Adolescent puppies can be challenging
A teenage puppy can be just as testing as a human
teenager
If you thought 'terrible teenager' syndrome was reserved for
humans, think again! Puppies hit adolescence at around six
months and will often become quite wilful as they test the
limits and assert their independence. Your puppy will probably
challenge your leadership now and you may notice a sharp
decline in his desire to please you! All this is exacerbated by
a hormonal surge brought about by growing sexual maturity. If
you haven't already had your puppy neutered, now's a good time
to do it.
How do you deal with your teenager?
All the hard work you've put in to socialise your puppy now
needs to be reinforced. Keep exposing him to a variety of
environments, people and other dogs.
Continue to play with him lots and encourage good behaviour
and discourage bad.
Expect some bold acts of rebellious courage! A puppy who has
always followed you everywhere may suddenly refuse to come when
he's called, for example. You need to be firm but fair and show
your puppy right from wrong.
Adolescent chewing
Another aspect of puppy adolescence that can be challenging
is that they will often have an uncontrollable urge to chew.
This is different to teething chewing since it happens after
all the needle-like puppy teeth have fallen out.
Adolescent chewing could be to alleviate the discomfort as
adult teeth settle into the jawbone or it could just be part of
your puppy's discovery and exploration of his environment.
Whatever the reasons behind it, there are two things you can
do to help you (and your belongings) survive the adolescent
chewing phase. Firstly, provide your puppy with things he's
meant to chew and praise him when he uses them. There are lots
of different chews on the market. Secondly, do not leave your
puppy unsupervised in places where there are valuable or
dangerous items he might chew.
Adolescent scraps
At this stage your puppy may well get into some scraps with
other dogs.
Adolescent puppies, particularly male ones, are often
harassed by older dogs (again, particularly male) who seek to
'put them in their place.' This is often triggered by the
testosterone fuelled puppy's rude 'dog manners.' Neutering may
help control this behaviour.
Always praise your puppy for friendly behaviour towards
other dogs. If he meets and greets an unfamiliar dog on a walk
and behaves well, you should lavish praise on him and maybe
even offer him a small treat.
Adolescent growth and development
Different breeds mature at different rates. In general, the
larger the breed, the longer it takes for their bones to
develop fully. Larger breeds require different levels of
nutrients for their bone growth and development compared to
smaller breeds. Thus some big breeds may not be skeletally
mature until 18 months of age; whereas a small breed may have
stopped growing at around 6-8 months of age.
Your vet will keep an eye on your puppy's growth and
development and conduct a full adolescent health check.
Adulthood
The young adulthood stage of your puppy's development
usually lasts from about 8-18 months. It's generally a great
time as your puppy will still be full of youth and exuberance
but will have had some of those teenage 'rough edges' knocked
off!