Did you know that just like humans, dogs go through a ‘teenager’ phase? It’s called canine adolescence.
Between the ages of around 6 months and 3 years (depending on the breed) dogs go through various physical, brain and hormonal changes. Just like human teenagers, these changes can have a significant impact on behaviour. Perfect puppies can seem to become more ‘difficult’ without any obvious cause and despite previously successful training.
It can be a challenging time for owners and their dogs. Many owners don’t know what to expect or how to guide their dog through this difficult time. In fact, this adolescent period is the most common age when dogs are surrendered to shelters.
Here are 5 things you may not know about canine adolescence and how to manage it successfully
1. An adolescent dog is led more by their ‘emotional brain’ than their ‘thinking brain’
Different parts of a dog’s brain mature at different rates. It takes time for the part of the brain responsible for good judgement and decision making to fully develop. However the emotional part of the brain responsible for impulses and instinctive behaviour develops much quicker.
This means that adolescent dogs are often led more by their emotions. They can seem to ‘stop listening’, becoming less responsive to commands (such as ‘sit’ or ‘come’). They can also become more reactive to their environment: chasing, jumping up or barking at things they didn’t before or being more emotionally sensitive.
2. Neutering won’t necessarily improve your dog’s behaviour
You may have heard that neutering or spaying a dog will ‘calm them down’, improve their recall and stop them from jumping up. However this isn’t necessarily the case.
Neutering/spaying will only have an impact on behaviours that are solely driven by the sex hormones: testosterone and oestrogen. This does not include behaviours such as recall, jumping up and even many instances of ‘humping’. These behaviours are often driven by other factors such as prior learning and emotional responses, so neutering will not necessarily improve them.
Premature spaying/neutering can also have negative physical and behavioural consequences including an increased risk of injury and fearfulness, so think carefully before you decide to go ahead with the big snip!
Consult a trainer for advice on whether neutering/spaying is right for your individual dog. As a general rule, if possible it’s best to wait until your dog has gone through adolescence before getting them spayed or neutered.
3. Adolescent dogs are more prone to allergies and gut problems
Because a dog’s body goes through so many changes during adolescence, their gut microbiome (the helpful gut microorganisms that aid digestion and stimulate the immune system) often destabilises during this time.
This means that your dog has a weaker immune system during adolescence than it had as puppy or will have as an adult. As a result, they are more likely to develop skin or gut issues and will be more vulnerable to parasites such as giardia.
Importantly, even mild discomfort can have an impact on your dog’s behaviour and their ability to settle, so we can help our adolescent dogs by watching carefully for any signs of skin or gut issues and consult a vet if needed.
We can also help them by providing a high quality, varied diet rich in protein, increasing their physical activity and lowering their stress levels. All of these can help to maintain a diverse gut microbiome and reduce the risk of health issues.
4. Sleep is SO important!
We all know how important sleep is for puppies, but did you know it’s just as important for adolescent dogs?
Whilst they may look fully grown, their bodies and brains are undergoing big changes, and they need good quality, uninterrupted sleep to help facilitate this development.
Dogs process most of their learning during sleep and their brains can quickly become ‘overloaded’ if they are not given enough rest opportunities. Think about how a tired toddler or teenager might react in a more extreme and emotional way. Adolescent dogs are much the same.
Ensuring your dog gets at least 16 hours of sleep per day will help them to cope better with their turbulent adolescent emotions.
5. Remember it’s a just a phase and don’t lose hope!
It’s a sad reality that most dogs surrendered to shelters are in this adolescent period, aged between 6 months and 3 years. I often tell my clients that whilst I love my adolescent dog, I don’t always like him!
Adolescence can feel like a roller-coaster for dogs and their owners. It might seem like your perfect puppy has regressed and lost a lot of their foundational training.
Rest assured that you haven’t failed, and you do not have a ‘problem dog’; you just have a teenager and you are both dealing with all the challenges that adolescence naturally brings.
Whilst it can be a difficult period, it is temporary. With patience, empathy, consistent boundaries and the right training approach, you can successfully guide your dog through this period and shape them into the well-balanced family member you’ve always dreamed of.
If you are struggling with your dog’s adolescent behaviour, or if you have a puppy who is about to hit adolescence and would like some more advice on what to do, feel free to reach out. I offer a FREE no obligation consulation so get in touch!