The holidays have come and gone, and many of us were blessed with a fluffy and irresistibly cute addition: a puppy! That adorable little bundle of fur was quickly enrolled in a puppy training class and you thought he was well on his way to being a polite, well behaved member of the family. But wait… is that a yellow stain part way up the drapes? After you unclip Puppy’s leash in the dog park, and he runs around like a maniac for 45 minutes, it still takes a ten-minute game of "catch me if you can" to get him back on-leash to go home. What gives?Welcome to adolescence! Your sweet, adoring puppy is now turning into an ever-growing fiend full of energy, mischief, curiosity, and raging hormones. The age at which adolescence begins and ends can vary from dog to dog, but it generally happens between the ages of 6 to 18 months and is accompanied by several physical changes. Puppy now has a new set of adult teeth that are capable of destroying any and all of your personal possessions that were accidentally left within reach. His soft, cottony fur has disappeared during one epic shedding cycle (keep a brush and a vacuum handy!) and has been replaced by an adult coat. He has almost reached his full adult height, but for now is all loose elbows and gangly movement. And boy is he moving! During adolescence, many dogs are in a state of perpetual motion that requires super-human stamina to wear out. Exercise will become extremely important as tiring out your canine teen will also save wear and tear on your home (not to mention your patience!). Chewing or digging often occur when a bored or curious dog is allowed the run of the house. Finally, hormones also play a major role in your canine's adolescence. It’s important to talk with your vet and ask them when it’s appropriate to spay or neuter your pet—you can save yourself and your dog such varied experiences as increased indoor urination (females in heat do it to advertise for suitors; for intact males, it's a way of marking territory), dog-dog aggression, and the complete loss of attention span that often accompanies raging hormones.
These physical changes that your puppy is experiencing are often mirrored by sudden changes in their ability to focus and the way that they handle new experiences. The basic obedience training that you’ve been working on diligently suddenly vanishes and you are often left with a dog staring at you and trying to convince you that you never actually taught him what “sit” means. Training your puppy was easy: you taught your pup to eagerly come, sit, lie down, and look up to you with unwavering attention and respect. You were your pup's sun, moon, and stars! But now your dog is developing adult doggy interests, such as sniffing EVERYTHING, rolling in unidentifiable smelly stuff, and chasing squirrels. Socialization also tends to take a downhill turn as puppies hit adolescence. Puppy classes and parties are often a thing of the past and most owners have established a set routine by the time their dog is five or six months old. At home, the dog interacts with the same familiar friends and family, and is walked, if at all, on the same route to the same dog park, where they encounter the same old people and the same old dogs. Consequently, many adolescent dogs become progressively de-socialized toward unfamiliar people and dogs until eventually they become intolerant of all but a small inner circle of friends.
So what can we do to help our dogs survive adolescence? Start by providing your dogs with plenty of exercise and an outlet for his endless energy. If necessary, continue to crate or confine your dog when he is unattended to prevent chewing, digging, or any potty accidents. Spay and neuter your puppy when your vet deems appropriate. Don’t be afraid to take a step or two backward in your training program and patiently re-teach your puppy any commands that he has suddenly forgotten. No matter how frustrated you may be, continue your dog's training! Dogs will continue to learn their entire lives, and the more you put in, especially during the "difficult" periods, the more well-adjusted and content your dog will be in the long run.
Most importantly of all, hang on to your sense of humor and enjoy every stage of your dog's life!
~ article by Amanda Cornell, CPDT-KA and Wags Tustin Dayschool Manager
