Because dogs don’t have the same life expectancy as humans, it’s often difficult to look at them and think of them as anything other than a puppy or a full-grown adult. The reality is that puppies also go through an adolescent period similar to human teenage years – a period of time when they tend to test your patience, act like they’ve never been trained, and exhibit changes in behavior that may or may not leave you feeling confused about your relationship. The good news is that adolescence comes and goes, but how fast your pup transitions from petulant teenager to young adult can definitely vary from dog to dog.
Just as a human child’s teenage years have the potential to leave those in their paths ducking for cover, an adolescent puppy’s “teenage” months can be quite the experience. As a matter of fact, a lot of “teenage” dogs end up in shelters for just that reason – their owners did not expect (and had no idea how to handle) adolescent puppy behavior and assumed the pup developed a chronic behavioral problem.
In most cases, this isn’t true.
All dogs go through the teenage months to varying degrees; it’s hard to say whether a behavioral issue is permanent until well after this time has passed.
Whether you’re raising a dog from birth or adopting during the “teenage phase” that leads to adolescent puppy behavior, there are quite a few things you can do to train, retrain, and keep your dog in check.
Here’s the skinny on canine adolescence, why it’s such and issue, and how you can survive it!
When Does Adolescent Puppy Behavior Start?
The key to successfully getting through your pup’s adolescent phase is to be prepared.
Exactly when your dog will hit this stage of development depends on the breed and, more specifically, the size of the dog.
Smaller dogs tend to hit adolescence around six months of age. Larger dogs may become cranky teens anywhere between nine and twelve months.
As for how long adolescence lasts, this, too, depends on the dog. You can expect this slightly challenging time of life to last until your pup is anywhere from 18 to 24 months old. Strap in for a wild ride!
What to Expect
The biggest issue most people have as their dogs transition from puppy to teen is a change in attention span. They become inquisitive and want to explore everything around them and you, the human who until this point had 100 percent of their attention, are suddenly never at the top of the list.
No matter what you’ve done in the past, your dog is suddenly going to act like he’s never had any obedience training and will struggle with the basic commands you thought he already had down pat.
Don’t panic. This, too, shall pass – with a little guidance, of course.
It’s important to remember that it’s nothing personal, your dog still loves you, and that your four-legged friend will come around again.
Until that point, you’ll need to be extra diligent about making sure your dog remembers who is actually in charge (hint: that’s you).
Surviving the Puppy Teen Years
While the time period isn’t the same for every puppy, you can expect to begin seeing puppy teen years start at around the 8-month mark. You aren’t going to wake up one morning and suddenly have a different dog. The changes begin gradually and this unique period can last up until your pup’s 2nd birthday. Smaller dogs tend to hit adolescence earlier, around the six months. Large dogs may not enter this phase until somewhere between 9 and 12 months.
Teen Puppies Are Like Teen Humans
Seriously! Remember the teenage human comparison? We weren’t kidding. Your puppy may become moody and may begin testing boundaries and rules. He may become a little bit of a brat and will definitely try on some outright disobedience a time or two. Young dogs generally become less predictable and want to act like independent adults.
Sound familiar?
Short-Term Memory
Training your puppy from a young age is critical. Start with basic commands to sit, stay, and come and move on to more complex training techniques. The key is to maintain consistency in your training and the use of your commands so that your puppy knows what is expected of him through his adolescent months.
A lot of puppies in adolescence will act as though they have forgotten commands they had previously mastered. Be conscious of the fact that this is a growing pain, step back, and simply retrain the command. Don’t forget to keep some fun toys and treats around for positive reinforcement when he does a good job.
Coat Renewal & Shedding
Your puppy’s super soft coat is going to transition into a slightly-less-fluffy version of itself. That means your puppy is going to shed quite a bit during adolescence. This isn’t necessarily a problem, but it may become an issue in terms of keeping your home free of hair and dander.
Make sure you invest in a good brush or comb and take care of him on a regular basis. You may also want to consider picking up a link roller to keep some of the hair off of your clothes, especially if you have to dress up for work or special occasions.
Long Legs, Big Paws & (VERY) Clumsy
It’s cute to see a puppy trying to learn his way, losing his footing and sliding on floors. Dogs enter their teen months tend to have problems with balance and coordination as well. They are growing quickly and have trouble adjusting to their changing leg lengths and paw sizes.
While clumsy puppies are cute, they can also be frustrating. Try to keep the areas of your home your dog most frequently visits free of clutter and move anything breakable or valuable to a safer location so that it does not become victim of a falling dog or a bumped end table.
Also, be mindful of heights; for small or young dogs, even a fall from the couch can result in a dislocation or broken leg. Cushions at the floor below will prevent injuries.
Puppy Teething & Chewing
Your dog is going to lose his puppy teeth and start growing his adult teeth. Unfortunately, this is usually when puppies start to chew on anything they can get their mouths on. Make sure you have plenty of chew toys around so that you can guide your pup away from furniture, shoes, and other household items. Don’t be surprised if you occasionally see a little bit of blood on the toys as this is usually a side effect of tooth loss. Your dog will likely drool a lot during this phase as well.
Some dogs like to chew on ice cubes and the cool sensation will soothe their itchy, sore gums. You may find it helps to moisten your dog’s dry food with a little wet food to make it easier to chew while he is teething.
Hormonal Shifts
Your dog will go through some hormonal adjustments during adolescence. Male dogs tend to spray urine to mark their territories while female dogs usually go through their first heat. Dogs tend to become irritable and can be more aggressive with other dogs, especially if they are guarding their resources (like food). Your dog may start to hump people or household items, and male dogs especially like to roam and explore.
Many people find a significant decrease in hormone-related issues when their puppies are spayed or neutered. The average dog can have surgery at around 6 months of age. You may find you need to wait a little longer, often for medical reasons, but the sooner you have it done, the less likely you are to have significant hormonal side effects.
Spaying & Neutering
Unless you are a breeder, please be sure to have your dog spayed or neutered at the appropriate age.
The majority of dogs hit sexual maturity between eight and 12 months, and will start showing interest in the opposite sex, urinating inside to mark territory, acting more aggressively, and acting even more absent-minded.
Spaying and neutering between two and six months, or as your vet recommends, won’t eliminate adolescent puppy behavior or issues. But it definitely helps to minimize the effects of the changes in your pup’s hormones, which can help you manage bad behavior.
How to Calm the Savage Teenage Beast
You’re going to need to make some changes in your household. This includes your daily routine. Your fun-loving teenage dog should still be free to explore while living within a new set of rules and parameters that keep her from creating chaos.
Start by adjusting your feeding schedule.
Are you still free-feeding? If so, you’re going to need to set specific meal times.
This means putting the food down at specific times in the morning and evening and only leaving it down for 20 minutes before you pick the dish up again.
Make any necessary adjustments to your dog’s diet now, too. He’s growing and maintaining a high level of energy, and that may mean he needs more or less food.
Talk to your vet if you aren’t sure what type of food your dog should be eating during this stage.
Maintaining Control Over Behavior
Maintain control and make sure your pup works for everything he gets.
Is it dinner time? Have him do a trick or two before you put the bowl down. Does he want to be petted? Ask for his paw, first, and then give pets.
Maybe he wants to go outside?
Have him sit calmly before you give him attention.
Does he want you to throw a ball for him?
Make him sit, shake hands, or even drop the ball so you don’t have to wrestle him for it.
Your dog doesn’t know any tricks?
Start teaching him a few. Adolescence is actually a great time for dogs to focus and learn. Working together will help keep his attention on you.
Play with Your Dog
We know life is busy, but please don’t remember to make time for daily play with your pup, especially during the months of their adolescent puppy behavior.
These adolescent pups need true play – not play associated with training alone.
Play is great exercise (for both of you) and will strengthen your unique bond. Dogs who play regularly also tend to do better during training sessions.
Regular play and exercise will also help to wear your teen pup out. Their energy levels are high, so the more you can expend that energy, the better for you and the rest of your household.
They’ll be less likely to run around the house (accidentally breaking things) and they’ll be less likely to chew things they shouldn’t.
Remember, chewing and digging are a result of curiosity and boredom and can be avoided.
Don’t have the energy to match your pup’s? Ask your teen, a neighbor, or another dog-friendly friend to take him out for a game of frisbee when you can’t.
Do you or your kids run or know someone who does? Teenage dogs make great running buddies.
Be patient and continue your dog’s training. Forgetting basic commands from time to time is part of the process. Step your training back a bit and retrain your pup as much as is needed.
Use his favorite treats and toys to keep things interesting and – again – make sure you have play time before and/or after training sessions. Dogs who aren’t having fun will be less receptive to training techniques.
Last but not least, don’t be afraid to use proper crate training methods to limit your dog’s access to the house when you are not alone as this will limit his access to things he can chew when he gets bored.
Crate training, when done properly, provides your pup with a safe and familiar space to retreat. Crate time should never be given as a form of punishment and should not last for extended or abusive periods of time.
Talk to your vet or breeder if you need help learning how to crate train your four-legged friend.
Remember, in terms of dog lifespan, your pup’s “teenage years” are really only months.
Be patient, don’t lose your sense of humor, and remember to have fun. Your dog will outgrow this adolescent puppy behavior and you’ll both grow closer as time passes!
Puppy Socialization
Puppies tend to be introduced to lots of family members and friends during their younger months, even playing more frequently with other dogs during classes or at parties. Those things, for some reason, seem slow down during the teenage months. Make sure your regular routine consists of walks in public places, time in dog parks or on public beaches, different walking routes, and even trips to pet-friendly stores.
The more your dog continues to socialize with different people and animals, the less likely he is to become desocialized. Desocialization will result in your dog only being tolerant of you and a select group of people and animals, which can make him unpredictable or nervous in the rare situations in which he is introduced to someone new.
The opportunity to bring a puppy through adolescence and into his adult years is priceless. Embrace the challenges, remember to be patient, and seek the advice of your veterinarian or trainer if you need help. And don’t forget; we’re always here for you!