Teenage Dogs
Many dog owners think that when their canine companion has passed through puppy hood that they are through the worse behaviour and the mischievousness. They could not be further from the truth if they tried!
Dogs travel through what is termed their adolescent stage and they behave literally just like teenagers. They can be moody, snappy and they conveniently forget all the training that they have been given.
This stage happens at around 5 months of age and generally it can go on until the dog is approximately 2 or 3 years old, this varies depending on the individual dog. The first thing you will probably notice is that your young dog becomes gradually less interested in you and a lot more interested in their surroundings.
They begin to act as though you have never taught them anything and this can be extremely frustrating! You need to refresh your young dog immediately and just remind him / her that they have actually received some training.
Just gently work through the commands again and keep repeating them as it is so important that your dog remembers and it is also imperative that they remember who exactly is in charge. During their ‘teenage stage’ dogs act as if their brains have ceased up and they simply forget everything, even the basics such as toilet training and walking on the lead.
The teething period is over as far as new teeth coming through and baby teeth falling out but your dog’s teeth are going through their final stage and setting within their jaw. There will be discomfort experienced by your dog at this stage. You could discover that your dog goes back to their chewing stage so be patient and persuade them to chew products that are good for him / her.
The easiest thing to do is to approach your dog as though he / she have reverted back to being just 8 weeks old again. Do not scare them during this phase of their life because whatever you do now they will remember.
Just be patient with your dog as they will not really understand what is happening to them, be kind and try to remind them gently of how much fun training can be. They will learn more if they are enjoying the sessions keep them short and always keep them happy.