I didn't really notice adolescence with my two. Sure, I had to revisit recall, sure I had to go back to basics on certain things and sure the environment got a lot more distracting for them. But, hey, you know it's coming, so take it on a case by case basis of when you go out, and train what you need to train. Forget "s/he knows this" and appreciate that s/he really doesn't in this new, exciting world. Breathe and go back to square one. Then you come out the other side with your sanity intact.
I think Coco was going through adolescence when we got him at 16 months...or was he just unsettled? Probably a bit of both, but as we'd missed the puppy stage and growing calm before adolescence it wasn't a shock as such. We just took it as "this is our new, bouncy dog", everything was trained from scratch. I suppose that's the hard bit with a puppy - you've trained it all once, then you have to do it again.
Although a fair few physiological things are happening when a dog hits adolescence, I think the intrinsic character of that individual dog will effect the impact of adolescence. A really hyper, social puppy, will become more social, and being naturally risk adverse due to the surge in hormones, is likely to become more social, more interested in other dogs, and less interested in their humans. With our fun, bold chocolate lab, I just felt I was background noise! Great... I would be more concerned though, with a naturally shy puppy, who then has a sort of "confidence boost" due to hormone surge, and appear comfortable in their environment, and interactions with other dogs. These hormones eventually naturally find their normal levels. I do wonder if more awareness of this phase of hormone normalisation, would help dogs through a potentially critical phase. When you castrate a dog early, then these hormones levels literally come crashing down, so coupled with the whole vet experience, GA, discomfort etc... it is not surprising that some dogs appear more fearful post neuter. This isn't a post about neutering, btw just another perspective on factors influencing our adolescent dogs
I can empathise with this. There has never been any distinct difference with Ripple, sometimes at 18 months I think he is as bad as he was at 18 weeks, 8 months, 1 year - no difference just a shocker from day one .
Yes, I do wonder whether it's 'a stage' at all or just the end of puppyhood. Certainly, some of the behaviours that emerged with Charlie as he got older stayed - they didn't wear off, it just became obvious that he is who he now is (i.e. a dog with zero impulse control and extremely low frustration tolerance which hadn't really been so evident when he was a puppy).
I think they stop being a puppy at around 8 months, this is when they start to look for their own solutions rather than looking to you. This is when you hope all the training they've had causes them to choose good solutions. And, of course, the training continues! So far so good with the four I have had. (I don't count my earlier dogs because they got NO training at all! ) ...
The puppy biting, widdling etc DO get easier, 100% easier I forget every time just how much they widdle!! But the dog starts to think for him/herself. So things which were really 'biddable' and the pup did just because you asked need much more training and proofing. ...
Oh reading these observations, err Molly at 6.5 months seems to be there already. Pleeeeese, I mean pleeeeeeeze don't tell me its going to get any worse !!
I think I must have very happily selective memory, as I can't really remember huge difficulties during adolescence. I suppose I must have struggled as I left KCGC bronze at around 10 months because we weren't coping (went back to it the following year.) I think perhaps finding a trainer that suits your personality/ emotional state at the time is the thing to do. We did around 6 months with a gundog trainer which was exactly what we needed. He was very calm and didn't blame me (or Molly) just said that it was a matter of time and persistence. I think by about 18 months I felt that things were much easier.
I think it's about our own expectations too. Rory does seem to fluctuate between angel and arse***e but he a pup now a young dog so it goes with the territory . But as he's got older he's become mostly angel and a dog that I would not change . all my dogs have been different and all had difficulties which had to be worked round. I even had one that was practically a saint and that was strange as I kept expecting a lab puppy to sneak out. People don't really tell you what puppies are like else we would never get one. It's a shock when you find out how hard it is and you feel isolated. The hard bits are hard so I just get on with it. I raised 2 good dogs so I will just do it again . Its the look in the eye they get when the gaze at you and I just think yes I can see what you are becoming . They are such great dogs all that potential just there waiting to be developed and encouraged. My dogs are not the best at recall or walking nicely on a lead they are about 90% that will do for me. They are perfect companions and have helped me more than I can explain
Bessie's a rescue, so unfortunately, the shelter spayed her at 8 weeks old. I wonder how lack of hormones will play into "adolescence." My previous two dogs were not neutered until much later in life - my first rescue mix, we spayed after her first heat. My 7yo labradoodle, we did not neuter until 18 months old. These past couple days of craziness, I think may have been teething. She just cut all her back molars and her big canines are coming in. She's settling down a bit today.
7 months here. And it really hit a peak at 9 months. We are 12 months now and whilst still exhibiting adolescent behaviours, she is beginning to gradually improve!
After the day we've had, I think we're going straight from puppy at 5 months directly into adolescence.
@babs75 is it teething? Bessie's seemed to be teething-related. Though I took her to Petco yesterday for some socialization and she was a complete nightmare!
Not sure when Teller hit adolescence but it was probably around 9-10 months because that's when he was adopted and returned for being too hyper and destructive so it sounds about right. When we got him at a year, he was still in the thick of it. The shelter told us it was a lack of OB, although he knew all of his commands and learnt quite a few more in the first month we had him. As for behavior we had plenty selective-hearing, jumping (god the jumping!), mouthing, lots of forgetting manners, pulling like a plow-horse on-lead ALL the time, stealing things, trying to eat EVERYTHING, zooming around, and general hyperactivity; the folks at the dog park would laugh and act surprised if Teller ever stopped moving to lie down and one woman asked if he was ill because she hadn't ever seen him that tired. This all started to gradually taper off at around 18 months and he's calmed down a good amount since he turned 2 in August. However, he is still pretty immature and occasionally has his bad days where it's like he's a teenager again. Here's an example of one such day... I took him to the river for some training with marked retrieves and also exercise. He did pretty well during the first half an hour. A kayaker showed up and started up a conversation with me. Teller being the total ham that he is started fetching and delivering the bumper to the kayaker. There were a couple of teenage girls with 2 dogs of their own on the opposite shore and T ignored them at first until something clicked and he swam across the entire river, current and all, to play with the other dogs. The kayaker thought it was the funniest thing in the world while I was ready to crawl under a rock. He was nice enough to paddle over to the girls whilst on his way and give them my dog's name and point me out (exasperated and embarrassed knee-deep in mud on the opposite shore). Teller had a grand old time playing with one of the dogs (the other wasn't so friendly) and decided to finally listen to his recall as the sun was setting. His new friend even tried to swim after him to keep playing lol. It's funny how they know when they've been naughty because T was all smiles but made sure to be EXTRA obedient for the remainder of the night.
Libby just turned 5 months yesterday. Yep, she is teething. Totally acting out like I haven't seen in awhile. She got a lot of exercise yesterday, too. Figured out she's been peeing on the rug in front of her dog door. She's been housebroken for weeks. What's with that? Maybe it's too cold outside? She's chewing on me like crazy and with these new teeth, she tears skin a lot worse. She is into all kinds of stuff she shouldn't be. Did a little 'surfing' this morning and got hold of my old glasses off the table (I leave them at home - luckily the new ones are in my purse). Popped the glass out of both and am still trying to get them put back together. Got hold of my husband's readers too but didn't seem to do any damage. Chewed up a pine cone all over the family room, just basically out of control all of the sudden. Had me in tears again yesterday..................
Ahhhhh, so familiar - this was us at the start of November, right when she was 5 months. When I posted this thread! Ha! A month later she's really fantastic. Most of the time - she still has her moments but I'm not in tears and pulling my hair out almost every day anymore. Like I said, we went to town for the first time in a while and she was a nightmare, just so overexcited about the pet store. She peed everywhere when the guy who worked there petted her and she was generally a complete freak trying to lunge at and jump on people. @Teller's mom - that's a great story!
Oh except she's a relentless counter surfer bc she's now scored a few times. Ugh. And she's chewed up two pairs of my glasses when I was in the shower (I leave them on the toilet - not anymore, or I try to remember to put them up high). One to unwearable from the arms being chewed too rough, cutting up my ear - tried tape and it gummed up and my hair got caught in it. The second needs to be sanded but is salvageable and has only a few minor scratches on the lenses. Grrrrr. So, not perfect by any means, but markedly better than a month ago!
@b&blabs - Lol and that was 2 weeks ago! Thankfully Teller isn't much of a counter surfer but he is quite the thief. True to lab-form he lives to carry anything and everything in his mouth. Most of it ends up relatively unharmed because he has a nice soft-mouth. Well, when he decides it's a toy and not food. He regularly tries to eat anything paper, wrappers, pine straw, etc. He hasn't ever been very destructive... he left a couple of dents in the sound bar remote, chewed a rubber stopper, chewed 2 shoes, and dismantled a spool of ribbon.
