As many of you know, I've been spending a lot of my time working with puppies and their families and I love it! As of now, several of these dogs have transitioned from being puppies into being adolescents and those changes have seemingly occurred overnight (or from one week to the next). I know I've talked about adolescence before, but I think it's time to revisit some of the behaviors exhibited by adolescent dogs, the frustration their behavior can create, and how we might ease the pressure and all survive this normal (yet incredibly irritating, in some cases) period of time.
Beginning around 8 months of age (for some dogs a bit sooner, and for others a bit later), all dogs enter adolescence. Adolescence can continue well after their first birthday for some dogs, extending until 2 years of age for many, in fact. Just like human adolescence, this developmental period is characterized by defiance, willful disobedience, inattention, deliberately contrary behavior, destructive tendencies, and even food related quirks. That sweet puppy who came every time they were called, sat before being asked, could easily be occupied with a chew toy, now runs the other way when called, turns his head and ignores your requests, chews on furniture and destroys TV remotes. The puppy who loved to eat his meals now, apparently, prefers eating trash and backpack zippers, turning up his nose at mealtimes. Don't despair as this is is all quite normal. Building confidence and independence is a good thing. We just need to remind these dogs who is in charge of the resources, what our expectations are for them, and what the consequences will be if they choose not to comply.
Just because your older puppy appears to be house trained, doesn't mean you should give them full access to your house. Accidents may still occur and being left unsupervised often leads to these dogs chewing on furniture, curtains, door moldings, and room decor. Too much freedom, combined with boredom, will definitely lead to disaster. Continue to confine your older puppies either to their crates, exercise pens, or the rooms they've been using that have been safely puppy-proofed all along. Continue daily toy rotation, making sure to include hard things to chew on so they won't be so attracted to those door moldings and chair legs. I love those sterile, stuffed bones from Red Barn Brand. They are safe and made in the USA. Those bones can be lifesavers for young dogs who need a chewing outlet.
Don't let your adolescent dogs off leash unless they are in a fenced area and you have the time to work on getting them back to you if they resist. If you don't have the time to work on that, then don't let them off leash. Work with your adolescent dogs on a long line; using a 15, 20, or 30 foot leash to work on recall is a good daily exercise for your dogs. Hook on the long line and let them follow their noses away from you. Once they are good and distracted, call them back using an upbeat tone of voice and have extremely yummy treats on hand to reward them when they finally get to you. Don't despair if they don't come racing toward you; they are adolescent dogs, after all. If you have to give a tug on the leash to get them coming toward you, that's fine, just don't get frustrated. If you get frustrated you will lose this game for sure! And it is a game to your adolescent dog, so remember that too. The more fun you make this exercise, the more likely they will be to play along. If you are worried that your dog won't get enough exercise if they can't safely be off leash, again put them on that long line and use a flirt pole lure toy to exercise them efficiently.
Rather than feeding your adolescent dog in a bowl, try feeding them using an interactive feeding toy. In a pinch, just spread their kibble on a cookie sheet or spread around in your fenced yard for them to forage and find. If you want to use a bowl, use a slow feeder bowl to challenge them. If your adolescent dog is acting finicky about their meals, allot a period of time for the meals and simply pick up what they don't eat. They will eat when they are hungry, so don't give in and "spice up" their food with snacks and sauces or think about changing their food. Frequent food changes can actually contribute to finicky eating more than it curbs it.
Short training sessions are still the key to dealing with the inattention and active disobedience so often seen in adolescent dogs. Really short sessions, like 3-5 minutes total a couple of times a day work the best for most adolescents. Don't just focus on "boring" behaviors they already know; add in new tricks or ask for longer stays, several sits and downs in a row (aka puppy pushups), or mental games like picking one particular toy out of a pile of toys, finding the treat under a cup (the shell game), etc.
Make sure all the humans understand the importance of being vigilant with adolescent dogs in the house. Close doors and gates. Don't leave backpacks, purses, etc. within their reach. Put away shoes and socks. Don't leave a plate of cookies within their reach as they will definitely be tempted! Do work on leave it and drop it (again) even if you've already taught those commands.
And finally, be consistent with the consequences. If your adolescent dog is defying you, give them a time out. If they don't come when called, ignore them until they do (social shunning). Make sure they get those all important naps in their crates every day. Let them sniff on their walks. If you use daycare or dogwalkers, find out what kind of shenanigans your adolescent dog is doing there so you can stay on top of them. Remember just like with adolescent humans, your dogs will grow out of this phase and move on to being young adult dogs. While working with adolescent dogs can be challenging, it is well worth the effort as you will end up with a nice, well-adjusted, well-mannered adult dog that you can be proud to call family.
As always, if you have questions about your pet's behavior, you know where to find me.
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