What to do when your puppy becomes a teenager
“Teenagers scare the living shit out of me.” – My Chemical Romance
We are constantly saying in our puppy classes--Even if your puppy is doing fantastically in class, listening well, and appearing confident when they are young, it is very likely that they will go through an adolescent period of their life in which they will appear to have forgotten everything you’ve taught them. Stay the course, and you’ll both come out okay on the other side.
Changes puppies experience during adolescence
The brains of adolescent dogs, very much like those of teenage humans, go through huge changes as they move from the curiosity of puppyhood to the maturity of adulthood. As we have learned from brilliant scientists like Dr. Kathy Murphy, this often presents as:
Appearing to have forgotten known cues
Seeming less interested in what they once found rewarding
Reacting with more extreme or seemingly disproportionate behavior to things that they experience
Pursuing in situations where they previously may have paused or avoided
Becoming overstimulated or experiencing high arousal more quickly than they had in the past, and behaving in ways that seem more extreme than before
These changes are normal. Oftentimes, when students have worked hard on early training and socialization with their puppies, they can feel discouraged during their dog’s adolescent stage, if they are not expecting it. It may feel like your dog is rebelling or like all of your hard work has gone right out the window!
Mature thinking takes time and rehearsal.
It may take a handful of months (two to four is typical, but this varies greatly) for your dog’s brain to go through these changes, and there’s not always a notable start and stop point for the beginning and the ending of adolescence.
Luckily, there are some great ways to support your newly-teenage puppy in their development.
Observe your dog’s behavior in response to things they notice.
Learn your dog’s body language. Study the changes you see as they interact with the world around them. What could these changes mean?
Protect your puppy from hard things.
Avoid situations that could be too scary, too stressful, or too overstimulating for them to easily recover from. Try not to take your dog to places where many things will be out of your control.
When you do take them to difficult environments, or if your regular environment is difficult, have a plan for removing your dog from that environment in a positive way, if needed, and work with your dog’s trainer to form a plan for helping them relax and regulate afterward.
Let your puppy practice regulating their arousal level.
In controlled settings, or in times you are prepared to make quick changes, create opportunities for your dog to practice regulating their arousal level in ways that work best for them.
Observe how your dog responds to different activities, such as moving their body in different kinds of play, relaxing on their bed or mat, chewing a bone, resting in quiet environments, being petted with different kinds of strokes, etc.
What helps them get back to being themselves again? What amps them up more and prevents them from making good choices?
Give your dog lots of breaks from high arousal activities.
This is not the time to start sending your dog to a large group daycare for five days a week. Dogs at this stage of life need time to rest, and it’s important that we interrupt high arousal cycles and follow them with time to rest and repair.
This may also be a good time to keep training sessions short and focus on strengthening known behavior or behaviors that support a decrease in arousal level, rather than teaching many new or complex behaviors.
Engaging and focusing can also be high arousal behaviors for many dogs, so they will need time to recharge after those as well. Be flexible, and make changes to your plans based on how your dog is responding in that moment. Each day will be different, and that’s okay!
It’s okay for your dog (and you!) to have big feelings.
Big feelings are normal. Your goal is not to shut down your dog’s big feelings, but to find ways to help them build resilience as they’re carving their brain’s new pathways so your dog can make a habit of responding to big feelings in appropriate and proportionate ways.
Have fun and continue building your bond.
Engage in simple games and play with your dog in ways that are enjoyable for both of you. Focus on bonding with your dog, rather than on creating a compliant dog. This stage will end eventually, and your dog will still remember what you had previously taught them. The new things you sprinkle into their curriculum will slowly sprout as well. On the other side of adolescence, you’ll see your hard work come together in new and wonderful ways.
