Understanding Adolescent Dogs: The Perfect Storm
The teenage stage of dog development is hard. And it’s also the period in a dog’s life when they are most likely to be given up to a shelter or rescue.
As the human end of the lead reaches the end of their tether, both they and their dogs are in desperate need of some hand holding and solid guidance to help them navigate this difficult period.
Let’s take a deeper look at what’s happening for both ends of the lead when a dog reaches the adolescent phase.
What’s happening in dog adolescence?
- The stage between sexual maturity and social maturity
As dogs exit the juvenile stage and move into transitioning between sexual and social maturity, their behaviour changes. There are brain changes, hormonal shifts, and growing pains that are all part of this transition and throw up a host of behavior developments.
- Transitional phase 5 - 18 months approx.
Between the ages of five and 18 months, our dogs are in this transitional phase moving from puppy to adult. Puppy teeth are replaced by adult teeth and puppy mouthing wanes, only to be superseded by a deep need to chew and develop prowess in using their new adult teeth.
- Rewiring of the brain
Between six and 14 months of age, our puppies go through a second fear period. Though puppies may be looking more like an adult dog, during this time, you may see signs of anxiety or concern as they move through this natural developmental phase.
- Hormones
The surges in hormones that our dog’s experience can show up as heightened excitement, over-reactive behavior, or more intense expression of behaviours that were already challenging for their guardians. .
It’s during this time that we also sometimes see an increased conflict between the guardian and dog. A study by Dr. Lucy Asher from Newcastle University found that adolescent dogs were indeed less likely to listen to their owners during this phase, while happily responding reliably to the same cues from strangers!
- Attention shift - increase interest in scent
As adolescent dogs are more biologically driven to explore and discover their surroundings, we see an increased interest in scent. Dogs who previously had solid recall are now known to be more reliable at taking themselves off for a wander to track a scent or investigate something that’s piqued their interest.
- More risky behaviour undertaken
At this stage, teenage dogs are gaining in curiosity and confidence. They are wanting to explore and experiment. Increased risk taking has been linked to the relationship between dogs and their guardians. Often an insecure attachment may lead to an increase in undertaking risky behaviours. We may also see a change in interactions between dogs and a rise in conflict where more competitive behaviours are exhibited between dogs in part due to the surges in hormones.
- Body changes, growing pains, potential discomfort
Adolescent dogs are growing fast, which can often mean periods of muscular-skeletal pain and discomfort. As a teenage dog’s energy levels increase, guardians may be tempted to over-exercise them, which can only further contribute to their pain as they go through this rapid growth phase.
The human experience of canine adolescence
- Expectations don’t meet reality
Many guardians find the adolescence stage with their dog presents feelings of frustration and disappointment. This isn’t what they thought life would look like, and the road feels long and too hard to travel. There is a lack of confidence that things will ever get better.
- Behaviour becomes ‘unacceptable’
We can preach all day long about not letting teeny tiny puppies jump up or run up to every person they see. We know that practice makes perfect, and we know that when this tiny puppy labrador hits full size, these behaviours are not going to be deemed as quite so cute anymore. Puppy guardians who have let these behaviours become the norm really struggle when their dog hits adolescence. Teenage dogs can feel harder to train, especially when a behaviour has become so ingrained.
- The novelty has worn off
The excitement has waned, and the reality of being completely responsible for a dog 24/7 isn’t as fun as it once was. Combine this with challenging behaviour and the commitment starts to feel like a lead weight. People don’t want to spend all their time training and they desperately want their dog to just ‘behave.’
- Less patience, more exasperation
By the teenage stage, most people expect that things will be getting easier rather than harder. Maybe they had nailed their recall, toilet training was a problem of the past, and their dog now sleeps through the night.
They thought they were done. And then hormones strike, and everything goes out the window, and they feel exasperated. There is so much focus on puppy training, with not much emphasis on what comes next, and they just weren’t expecting any of the issues they are facing now.
- Messier, hairier, stronger, bigger, faster
Let’s be honest, when adolescence hits, puppies lose that puppy cuteness. They are bigger, they are stronger, they are faster, and they are more determined. Just like human teenagers, our teenage dogs can become somewhat belligerent. And it’s testing - particularly because they are much more difficult to handle physically.
The secret to success is working with both ends of the lead...
We know that this is a transitional phase. It will pass. But it’s also a critical point that our clients and their dogs need help navigating if they are to stay together.
Our clients need support to adjust expectations, to understand the stages their dogs are passing through, and to manage each phase successfully. And our dogs need us to help build their confidence, restore calm, and to help them instate focus.
When all of these elements come together, the bond between human and dog is strengthened, and everyone feels happier and more secure.
Human Superskills
- Vision - long and short term goals
Supporting our clients to set realistic short-term and long-term goals can help reinstate calm and ease frustration. With clear goals comes the comfort that this is all transitory, and there is relief in knowing what can be addressed successfully at each stage.
- Education - helping people understand their dogs
Helping our clients to understand the developmental shifts their dogs are experiencing allows them to be compassionate rather than frustrated. When our clients understand the hormonal, physical, and emotional changes their dogs are experiencing, they can better support their dog’s needs.
- Motivation - Building desire to shift and take action
With greater understanding comes a feeling of empowerment. Our dog guardians are now more motivated to take action to support their dog through the adolescent phase.
- Mechanics - timing, reward placement, treat delivery, toys as rewards in training, marker use.
Supporting our guardians with the practical training of their adolescent dogs cements their efforts. Now they understand the challenges their dogs are experiencing, they need help to ensure the timing and placement of treat delivery is effective and not inadvertently reinforcing undesirable behaviours.
Supporting Adolescent dogs
- Building Confidence
As the second fear stage hits and our adolescent dogs begin encountering new experiences, continued appropriate socialisation and exposure are incredibly important. Supporting their learning of how the world works and trying different experiences can help foster confidence as they grow.
- Encouraging Calm
To help teenage dogs through their growing pains coupled with abundant surges of energy, finding mental and physical outlets that meet these needs is vital.
Helping guardians explore activities such as Ace FreeWork, scentwork and brain games can help encourage calm while looking after the dog’s wellbeing. Low impact physical exercise coupled with training can ensure teenage dogs are not overdoing it while still expending that boundless energy.
- Practising Focus
As our teens gain confidence and curiosity, focus on their human can take a back seat. Incorporating focus into their training can build stronger responses. Take it back to basics and slowly build upon key foundations to eliminate stress for both the guardian and their dog.
- Reinforcing relationship
As found in Dr. Asher’s study, there is often a disconnect between the human and their dog at this age. Activities and games which strengthen their bond are a crucial focal point for success. A strong bond increases motivation for both parties and reinstates connection that helps them move through this tricky phase.
In Conclusion
As dog trainers, we want to help dogs to stay in their family homes. We know that adolescence, at the best of times, is the most challenging phase of a dog's life. And it's also the stage where dogs end up in shelters and rescue more than any other period in their lives.
By creating effective, efficient learning programs and resources that are quick for your clients to understand, comprehend and execute, we can banish the overwhelm for everyone involved.
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