Puberty with your dog: our tips

From the age of six months your sweet puppy can turn into a rebellious adolescent dog. He can't do anything about it: it's because of the hormones that are now rushing through his body! Just like humans, dogs can get in the way of themselves during puberty. Adolescent dogs change, don't know what they want and are sometimes just real dragons. It’s important that you and your dog learn to understand each other. And we will help you on your way!

Dogs in puberty

Every dog reacts differently to puberty. Some have more problems than others. How long puberty lasts also varies from dog to dog. This can differ per breed and size of the dog. On average, small breeds are more likely to reach puberty than larger breeds. Health also plays a role, long-term complaints such as giardia can cause puberty to start later. The proper guidance of your dog in puberty consists of patience, patience and... patience. If you survive this period, your puppy will turn into a super dog!

Behaviour expressions

An adolescent dog is busy with himself and, for example, everything that smells, and is not busy with the boss. An adolescent dog takes more distance with walking, pulls more or runs away. An adolescent dog can also suffer from jealousy or envy, jumping up a lot or demolition behavior. The adolescent dog can literally do nothing about who he is. Below is a list of behaviors often seen in an adolescent dog.

• Pulling the leash
• Lashing out at other dogs
• Jumping up, getting his paws in your face
• Running away
• Demolition behavior
• Not wanting to be alone anymore
• Not listening
• Keeps wagging its tail even when you're angry

Hormonal changes

Hormones are substances that are delivered to the blood by certain glands. By giving signals, hormones regulate a lot of processes in the body, including the growth and maturation of germ cells. Hormone spikes will cause behavioral changes. So much changes internally and externally that your adolescent dog can no longer keep up. The world is big, contains a lot of smells and colors and they all need to be discovered. It's up to you, as a wise and calm boss, to take care of all that. Just like in the fear phase: with the right guidance you will really get it right!

Puberty with your dog: our tips

Tip 1: Repetition

Keep explaining things to your adolescent dog and keep naming the things you do with him…. ‘All right, that's it. That's right, that's waiting.’ If necessary, take a step back in your training, or make an exercise a bit easier. Don't think that your dog already knows it or can do it. The power of learning is in repetition!

Tip 2: Keep a diary

As an adolescent owner, keep a diary in which you write off all your annoyances. You'll see A) the progress over time and B) you can look back on puberty with a warm heart. Or write a letter to your adolescent four-legged friend. Put the letter in an envelope and put it in the back of your diary. If you find it again months later and reread it, you can probably laugh heartily at everything!

Tip 3: Changing teeth

Around 7 months or so, dogs can start chewing on things again. Their teeth seem to have been exchanged by then, but often around this period the last buttocks still come through. So keep that in mind!

Tip 4: Role model

Adolescent dogs between other adolescent dogs are masters in the practice of mischief. Make sure your adolescent learns the most from a social, well-behaved and adult example dog!

Tip 5: Fun activities

Plan fun things to do with your adolescent dog. Continue with obedience training, start a fun sport or activity, follow a workshop... There is so much to discover together!

Tip 6: Ask for help

It takes a village to raise a child, in other words: you need the cooperation of others to raise your adolescent dog. Ask if others want to help you, for example by ignoring your dog if necessary.

Tip 7: Everything that you give attention, grows!

Emphasize what you do want to see from your adolescent, and not what you don't want to see. Because: everything that you give attention, grows!

Tip 8: Sniffing time

Put your adolescent dog's nose to work. It's really designed for sniffing. Being allowed to use their nose is really a great workout for dogs so that they can use a lot of their energy.

Tip 9: Testosterone

Good to know: the testosterone level in an adolescent dog is seven times higher than in an adult dog! That’s a phase you have to go through. But really, it’ll be alright!

Tip 10: Work-Out!

A nice work-out? Look for water that your adolescent dog can walk through knee to elbow deep. Nice aqua jogging is a great muscle training, and summer proof!

Tip 11: Adolescent behavior or problematic behavior?

Adolescent behavior goes away by itself, problematic behavior does not. Do you have the feeling your adolescent dog derails? Contact a dog behavioral expert who can help you before the problems get worse!

Pulling the leash

Does your dog pull his leash a lot while walking? That's not pleasant, not for you and not for your dog. Pulling on the leash is easy to unlearn. This is how you do it:

1. Stand still: Stand still when your dog is pulling and wait until he comes back to you or sits down.
2. Wait for rest: Dogs are smart and can learn to come back and wait, and still pull on the leash while walking. If this happens, stand still longer and wait until your dog really calms down. You can see this by the tail that slowly sinks down. Do you notice that your dog has calmed down again? Walk! This is his reward.
3. Walk backwards: Start with something tasty in your hand and lure your dog along while you walk backwards. After a few meters you turn clockwise and keep the treat in front of him. Your dog now walks to your left. At that moment you say 'follow' and you give him his reward. (Of course another command can be used as well).
4. ZigZag: Hold a short leash at the end and now walk randomly back and forth, preferably in directions your dog hasn’t thought of. Don't say anything, but keep walking patterns; zigzag, turn around or walk a 90 degree bend. If your dog decides to follow you and/or come to you, reward him with some treats!

The most important and most difficult thing is to persevere. Whatever training you use, walking without a pulling dog is training, training and even more training. Is your dog still young? You have to count on the fact that you will be working on it the first year of your dog's life. There is so much to see in our world, for a puppy is walking next to you the last thing they are interested at! Once the training is successful? Keep practicing it regularly to prevent repetition!

Need help?

Is your dog a real dragon and could you use some extra tips & tricks? The Prins CareTeam is ready for you!