What to expect with Adolescent dogs
Is your dog getting increasingly curious about the world outside? Is he trying to boss over other dogs in the neighbourhood? Is he always barking at that cute little female Retriever each time he goes out for a walk? Well, your canine buddy is now slowly turning into an adolescent. They are in that delicate stage where they are not a puppy anymore and are in the verge of entering adulthood.
The period of adolescence is from 6 to 18 months of age and is the time where dogs test their caregivers patience to the limit. They do not listen to the commands, get into fights with other dogs and get very interested with the opposite sex.
Adolescent dogs are not very different from human teens. They are just as hyper, exasperating and at the same time extremely lovable! The following are what you can expect from your teenaged buddy:
- You are no longer the centre of their universe as they get more engaged with the world outside. They also become deaf to your commands and may not come to you when you want them to.
- They have lots of energy at this stage so they need to be exercised well for them to be well behaved.
- They now become sexually mature and will start showing their availability to the opposite sex. They will mark their house to claim their territory and will try to escape from home to search for their partners.
- They tend to forget the commands and have short memory span. So you will need to teach them the same commands frequently.
- They may suddenly get shy or frightened of things and situations they never used to fear before. Do not force them to face their fears. You need to gradually work on slowly getting them conditioned to the situation. The vet or a behaviourist will be able to help you do that.
- They will lose their puppy coat and will grow to full adult height.
It is always a good idea to contact a behaviourist or a trainer for their professional advice.
Happy Parenting!
