Is your four to eight month old cattle dog not quite what you expected?? Do you wonder if this gangly terror who replaced your sweet little fur kid will always be this way? 

These are the teenage months. Your dog is growing in physical strength and abilities but still has "puppy brains."  Be sure to socialize your dog, take them to obedience class and be patient, but firm. They will grow up.

Try some of the ideas on these sites:

An unofficial, but priceless resource for ACDs - the unofficial owners: handbook http://www.cattledog.com/misc/faq.html

 link http://www.wonderpuppy.net/canwehelp/  

Please remember that this high energy breed is subject to the laws of physics

They can and do bounce out of truck beds

Also, design your exercise programs carefully with your young dog.

Chris Zink "When designing an exercise program, consideration should be given to the dog's age and current level of fitness, to any pre-existing medical conditions or injuries, to the performance event(s) that the dog will compete in, and to the handler's time and physical constraints. Although young puppies can be introduced to some of the skills and tools of their future trade, conditioning exercises should not begin in earnest until well after a dog's growth plates have closed (at approximately 10 months in small dogs and 14 months in the larger breeds). The growth plates are the locations in each bone where new bone forms and damage to the growth plates can result in serious limb deformities."