Puppy adolescence, also known as the puppy teenage stage, can come as quite a surprise and shock to many dog owners. But it makes sense that dogs go through stages too, albeit quite a bit faster than humans.
Puppies hit their teenage stage at around 4 or 5 months and it lasts to about 18 months old.
What can you expect from your adolescent puppy? Are they like human teens – moody, disobedient, unpredictable, testing boundaries, asserting independence? You betcha! But if you know what to expect, you can prepare to handle it.
Here are some typical puppy adolescence behavior:
- She ignores you.
- She’s easily distracted.
- He barks at new things.
- He won’t come when called.
- She “forgets” simple commands.
- He “marks” his territory in the house.
Teenage puppies, like human teenagers, need less freedom and more structure. The best thing is to get back to basics! This will take patience, consistency and understanding on your part, so remember, your puppy is not a “bad dog”, he or she is just going through a phase.
Keep working with your adolescence puppy and things will get better! It could be disastrous to ignore it and let bad behavior become an ingrained habit.
What can you do to help your teenage puppy behave? Here are some ways to give your teen puppy a lot of reinforcement for being “good”.
- Train daily – 10 minutes of basics before meals.
- Feed 80% of meals out of food toys such as the Snuffle Mat.
- Earn all other food or treats through training.
- Keep training fun by being patient and up beat.
- Play with your dog often.
- Don’t forget to Be a Magnet and use the Law of Attraction to keep your puppy engaged.
- SIGN UP for TEEN PUPPY SKILLS starting Sunday Feb 18th.
This teenage puppy stage will soon pass, so keep your sense of humor and enjoy your puppy. If you don’t give up, you’ll have a loyal companion for years to come.
Do You Still Need Help? If you live near Ashland Oregon, email or give me a call! 541-601-7601.