I need some encouragement. I can not keep up with our 8 month old female English Pointer. I have done obedience. She gets two walks daily and occasional hunting trips. She is always on the go and into trouble. I feel like all I do is correct her because she is chewing on the wrong things, dominating the cat, got her paws up on the counters, or on the furniture. Now, she has returned to occasionally nipping at our hands. All this is making me want to growl. Of course, now I realize our yard is probably too small along with the house. But, as we all have grown to love the 50 lbs. of trouble. Is it true they will calm around one year old? I would like to read comments. Tell me small dogs make trouble too. Ha.

Hi, I have a two year old pointer bitch who calmed down between 12 and 18 months if you can hang on to your sanity for that long. She used to run off for a pasttime, chew our coats, steal from the kitchen bin, you name it she did it. She is fine now, no running off, even when she is around 30 feet away from deer in surrounding woodland. Her favourite hobbie now is lying on the settee as much as possible. You do need to be firm but gentle with your bitch and let her know that you are not happy with her behaviour. Is she in a cage when you are not around? I think you will just have to be patient and let her grow up.

I have English Setters, and you can never ever give them enough exercise - they can and will go all day.

You just have to try and minimise the damage they can get up to, and sit back and enjoy these wonderful breeds. If Pointers are like ES's (and according to friends who have Pointers then yes they are) then they do take a while to mature and slow down. But, then I chose my breed because I like their nature and their charectors and would not change them for anything.

Give your dog plenty of mental stimulation, Pointers do tend to get bored easily, they will go and look for something to do, if you are not providing it. Kongs, good toys to play with, lots of company, will all take some of the pent up energy away. Well that's the theory.

Coleen