satisfy his chewing needs. Suggestions please!