It should come as no surprise to most people that dogs change throughout the years. I think we can all agree that a puppy’s actions and reactions are different from a mature dog’s. In their development, young pups changes are much more pronounced than in a mature dog turning into a senior dog. I also happen to think that is true of humans. Puppies go through a follow then play then explore phase in their development. That is why in the early months most owners are delighted to experience their young pup following them everywhere. However once, the pup begins the play and explore stage of their development, owners start to experience behaviors that are not so endearing. I often say that one is going to dislike their dog intensely twice in their lives, when the dogs are teething and when they are becoming teenagers. Here I venture a guess that parents of humans can also relate. A teething baby often cries and is irritable, a teething pup has a tendency to use their teeth on everything and everyone. Both can be challenging. Accepting and understanding that these stages of development come with owning a dog, can make us well prepared for when these phases happen. Having a plan for how to deal when your puppy is teething or having teenage antics can make all the difference in the world.
Puppy teething, that perennial stage when young dogs chew through everything… furniture, garden, and sometimes humans. It can be disruptive, confusing and painful. This is also the period of puppies discovering and learning what are the rules and boundaries the pack lives by. I always encourage people to crate train their dog, but I seriously and most earnestly recommend a crate when teaching your young pup the concept of boundaries. Think of it as a crib/bassinet for you puppy. In nature puppies stay with their moms in their den until about 4/5 months. Only then will they start exploring beyond a very limited space. Once they do, the pack starts teaching them immediately how and where it is ok to use your teeth. For starters, never on a pack member. Teaching a puppy what is ok to use their teeth on and what is not, is as much our responsibility as is teaching them to be in their crate when we can’t keep our eyes on them. Would you leave a toddler to wonder about in the house without supervision? If you answer is no, ask yourself why do you expect a puppy not to get into mischief if left in a wide open space with no direction. Having a young pup is a lot of responsibility since they will be learning everything from us. So prepare yourself for some challenging times. There will be ups and there will downs. But if we think about it, we also take time (and a lot of it) to teach our young how to behave in the world. Why do we expect that this would be different with animals?
Adolescence in dogs happens around one and a half to two years old. In a pack this is when they start to find out what their place in the group’s overall dynamic will be. This is when your perfect well behaved dog will, maybe, start challenging the rules and boundaries a little more. Try not to think of it as rebellion, since that requires one to have a sense of self, which dogs do not have. A more apt analogy would be that the dog is finding their place in our world. What is their role in this specific pack? A great way to ride the adolescent wave is to essentially go back to basics. Treat your dog as if they have just come in and you are teaching (in this case, reinforcing) what the house protocols are. By simply doing that we are reassuring the dog that the rules still apply, and that, as much as they want to (re) assert their way, someone is there to say no. If this sounds pretty much like raising an adolescent human, then you have started to get the idea. Dogs, like humans, are social animals, learning what is and isn’t allowed is done by the interactions with the group closest to them. Much like humans, they experience an age where they challenge the overall order of that union. Our job as leaders is to acknowledge that and find the best way to keep teaching what the rules and boundaries are. That will keep everyone fulfilled.
When it comes to our dogs, it does wonders for us to remember that they too, experience growing pains. They maybe different than ours in the physical sense, nevertheless we can relate to the overall psychology of it. Youngsters need to be physically “protected” for their own safety. We do that to our young in a myriad of ways. The overriding idea goes out the window however, when we are dealing with our dogs. So if it makes you feel better to equate a crate with a crib, by all means do that. Help your young pup to be successful by limiting the ways that they can get into mischief. When one does not have the time to pay attention to a young dog, make sure they are in a safe space. That is what a responsible dog parent or owner does. Then, be prepared for what happens to them at around two years of age. If they start making poor decisions, help them by being a little more strict with the boundaries you previously set. Practice as much as you did when your pup first arrived. The adolescent brain will thank you. So will your peace of mind.
