As a dog parent, there comes a day when you realize that your cute little puppy is neither cute nor a puppy any longer. She has become an adolescent, that difficult creature to deal with. Like all parents, you need understanding, patience, and a sense of humor to deal with this important stage of your dog’s life.
When your puppy turns into an obnoxious little creature that seems to have forgotten all you’ve taught him thus far, he’s not doing it on purpose. He is simply going through biological, physical, and psychological changes that affect his behavior. She may forget her training, behave irrationally (according to you), or simply be unreasonable. These changes usually take place between the age of six and 18 months, when dogs are typically adolescents.
Here are some tips to help you cope, survive and even enjoy this important stage in your dog’s development. When you manage that, you’ll get out on the other side with an adult dog you can be proud of.
Socialization is crucial.
If you’ve socialized your puppy and continued the process during adolescence, chances are that he will be a well-behaved and well-socialized adult. Continue to expose him to new and unfamiliar situations. Treat them as adventures and make them as enjoyable as possible for him. You may notice that he suddenly becomes fearful of situations and people that he had no issue with before. This is normal during this phase of his development and it’s best not to make a big issue out of it. Stay calm and patient and talk to him. Dogs usually grow out of these fears soon.
Exercise is important.
While your puppy probably remained close to you when going to the park or for a walk, the adolescent dog needs to explore and may tend to wander off on her own. She will have more stamina as she grows older and be increasingly interested in new scents. Keep her on a leash, unless you’re in a safe area and can keep an eye on her. Taking her for a walk may be more of a challenge than before, but regular exercise remains a crucial part of her health regime.
Deepen your relationship.
Adolescence is a time to strengthen the bond with your dog. He needs to feel secure about you and the environment you provide, even when he behaves badly! Patience is important and enjoy the humorous situations that happen. Whatever you do, don’t shun the dog because he’s not fluffy and entertaining any longer. Accept the changes that he’s going through and don’t get frustrated and angry.
She has (almost) completed teething.
A dog’s teething is usually completed by the time she’s roughly six months old. As a result, she now has stronger teeth that can chew through some tough objects. This means you need to keep an eye open for old toys or objects she can now easily destroy or even swallow. Remember that dogs remain chewers throughout their lives (some more than others) so always keep valuables and dangerous stuff out of her reach.
Pay attention to his diet.
Expect him to eat like an adolescent! He’s done with puppy food, the teeth are strong and all that running around demands lots of yummy meals. This is a good time to establish a long-term eating pattern. Decide on a well-balanced diet that will provide plenty of nutritious food, without gaining unnecessary weight. Because he’s active, he probably wouldn’t gain too much weight during adolescence. But don't encourage bad eating patterns that can be difficult to change later.
Her sleeping pattern changes.
As a teenager, your dog needs to sleep less than she did as a puppy. While a puppy spends most of the time sleeping, the adolescent dog will need more physical exercise, brain games, and fun activities before she gets tired. She may also disrupt your sleeping because she has slept for hours during the day. You can try to coordinate her sleeping pattern with yours, but again you need patience for she’ll eventually grow out of this phase.
Training may be tough.
Even a well-trained puppy may suddenly behave clueless about commands you taught him earlier. Don’t panic, the knowledge is still there. There’s just so much going on inside his developing brain that it’s difficult to access the skills learned earlier. So keep teaching, practicing, and going to obedience classes. It’ll all come back to him eventually and be worth it in the end!
It’s time to notice the opposite sex.
The dog is a teenager, so expect his hormones to suddenly be a big part of his life. Females will go into heat for the first time, while male dogs will begin to lift their legs and become interested in the ladies. This is the time when you need to decide whether you’re going to spay or neuter the dog, and if so, at what age. You do however need to keep a keen eye on the teenager trying to slip out when he’s supposed to be safe at home…
Your dog’s adolescence is a special time and can set the tone for the rest of your life together. Above all, be patient and realize that it’s only a phase. Don’t give up on him. Too many people do that, resulting in many dogs being surrendered to animal shelters during this time. Don’t let her become one of these sad statistics.
When your puppy turns into an obnoxious little creature that seems to have forgotten all you’ve taught him thus far, he’s not doing it on purpose. He is simply going through biological, physical, and psychological changes that affect his behavior. She may forget her training, behave irrationally (according to you), or simply be unreasonable. These changes usually take place between the age of six and 18 months, when dogs are typically adolescents.
Here are some tips to help you cope, survive and even enjoy this important stage in your dog’s development. When you manage that, you’ll get out on the other side with an adult dog you can be proud of.
Socialization is crucial.
If you’ve socialized your puppy and continued the process during adolescence, chances are that he will be a well-behaved and well-socialized adult. Continue to expose him to new and unfamiliar situations. Treat them as adventures and make them as enjoyable as possible for him. You may notice that he suddenly becomes fearful of situations and people that he had no issue with before. This is normal during this phase of his development and it’s best not to make a big issue out of it. Stay calm and patient and talk to him. Dogs usually grow out of these fears soon.
Exercise is important.
While your puppy probably remained close to you when going to the park or for a walk, the adolescent dog needs to explore and may tend to wander off on her own. She will have more stamina as she grows older and be increasingly interested in new scents. Keep her on a leash, unless you’re in a safe area and can keep an eye on her. Taking her for a walk may be more of a challenge than before, but regular exercise remains a crucial part of her health regime.
Deepen your relationship.
Adolescence is a time to strengthen the bond with your dog. He needs to feel secure about you and the environment you provide, even when he behaves badly! Patience is important and enjoy the humorous situations that happen. Whatever you do, don’t shun the dog because he’s not fluffy and entertaining any longer. Accept the changes that he’s going through and don’t get frustrated and angry.
She has (almost) completed teething.
A dog’s teething is usually completed by the time she’s roughly six months old. As a result, she now has stronger teeth that can chew through some tough objects. This means you need to keep an eye open for old toys or objects she can now easily destroy or even swallow. Remember that dogs remain chewers throughout their lives (some more than others) so always keep valuables and dangerous stuff out of her reach.
Pay attention to his diet.
Expect him to eat like an adolescent! He’s done with puppy food, the teeth are strong and all that running around demands lots of yummy meals. This is a good time to establish a long-term eating pattern. Decide on a well-balanced diet that will provide plenty of nutritious food, without gaining unnecessary weight. Because he’s active, he probably wouldn’t gain too much weight during adolescence. But don't encourage bad eating patterns that can be difficult to change later.
Her sleeping pattern changes.
As a teenager, your dog needs to sleep less than she did as a puppy. While a puppy spends most of the time sleeping, the adolescent dog will need more physical exercise, brain games, and fun activities before she gets tired. She may also disrupt your sleeping because she has slept for hours during the day. You can try to coordinate her sleeping pattern with yours, but again you need patience for she’ll eventually grow out of this phase.
Training may be tough.
Even a well-trained puppy may suddenly behave clueless about commands you taught him earlier. Don’t panic, the knowledge is still there. There’s just so much going on inside his developing brain that it’s difficult to access the skills learned earlier. So keep teaching, practicing, and going to obedience classes. It’ll all come back to him eventually and be worth it in the end!
It’s time to notice the opposite sex.
The dog is a teenager, so expect his hormones to suddenly be a big part of his life. Females will go into heat for the first time, while male dogs will begin to lift their legs and become interested in the ladies. This is the time when you need to decide whether you’re going to spay or neuter the dog, and if so, at what age. You do however need to keep a keen eye on the teenager trying to slip out when he’s supposed to be safe at home…
Your dog’s adolescence is a special time and can set the tone for the rest of your life together. Above all, be patient and realize that it’s only a phase. Don’t give up on him. Too many people do that, resulting in many dogs being surrendered to animal shelters during this time. Don’t let her become one of these sad statistics.