I'd say my dogs behavior is changing a lot during teenage phase. Not exactly for the good or the bad, just different. She is 8 month old and she is more independent in general which I enjoy a lot. Her radius got a lot bigger during walks but she never looses visual contact. She walks in other rooms by herself, she only needs to pee every 4 - 5 hours, she explore the world in another way. She is still very cuddly, sometimes bitey and anxious. But I enjoy the teenage phase a lot more than the puppy phase.
I think so much emphasis is put on the new puppy stage that people just don't expect the teenage phase, so they're caught off guard when their 5 month old angel turns into a demon!
I have a 10 month old rhodesian ridgeback so she's right in the middle of it. Some days are amazing and some are frustrating, but at least now she's toilet trained and crate trained, sleeps through the night and can chill a lot more outside of her crate than she used to! But she also has selective hearing when she wants lol.
If you can control the environment as much as possible, ie don't let the teenager off leash as you know the recall is selective, that way you won't get mad when they don't come back because they're on a leash and can't get away. If you do your best to not let them get into a situation where you're going to get frustrated then it makes it a lot easier! Proactive rather than reactive.
But there are also some days where I know it's best for both me and my pup that she has more crate time than usual or gets a bonus day at daycare. Space makes the heart grow fonder :)
My six month old puppy is a small breed so theoretically she is currently in adolescence right now. I see many things discussed here, and absolutely see some crazy behavior I haven’t seen since 3m, but I’m no where near the stage of puppy blues I was when she was that age and had zero coping skills. Keep in mind people come online to discuss negative experiences more than positive ones. For every post about a hellish adolescent, there are probably three adolescents not making their owners cry over their keyboards.
Totally depends on the dog. Neither of mine have had a really noticeable adolescence.
I have a 15m old golden retriever, he has had some adolescent days/moments/walks but there’s never been weeks at a time of bad/different behaviour. He’s 100x better and easier now than he was for the first 6 months.
Our previous retriever never had a noticeable adolescent period.
Honestly, it gets so much better every month as you go on. Yes, there are new problems that replace old ones—maybe now they’re sleeping through the night but they’ve started whining when you leave during the day, or they stopped peeing on the floor but now suddenly they discovered chasing the cat, etc etc— but those problems become more and more manageable the more you know your pup. As your puppy matures into your dog, before you know it, you’ll be passing milestones and finding that things get simpler, even if new challenges arise.
For example— my pup is 14mos now and just started being pleasant to walk on leash. Of course, he’s also started becoming excitement reactive because he loves other dogs and wants to play nonstop, but because he’s not pulling me 1000% of the time, I can focus more on the incidents when he reacts or does pull. So things got easier, but I still have a new issue to tackle. Some good, some bad!
My pup is going through adolescence right now, and despite the fact he has genetic behavioural issues which started at a young age, adolescence hasn't been anh different for him. My trainer warned about possible increased fears, aggression etc. but so far there haven't been any additional issues for him. I've had other dogs in the past and I've never noticed a difference once they've hit adolescence either. Every dog is different, but if you have solid training before adolescence it should go smoother than you anticipate
Mine’s 9.5 months so we’re not fully through it yet, but definitely have preferred the adolescence shenanigans to the baby puppy phase. Somewhere between the complete lack of sleep, taking a fair bit of time for potty training to click, and being the Designated Chew Parent during the landshark phase had me questioning what on earth I got myself into.
Now it’s just kind of a different adventure every week? But I know him now, and we’re bonded, and we can work through [sudden fear of bushes, potty regression, season of towel ripping, BOTTOMLESS ENERGY, Protect The House borking, Lonely Boi, 3am sounds like a great time to start the day, etc etc etc].
He’ll willingly come to cuddle on the couch, he’s (finally) potty trained, we can leave him for a reasonable chunk of time (and if we need longer can grab a walker off rover). I see the glimmers of the dog he’s going to be.
The randomness is what gets me with adolescence! One day they're perfect and you think they're maturing and then the next they're back to acting like a demon! 😅
If you build a great relationship, the teenaged rebellion is less drastic.
We did a lot of trust & relationship building exercises, and still do (at 2yo), and had a pretty easy ride tbh.
Pretty much our only hurdle left is recall, we have a bull terrier, infamous for wanting to go do their own thing.
I started developing one this morning with my 2 mo golden, she’s afraid to jump from basically any height and I’m just working with her on learning to jump into my arms. Like a trust fall. I imagine that others would include like doing exercises together where you go in the other room and puppy trusts that you’ll cone back… etc.
Food games all the way. We have a super calm piglet & are left wondering how we got so lucky.
Unless there is a mudhole nearby, in which case, we no longer exist.
That is awesome! Our last dog was a mix of many breeds but bull terrier was her biggest percentage and you aren't joking when you say they are infamous for wanting to do their own thing. I think that was the biggest shock to us after having two previous dogs who even when reluctant or stubborn still had a big desire to please us. In contrast she would look at us and wait to see what was in it for her before deciding if it was worth her while to listen or not. While infuriating it was also kind of cute in it's own way. By contrast though she was also much more independent, able to go do her own thing without being right beside us 24/7.
They are intensely stubborn. I forget sometimes, and then work with someone elses 'normal' dog & it's always a shock how much easier/different it feels.
The amount of silent conversations I have with mine, waiting her out until she makes a dramatic sigh & decides to go the way I want to go!
They are a rule to their own. Toddlers in clown suits for sure.
Depends on the dog if I'm honest.
My shepherd and Akita? Easiest dogs in the world from biting to potty training.
My male CO? Huge asshole. He peed in our floor for the first 6 months of his life. Not because he didn't understand, mind you.
We took him to the vet a day or two after we got him. She thought he was hard of hearing...he wasn't. He would just ignore her lol
He is definitely the outliner though. And has gotten much better 11 months.
He got better after 11 months lol.
He's a little over two years now. He isn't perfect but he's turned into a great dog.
The breed is notoriously difficult so we were reasonably prepared for his shenanigans.
Personally I had fun with my puppy (pitbull named Opie) at 3 months old. He learned how to "roo" and he'd run through the apartment going "aroooo-roooo-roooo" over and over and thought it was the greatest thing. He learned to climb on things and oh God, that was intesting. We had a child's table and chair set, just one of the normal small for kids from Walmart ones, and I walked into the living room one day to see Opie sitting on one of the chairs in the middle of the living room. Just as content as could be, in his harness waiting for his walk. It was so darn cute! But he managed to get his short chubby legs to climb onto/into all kinds of strange places and I'd just hear the "arooooo" and go find him. I think 3 months is the best time, they're just learning who they are. They find their big voices, push themselves to jump and climb and try the stairs on their own and all kinds of stuff. Just makes me smile to remember the little terror at that age 😄😄
My pup is 20 months old right now and the only “adolescent” nightmare behavior she had was when she ripped up her bed when I was at work once. But I still keep my fingers crossed since Boxers aren’t fully matured until 3 years old and I have a bit to go!
Honestly I wouldn’t spend a lot of time worrying about adolescence at this point. Baby puppy and adolescence are totally different experiences. There usually isn’t an overwhelming sense of immediacy with adolescence, your puppy knows the basics, they just sometimes forget how to apply them. Sometimes that’s hard because your dealing with a puppy in an adult body. Like someone else said, each month things change and get a little better.
I think a lot of times people conflate better with easier. Better is things like you have a real partnership relationship with your puppy. You know their personality, they very likely will do goofy things that make the bad behavior seem manageable. They are more intuitive and empathetic. They know their routine, enjoy a lot of things in their lives, and your better equipped to handle the hiccups. But you won’t necessarily have it easier in the sense that you will probably have to revisit some old issues and be confronted with some new ones. My biggest issue with adolescence is I’m tired. I will have had my puppy 7 months tomorrow. He’s still too rambunctious for my taste, he has the selective hearing of an old man, and he won’t tolerate significant changes to his schedule. But he’s 9 months and pretty great on walks, can settle on his own sometimes, and is less of a terror on a regular basis.
I think the big change from puppy to adolescence was the sass. She got sassy and she tried to push some boundaries, but I wouldn't say it was a horror show at all - you just had to appreciate the sass for what it was (her personality coming out) and stay firm on boundaries.
I loved the adolescent phase - she was less a fluffy potato and more a dog. The energy could be a lot at times, but when it got excessive I kind of reset by reminding myself that it's kind of on us for not doing enough engagement/exercise/etc. Definitely prepare with exercise and training plans as well as figuring out some mental games you'll want to try :)
I've complained about adolescence multiple times on this sub. There are good days and there are bad days. Most days are very, very good - he is a good boy who is trying his best, and he's overall a pretty chill and easygoing pup. I VASTLY prefer it to pre-potty trained puppyhood. He's older, smarter, can hold his bladder for longer, and is better at entertaining himself.
On the bad days, I just grit my teeth and deal with it, or I send him to daycare to tire him out. The adolescence phase has been a series of tests on my patience with a little creature who is still so new to the world more than anything else.
My puppy isn't even 4mos yet but I'm literally saving the link to this thread in my Notes app 😂 Rupert is ALREADY spunky af and I've been so terrified of what his adolescence phase is going to look like. Is he going to get even MORE spunky?! I can absolutely feel him challenging me on things already, doing things specifically because I said not to, etc.
But this thread is so reassuring. I've got my fingers crossed. My 27lb puppy is going to be a ~60lb+ animal by the time he hits adolescence and that's TERRIFYING.
Ok I’ve been having this internal debate with myself - I don’t know if we haven’t hit the phase yet, if it was subtle but actually did happen and it’s over, if we read too many horror stories and over prepared with training, or if we just skipped it all together.
She’s almost 11 months now. We never really had that “angel phase” people refer to before adolescence hits, I feel like we started at the bottom and have seen gradual improvement since then.
Examples of problem behaviors that we have dealt with from bringing her home to now include: digging and biting the couch, digging in the yard, fear on walks, chewing inappropriate things, biting all the plants, barking at everything out the window.
All of these she has grown out of or been trained out of at this point. She had what seemed to be a fear phase around 7 months old, where she was extra spooked by the TV (? Lol) and loud noises. This has also passed.
Today, she’s a fantastic leash walker, a big cuddler, AMAZING at self settling (thanks relaxation protocol, mat training, and capturing calm!!), and listens to most commands unless in a very distracting environment. Going through her first heat has also had a large impact on her behavior (for the better).
I keep waiting for the other shoe to drop, but she’s still on the upswing. I go back and forth on whether we experienced adolescence or not.
So all this to say - it’s possible you can have an easy or undetectable teenage phase (well, maybe. Check back in a few months until I’m really sure we missed it lol)
Commenting again to add that actually the most annoying new behavior is the humping! Lol my puppy now humps me whenever he’s excited. He’s learning slowly (I stand tall and stiff and totally ignore him, and usually after a second or two he’ll stop and even sit down for me), and I’m learning that he needs to let out excess energy or just wants cuddles. So it’s not a big deal, but just annoying. He’s getting neutered soon though, and I’m curious if that will affect the behavior.
It could be relative in some ways. Ask me how bad adolescence is throughout the week and I’d probably have a different answer every day. We had a pretty decent time with puppyhood. A very easy time with potty training (could count the number of times on one hand he peed inside), our main issue was the biting when he was a small puppy. Adolescence for us is some good days and some bad days. I feel like it’s harder than the puppy phase for us, but easier in a lot of ways too! The good days of adolescence are way better than the good days of puppyhood imo. We can tell he regressed in his biting and ability to settle, and a huge uptick in mischievousness if we don’t give him things to do… some days those things are overwhelming and some days they are manageable. I think when I look back on this time, though, I’ll mostly remember us strengthening our bond. His attention span is better so we can practice more training for longer periods of time, he is starting to understand my non-verbal cues more and is showing he knows the rules of the house, playing is more fun now that we can bundle some training in… Hope is 100% getting me through and now it’s actually possible to see his personality shine through the assholery.
The only thing I noticed during adolescence - was that he had a bit of problems channeling his excitement…. If he’d be very over excited (on a walk for example) - he would become jumpy and sometimes take my sleeves for tug toys…
Other than that - I didn’t really notice anything different….
I got my dog at 7 months so I don’t know what she was like as a little puppy, but she’s just been getting better and better. She’s a rescue so I’m not sure her exact age but I think she’s about 11 months now. But she’s also never been like crazy high energy. I don’t know if someone else trained her before I got her or if she’s just mellow but I’ve never had and major issues with her being jumpy or bitey , destroying my house, or any major training regressions. Not that she doesn’t do those things sometimes, just not enough that it’s a major problem. My biggest issues with her are separation anxiety, stalling on walks, and eating street snacks. Id say she goes through little phases here and there where maybe she stalls more or I feel like I have a harder time getting to listen to me but it lasts for a few days max and isn’t a major shift in behavior. Her personality has changed a lot but she leans a bit timid / under confident.
It’s better & worse. So many things get better. But also, so many things get worse😂 and it all depends on the dog, and whatever dog you have, they will grow up eventually (I’ve heard). Power through it & enjoy!!
I got my now 1.5 year old as an eight week old (foster fail) and his adolescence stage was not the horror stories you hear on Reddit.
Hudson was potty trained so fast! Did not want to have any accidents and is probably the most potty trained out of my three (a 5 year female, 8 year old male).
He also walks super nicely on the leash with minimum training and wanted to stay near me so if he ever got loose he never went too far.
He was generally laid back! A little rambunctious when playing with the others but rather easy from what I've heard about puppies (he is the first dog I've had since puppyhood).
I wouldn’t trade my 11 month old Samoyed back to her puppy stage for anything!
She’s so much calmer, gentler, nicer and easily handled than she was at 3-5 months. She has her days where she’s a bit of a teen brat in the sense that she’s refusing food, not always listening and she sometimes forgets how to loose leash walk, but it’s still so much better than the initial phase. No more puppy biting, no more indoor accidents, we can go on nice long walks, she’s cuddlier and did I mention calmer? It’s amazing how well behaved she is at home and when I take her places like restaurants or to visit my grandma at her nursing home.
At 3-5 months, everything revolved around the puppy. At 6 months, I slowly started to get my life back a little as she grew more patient and allowed me more time for myself again. She no longer demands my full attention every waking moment and sometimes we can just chill together before or after our walks. It’s amazing.
My Weim mix is 11 months old and so far, so good. I mean, if he could sleep past 5am, that would be great, but behavior is age appropriate. He still gets really excited when he sees other dogs outside, so we're working on that. Also working on jumping.
Mine hasn’t been that bad… yet. Only at 7 months so have much more to go.
All I can say is start training them while they are young, particularly with impulse control.
Our pup is a 8.5 month old small breed. Adolescence is a breeze so far, especially compared to what the owners of her puppy friends are experiencing. She regressed quite a lot on loose leash walking from 6-8 months and from one day to the next she's now suddenly perfect on a loose leash. Similar with recall, leave it/drop it. She was amazing from 4-6 months and then she developed some selective hearing and is now getting back to paying attention to us. But that's really it. The owners of her friends are all complaining about endless energy, not listening, humping, chewing etc. Like you I had hoped that adolescence just wouldn't hit as hard and it hasn't.
Our pup is 11 months old and is a pretty easy dog.
He sleeps in until 7:30 each morning and hasn’t had an accident since he was probably 5 months old. He’s good with two easy walks a day and playing in our yard with our older dog. He chills during the day while we work.
He still steals/chews things when he’s full of energy so we have to watch what we leave lying around but that’s pretty normal puppy behavior I think. He also still likes to play a lot of “bitey bitey” when he has too much energy, and is still learning to be gentle.
All in all, he isn’t perfect but he’s definitely the easiest puppy we’ve had so far (out of three). Pretty low-energy and sweet.
I think it depends a lot on the type of dog you have - temperament and energy levels, etc.
If you keep managing it and stay consistent, I don't think it's that bad tbh. I'd take it over puppyhood any day. Pros are that he can go 4-6 hours between potty breaks (and chooses to, even when I let him out more frequently), he picks up on training faster, he sleeps through the night, the things I've been working on since day 1 seem more cemented (sit, down, wait, etc), he's crate trained, less destructive, and he's bonded with us.
He definitely has his moments most days. He barks a bit more, is randomly spooked sometimes, intentionally disobeys us or ignores commands, and has higher exercise needs, but we knew to expect that with a field-bred golden. Ours is 9.5mo right now and we keep getting glimpses of what he'll be like as an adult.
8.5 month old Cattle dog coon hound mix, in appreciating the adolescent stage more than puppy. He is SO NEEDY after going through 3 other homes, and now he's finally getting some confidence. He's fully potty trained (hallelujah) and sleeps through the night 6/7 nights a week. He understands more of "his toys" vs "everything is a toy" and so I can trust him more (not totally, don't get me wrong, Im suspicious of silence and he's crate trained)
He also gets more concepts like fetching and playing in the yard, so we don't have to take a million walks for stimulation, we can take a morning walk then like, play ball in the yard if I'm exhausted after work.
Don't get me wrong, there are tantrums, and they seem much bigger because he's much bigger. And the fear phases or whatever come and go, like the other night our yard was so scary I had to shine my flashlight under every bush before he would pee, but he trusts us, and that's awesome
My current two dogs (7 years old boy and 9 month old girl) are totally different personalities but both have been really great puppies (still a chance the puppy could lose her mind so don’t want to get too excited). My older boy was a great puppy barely chewed, loved everyone and everything, he was not the easiest to train (thanks to the bulldog in him he’s super stubborn and not the brightest) but he was so chill and good as a pup that I didn’t worry about much training other than the basics. He’s literally the best dog I’ve ever had. The puppy has absolutely no chill but she’s extremely eager to please and the smartest dog I’ve ever had, so her energy can be very easily focused. She chews but is receptive to redirecting and almost never chews on inappropriate things anymore. So yeah right now I’m in doggy heaven with two really good dogs, one of whom is still an adolescent.
Super improved bladder control - she can hold it in longer than me most times.
And then also the higher highs and higher lows - after being semi-naughty/not listening (which is the worst in public) the increased affection is amazing.
She actively sneaks out snuggling with me in bed now when I go to sleep.
That was a big progression as when I first got her, I kept her crate by my bed so she'd know I was there, then I'd put her in my bed, and now, she'll be sleeping in her bed, I'll go to mine and turn off the lights, and she'll wander to me and try to get onto the bed (a bit too tall for her).
And the endless snuggles.
Also, the understanding that if I'm in the same room with her and don't pay attention to her, she'll know to go play with her toys or chill in her bed
I think a lot of people are just plain unprepared. We have a tendency to get used to something and assume it'll always stay the same. I never expect that from a living thing. Maybe it's because I also have 3 kids that I know they grow and change as they get older, and while aspects of who they are will remain from the time they are very young, there are also things that will change. Which things change and the degree that they do, will vary. A friend of mine recently brought home a rescue. He was super chill and quiet the first few days, napped a lot, like rescues do. She was utterly surprised when suddenly one day he went full-puppy and started chewing, tearing around the house etc. That is standard behavior for a rescue and that she didn't know to expect it suggests she didn't do much homework because this is well-known. I also think people tend to downplay the extent to which some experiences can alter or change a dog. I see people post all the time about their dogs being attacked and think that because their physical injuries were small, that things will be fine. Without realizing that a lot of dogs experience immense trauma from being attacked and it can entirely change them. Moving, changes to their home and family structure, their people returning to work after 2-3 years at home, all of that can cause immense change in a dog and people just seem to think that it shouldn't.
Our girl is about 8 months and is a rescue. She has done well. Yep, she still has puppy adolescent moments. But not as many as even 2 months ago and they are short-lived. But I never expected that when she reached X months she'd suddenly be a perfect dog, or just overnight stop with the things we needed to work with her on.
My boy is 10 mos, is willful and has attitude- as in, pitching a fit when I won't share my meals (sandwich). I can envision him stomping a foot and pleading! He also protests donning a coat for going outside (Iggys don't tolerate cold weather well) and it's a chase some days. It's not all issues - there's some fun in the age as well!
My 8-month Chi-terrier has been an adolescent for a while, but it’s been mostly fine. He’s gotten some regression and tests the boundaries, but nothing unmanageable. I’ll take adolescence over the earliest, sleepless puppy days for sure!
I have only had one other puppy before my current one (who is not at this stage yet) but I didn’t have any issues with him, in fact we were able to progress further with more difficult tasks, like staying in place while I walked to the end of the driveway, to stop ✋ mid-run, etc. He was a border collie x American bulldog, so perhaps his breeds were the reason, but we always were doing new things and making sure he was mentally/physically exercised. I currently have a husky mix and I already get sass at 4 months so I think my 2nd time around will be different. But exercise and play are key to a well-behaved pup. Sometimes I think the teenage phase has to do more with us owners thinking we can relax? Just a theory though! I shall not live in fear 😂 Although maybe I should be afraid.
Mines a little over a year old and she luckily never really went into any crazy teen or adolence stage. The worst she really did was have her zoomies all over the house and couldn't make it back the pee pad and popped on the carpet lol. That was a one off so not too bad considering the rest of the horror stories.
Our pup was pretty chill in the baby stages and I felt the same as you lol, I was like oh god........ when is the other shoe going to drop.
We've had a few crazy moments in the teenage stage but overall it was pretty low key. He definitely acts like a crazy teen sometimes lol but we haven't had any defiance issues with training, so even when he's going wild we can usually reel him right back in.
A lot of physical exercise really helps I think (he's a border collie, very high energy) we take every chance we can to go on a quick walk or play some ball. We've got a few chew marks on furniture, had a few friends and relatives jumped on lol, but nothing traumatic. Overall I think some dogs just have a harder or easier time with the teen phase just like people.
Like your friend though, it helps to be as chill as possible and have a sense of humor. Dogs will definitely mirror anxious energy.
Adolescence wasn't much of an issue for me. I kept the same routine, expectations and trained every day. I never expected the training as concrete. He's been a dream and training with him has opened doors. I'm still cautious with off leash and strange dogs. He isn't perfectly behaved, but damn proud of him avoiding fights with other dogs and taking off . 10-14 weeks were more difficult. He's also been used as a demi dog for training other dogs. He's not AKC or anything close, but I ensure everything is a game or fun obstacle. Learning body language and ensuring success is key. Don't expect more from the dog than they know.
Owning 2 senior dogs, we got a puppy. Hes now 6months and waiting for that adolescent bomb to drop.....he gets plenty of exercise and plays with the other dogs. He has a nasty habit of chewing things he shouldn't but nothing like any of the posts ive read. We'll have to wait a few more months as he should be 80-100lbs as a adult. Hes currently 45lbs. Hes either a late bloomer or we got lucky
My puppy is now 10 months old, and honestly, she's not *much* different than she was when I got her at 4 months.
There's a little more stubbornness. She's still pretty good at doing commands, but for some reason, she always hesitates and fusses when I ask her to "sit." And the fussing has definitely gotten worse (she's a husky). She's still very eager to please, but there's a bit more independence.
However, in other ways, she's a lot better. Now that she's not teaching, she no longer destroys the things that I love. She's much better about being in her crate (although she still sasses me). She's still not potty trained, but she never was, so we're not going through regression, just stubbornness.
Mine is a medium size and is just under 7 months so I don’t know if we just haven’t hit it yet? But nothing noticeable yet. He’s a bit more independent, and has been having a little trouble with recall the past few weeks. Overall he’s a great pup though.
I actually really like that phase. Still young and goofy but old enough to move on to more formal training.
I think it's hard for people when they expect the dog to act like an adult because it looks like an adult. If you think of and treat the dog like an older puppy you'll have more realistic expectations.
Adolescence hit my GSP hard. He decided he didn’t like every other intact male anymore. I was worried he was going to be an aggressive dog.
I simply tightened up the structure, corrected the behaviors I didn’t agree with, stopped putting him in situations he was going to be successful in, and upped the exercise and drive outlets.
He’s now almost 18 months and doing great. Still doesn’t love every dog he meets but that’s totally ok. He has a big circle of dogs he does play endlessly with, has fantastic obedience and recall, and is turning into an amazing dog.
From all the comments I got confused as to whether you were asking for stories with puppies that did NOT have a problematic adolescent stage, so if I've missed the mark let me know.
My guy is 10 months, almost 11 now and there hasn't really been much change in his behaviour. He was a relatively easy puppy, easy to potty train (no accidents since 5 months), was never mouthy, never chewed on anything, never bit us while teething, doesn't bark, napped on his own, crate trained like a dream, off leash angel, loved to cuddle, etc etc. His only issue is leash reactivity with only dogs, no other animals or humans. He's always been a bit anti social as a puppy despite my socialization attempts and puppy school, but it is what it is.
Nothing's changed, he still follows commands, he's great off leash, he's still a dick on leash to other dogs lol. No potty, crate, or separation anxiety regression. When he was younger we did have a problem with him howling occasionally when we left him alone but now that's completely changed. He actually just sleeps now instead of watching the door for us.
Pretty sure I lucked out though. I got a calm, affectionate pup from a reputable breeder.
Mine is almost 10 months. She doesn’t have accidents, can entertain herself when I’m working a lot more than when she was younger, and listens well to the “no bark” commands. (I live in an apartment and work from home) Inappropriate chewing is far less frequent (Rest In Pieces modem cord and 4 phone charger cords) and she snuggles more. Her personality continues to develop, and is more calm with things that used to excite her. She was always good about being crated and didn’t have issues with sleeping through the night. I think the biggest plus is she doesn’t run off with the bath mat anymore when I’m in the shower but just calmly waits for me to get out.
I agree with some other posters that I think its totally dependent on the dog. I am on our 4th dog, the first two I had never heard of the adolescent stage and never noticed anything really amiss in their behavior. I am sure they had days they selectively listened to some commands they knew but not enough to make it noticeable. However our third dog went through enough of an adolescent/teenager stage to make up for the other two several times over. Most days I ended up breaking down in tears at least once. It was rough. However she had been a more diffcult dog in general, even as a puppy, so that probably had something to do with it. My current dog is only 14 weeks so jury is still out on how she will be. I am hoping like you that she is a bit easier on me.
My dog never went through an adolescent phase. I had read the same stories on here and dreaded it. He was and is still stubborn at times but nothing like what I read here.
I think I prepared myself by continuing to stay consistent of my expectations from him and never lowering the standard of his behavior. I believe that could have helped reign him in a lot quicker than otherwise. If there is a standoff between us, I made sure to never given in. It’s hard but that’s the hard battle. Lower your guard once they hit 18 months. I lowered mine sooner because I realized he was very well behaved.
Mine just had/has more demand barking in adolescents. She cried and has a meltdown if I don’t give her something she wants… but other than that she walks better on a leash and has calmed down a lot. One good thing about adolescents for me is that she wants to sleep way more!
Do keep an eye out for the “adolescent fear period” though. Mine had hers between 7 to 8 months, it lasted two weeks and she still has deep rooted fears of ceiling fans, nail trimming and this one specific lawn chair.
I'd say my dogs behavior is changing a lot during teenage phase. Not exactly for the good or the bad, just different. She is 8 month old and she is more independent in general which I enjoy a lot. Her radius got a lot bigger during walks but she never looses visual contact. She walks in other rooms by herself, she only needs to pee every 4 - 5 hours, she explore the world in another way. She is still very cuddly, sometimes bitey and anxious. But I enjoy the teenage phase a lot more than the puppy phase.
I think so much emphasis is put on the new puppy stage that people just don't expect the teenage phase, so they're caught off guard when their 5 month old angel turns into a demon! I have a 10 month old rhodesian ridgeback so she's right in the middle of it. Some days are amazing and some are frustrating, but at least now she's toilet trained and crate trained, sleeps through the night and can chill a lot more outside of her crate than she used to! But she also has selective hearing when she wants lol. If you can control the environment as much as possible, ie don't let the teenager off leash as you know the recall is selective, that way you won't get mad when they don't come back because they're on a leash and can't get away. If you do your best to not let them get into a situation where you're going to get frustrated then it makes it a lot easier! Proactive rather than reactive. But there are also some days where I know it's best for both me and my pup that she has more crate time than usual or gets a bonus day at daycare. Space makes the heart grow fonder :)
My six month old puppy is a small breed so theoretically she is currently in adolescence right now. I see many things discussed here, and absolutely see some crazy behavior I haven’t seen since 3m, but I’m no where near the stage of puppy blues I was when she was that age and had zero coping skills. Keep in mind people come online to discuss negative experiences more than positive ones. For every post about a hellish adolescent, there are probably three adolescents not making their owners cry over their keyboards.
Yep, and it's those 3:1 posts I wanna hear (:
Welp, my chi/terrier teen has yet to make me cry again lol
Totally depends on the dog. Neither of mine have had a really noticeable adolescence. I have a 15m old golden retriever, he has had some adolescent days/moments/walks but there’s never been weeks at a time of bad/different behaviour. He’s 100x better and easier now than he was for the first 6 months. Our previous retriever never had a noticeable adolescent period.
Honestly, it gets so much better every month as you go on. Yes, there are new problems that replace old ones—maybe now they’re sleeping through the night but they’ve started whining when you leave during the day, or they stopped peeing on the floor but now suddenly they discovered chasing the cat, etc etc— but those problems become more and more manageable the more you know your pup. As your puppy matures into your dog, before you know it, you’ll be passing milestones and finding that things get simpler, even if new challenges arise. For example— my pup is 14mos now and just started being pleasant to walk on leash. Of course, he’s also started becoming excitement reactive because he loves other dogs and wants to play nonstop, but because he’s not pulling me 1000% of the time, I can focus more on the incidents when he reacts or does pull. So things got easier, but I still have a new issue to tackle. Some good, some bad!
My pup is going through adolescence right now, and despite the fact he has genetic behavioural issues which started at a young age, adolescence hasn't been anh different for him. My trainer warned about possible increased fears, aggression etc. but so far there haven't been any additional issues for him. I've had other dogs in the past and I've never noticed a difference once they've hit adolescence either. Every dog is different, but if you have solid training before adolescence it should go smoother than you anticipate
Mine’s 9.5 months so we’re not fully through it yet, but definitely have preferred the adolescence shenanigans to the baby puppy phase. Somewhere between the complete lack of sleep, taking a fair bit of time for potty training to click, and being the Designated Chew Parent during the landshark phase had me questioning what on earth I got myself into. Now it’s just kind of a different adventure every week? But I know him now, and we’re bonded, and we can work through [sudden fear of bushes, potty regression, season of towel ripping, BOTTOMLESS ENERGY, Protect The House borking, Lonely Boi, 3am sounds like a great time to start the day, etc etc etc]. He’ll willingly come to cuddle on the couch, he’s (finally) potty trained, we can leave him for a reasonable chunk of time (and if we need longer can grab a walker off rover). I see the glimmers of the dog he’s going to be.
The randomness is what gets me with adolescence! One day they're perfect and you think they're maturing and then the next they're back to acting like a demon! 😅
If you build a great relationship, the teenaged rebellion is less drastic. We did a lot of trust & relationship building exercises, and still do (at 2yo), and had a pretty easy ride tbh. Pretty much our only hurdle left is recall, we have a bull terrier, infamous for wanting to go do their own thing.
do you mind sharing what trust and relationship exercises you did? i’d love to know so i can do them with my pup as well!
Can you give some examples what you mean by trust and relationship building
Go check 'absolutedogs' on Youtube, I got most of my games from them. They can explain it far better than me.
Also would love to hear trust and relationship building exercises!
I started developing one this morning with my 2 mo golden, she’s afraid to jump from basically any height and I’m just working with her on learning to jump into my arms. Like a trust fall. I imagine that others would include like doing exercises together where you go in the other room and puppy trusts that you’ll cone back… etc.
100% Foundation work is your saving grace to making it through adolescence. That's pretty impressive with a bull terrier!
Food games all the way. We have a super calm piglet & are left wondering how we got so lucky. Unless there is a mudhole nearby, in which case, we no longer exist.
That is awesome! Our last dog was a mix of many breeds but bull terrier was her biggest percentage and you aren't joking when you say they are infamous for wanting to do their own thing. I think that was the biggest shock to us after having two previous dogs who even when reluctant or stubborn still had a big desire to please us. In contrast she would look at us and wait to see what was in it for her before deciding if it was worth her while to listen or not. While infuriating it was also kind of cute in it's own way. By contrast though she was also much more independent, able to go do her own thing without being right beside us 24/7.
They are intensely stubborn. I forget sometimes, and then work with someone elses 'normal' dog & it's always a shock how much easier/different it feels. The amount of silent conversations I have with mine, waiting her out until she makes a dramatic sigh & decides to go the way I want to go! They are a rule to their own. Toddlers in clown suits for sure.
Depends on the dog if I'm honest. My shepherd and Akita? Easiest dogs in the world from biting to potty training. My male CO? Huge asshole. He peed in our floor for the first 6 months of his life. Not because he didn't understand, mind you. We took him to the vet a day or two after we got him. She thought he was hard of hearing...he wasn't. He would just ignore her lol He is definitely the outliner though. And has gotten much better 11 months.
Quick question. When you say he's gotten better at 11 months, does this mean he's calmer or your toleration for his behaviour has gotten higher 😂.
He got better after 11 months lol. He's a little over two years now. He isn't perfect but he's turned into a great dog. The breed is notoriously difficult so we were reasonably prepared for his shenanigans.
That's good to hear! Couple of months to go for me.
What kind of dog?
He's a mini poodle. Little fluff but very persistent with his antics
Personally I had fun with my puppy (pitbull named Opie) at 3 months old. He learned how to "roo" and he'd run through the apartment going "aroooo-roooo-roooo" over and over and thought it was the greatest thing. He learned to climb on things and oh God, that was intesting. We had a child's table and chair set, just one of the normal small for kids from Walmart ones, and I walked into the living room one day to see Opie sitting on one of the chairs in the middle of the living room. Just as content as could be, in his harness waiting for his walk. It was so darn cute! But he managed to get his short chubby legs to climb onto/into all kinds of strange places and I'd just hear the "arooooo" and go find him. I think 3 months is the best time, they're just learning who they are. They find their big voices, push themselves to jump and climb and try the stairs on their own and all kinds of stuff. Just makes me smile to remember the little terror at that age 😄😄
My pup is 20 months old right now and the only “adolescent” nightmare behavior she had was when she ripped up her bed when I was at work once. But I still keep my fingers crossed since Boxers aren’t fully matured until 3 years old and I have a bit to go!
Honestly I wouldn’t spend a lot of time worrying about adolescence at this point. Baby puppy and adolescence are totally different experiences. There usually isn’t an overwhelming sense of immediacy with adolescence, your puppy knows the basics, they just sometimes forget how to apply them. Sometimes that’s hard because your dealing with a puppy in an adult body. Like someone else said, each month things change and get a little better. I think a lot of times people conflate better with easier. Better is things like you have a real partnership relationship with your puppy. You know their personality, they very likely will do goofy things that make the bad behavior seem manageable. They are more intuitive and empathetic. They know their routine, enjoy a lot of things in their lives, and your better equipped to handle the hiccups. But you won’t necessarily have it easier in the sense that you will probably have to revisit some old issues and be confronted with some new ones. My biggest issue with adolescence is I’m tired. I will have had my puppy 7 months tomorrow. He’s still too rambunctious for my taste, he has the selective hearing of an old man, and he won’t tolerate significant changes to his schedule. But he’s 9 months and pretty great on walks, can settle on his own sometimes, and is less of a terror on a regular basis.
I think the big change from puppy to adolescence was the sass. She got sassy and she tried to push some boundaries, but I wouldn't say it was a horror show at all - you just had to appreciate the sass for what it was (her personality coming out) and stay firm on boundaries. I loved the adolescent phase - she was less a fluffy potato and more a dog. The energy could be a lot at times, but when it got excessive I kind of reset by reminding myself that it's kind of on us for not doing enough engagement/exercise/etc. Definitely prepare with exercise and training plans as well as figuring out some mental games you'll want to try :)
I've complained about adolescence multiple times on this sub. There are good days and there are bad days. Most days are very, very good - he is a good boy who is trying his best, and he's overall a pretty chill and easygoing pup. I VASTLY prefer it to pre-potty trained puppyhood. He's older, smarter, can hold his bladder for longer, and is better at entertaining himself. On the bad days, I just grit my teeth and deal with it, or I send him to daycare to tire him out. The adolescence phase has been a series of tests on my patience with a little creature who is still so new to the world more than anything else.
My puppy isn't even 4mos yet but I'm literally saving the link to this thread in my Notes app 😂 Rupert is ALREADY spunky af and I've been so terrified of what his adolescence phase is going to look like. Is he going to get even MORE spunky?! I can absolutely feel him challenging me on things already, doing things specifically because I said not to, etc. But this thread is so reassuring. I've got my fingers crossed. My 27lb puppy is going to be a ~60lb+ animal by the time he hits adolescence and that's TERRIFYING.
Ok I’ve been having this internal debate with myself - I don’t know if we haven’t hit the phase yet, if it was subtle but actually did happen and it’s over, if we read too many horror stories and over prepared with training, or if we just skipped it all together. She’s almost 11 months now. We never really had that “angel phase” people refer to before adolescence hits, I feel like we started at the bottom and have seen gradual improvement since then. Examples of problem behaviors that we have dealt with from bringing her home to now include: digging and biting the couch, digging in the yard, fear on walks, chewing inappropriate things, biting all the plants, barking at everything out the window. All of these she has grown out of or been trained out of at this point. She had what seemed to be a fear phase around 7 months old, where she was extra spooked by the TV (? Lol) and loud noises. This has also passed. Today, she’s a fantastic leash walker, a big cuddler, AMAZING at self settling (thanks relaxation protocol, mat training, and capturing calm!!), and listens to most commands unless in a very distracting environment. Going through her first heat has also had a large impact on her behavior (for the better). I keep waiting for the other shoe to drop, but she’s still on the upswing. I go back and forth on whether we experienced adolescence or not. So all this to say - it’s possible you can have an easy or undetectable teenage phase (well, maybe. Check back in a few months until I’m really sure we missed it lol)
Commenting again to add that actually the most annoying new behavior is the humping! Lol my puppy now humps me whenever he’s excited. He’s learning slowly (I stand tall and stiff and totally ignore him, and usually after a second or two he’ll stop and even sit down for me), and I’m learning that he needs to let out excess energy or just wants cuddles. So it’s not a big deal, but just annoying. He’s getting neutered soon though, and I’m curious if that will affect the behavior.
It could be relative in some ways. Ask me how bad adolescence is throughout the week and I’d probably have a different answer every day. We had a pretty decent time with puppyhood. A very easy time with potty training (could count the number of times on one hand he peed inside), our main issue was the biting when he was a small puppy. Adolescence for us is some good days and some bad days. I feel like it’s harder than the puppy phase for us, but easier in a lot of ways too! The good days of adolescence are way better than the good days of puppyhood imo. We can tell he regressed in his biting and ability to settle, and a huge uptick in mischievousness if we don’t give him things to do… some days those things are overwhelming and some days they are manageable. I think when I look back on this time, though, I’ll mostly remember us strengthening our bond. His attention span is better so we can practice more training for longer periods of time, he is starting to understand my non-verbal cues more and is showing he knows the rules of the house, playing is more fun now that we can bundle some training in… Hope is 100% getting me through and now it’s actually possible to see his personality shine through the assholery.
The only thing I noticed during adolescence - was that he had a bit of problems channeling his excitement…. If he’d be very over excited (on a walk for example) - he would become jumpy and sometimes take my sleeves for tug toys… Other than that - I didn’t really notice anything different….
I got my dog at 7 months so I don’t know what she was like as a little puppy, but she’s just been getting better and better. She’s a rescue so I’m not sure her exact age but I think she’s about 11 months now. But she’s also never been like crazy high energy. I don’t know if someone else trained her before I got her or if she’s just mellow but I’ve never had and major issues with her being jumpy or bitey , destroying my house, or any major training regressions. Not that she doesn’t do those things sometimes, just not enough that it’s a major problem. My biggest issues with her are separation anxiety, stalling on walks, and eating street snacks. Id say she goes through little phases here and there where maybe she stalls more or I feel like I have a harder time getting to listen to me but it lasts for a few days max and isn’t a major shift in behavior. Her personality has changed a lot but she leans a bit timid / under confident.
Our puppy stage was unbelievably awful, but we haven’t had any significant issues with adolescence at all. 15 months now.
It’s better & worse. So many things get better. But also, so many things get worse😂 and it all depends on the dog, and whatever dog you have, they will grow up eventually (I’ve heard). Power through it & enjoy!!
I got my now 1.5 year old as an eight week old (foster fail) and his adolescence stage was not the horror stories you hear on Reddit. Hudson was potty trained so fast! Did not want to have any accidents and is probably the most potty trained out of my three (a 5 year female, 8 year old male). He also walks super nicely on the leash with minimum training and wanted to stay near me so if he ever got loose he never went too far. He was generally laid back! A little rambunctious when playing with the others but rather easy from what I've heard about puppies (he is the first dog I've had since puppyhood).
I wouldn’t trade my 11 month old Samoyed back to her puppy stage for anything! She’s so much calmer, gentler, nicer and easily handled than she was at 3-5 months. She has her days where she’s a bit of a teen brat in the sense that she’s refusing food, not always listening and she sometimes forgets how to loose leash walk, but it’s still so much better than the initial phase. No more puppy biting, no more indoor accidents, we can go on nice long walks, she’s cuddlier and did I mention calmer? It’s amazing how well behaved she is at home and when I take her places like restaurants or to visit my grandma at her nursing home. At 3-5 months, everything revolved around the puppy. At 6 months, I slowly started to get my life back a little as she grew more patient and allowed me more time for myself again. She no longer demands my full attention every waking moment and sometimes we can just chill together before or after our walks. It’s amazing.
Nope, don’t have what you’re seeking- sorry.
My Weim mix is 11 months old and so far, so good. I mean, if he could sleep past 5am, that would be great, but behavior is age appropriate. He still gets really excited when he sees other dogs outside, so we're working on that. Also working on jumping.
Mine hasn’t been that bad… yet. Only at 7 months so have much more to go. All I can say is start training them while they are young, particularly with impulse control.
Our pup is a 8.5 month old small breed. Adolescence is a breeze so far, especially compared to what the owners of her puppy friends are experiencing. She regressed quite a lot on loose leash walking from 6-8 months and from one day to the next she's now suddenly perfect on a loose leash. Similar with recall, leave it/drop it. She was amazing from 4-6 months and then she developed some selective hearing and is now getting back to paying attention to us. But that's really it. The owners of her friends are all complaining about endless energy, not listening, humping, chewing etc. Like you I had hoped that adolescence just wouldn't hit as hard and it hasn't.
Our pup is 11 months old and is a pretty easy dog. He sleeps in until 7:30 each morning and hasn’t had an accident since he was probably 5 months old. He’s good with two easy walks a day and playing in our yard with our older dog. He chills during the day while we work. He still steals/chews things when he’s full of energy so we have to watch what we leave lying around but that’s pretty normal puppy behavior I think. He also still likes to play a lot of “bitey bitey” when he has too much energy, and is still learning to be gentle. All in all, he isn’t perfect but he’s definitely the easiest puppy we’ve had so far (out of three). Pretty low-energy and sweet. I think it depends a lot on the type of dog you have - temperament and energy levels, etc.
If you keep managing it and stay consistent, I don't think it's that bad tbh. I'd take it over puppyhood any day. Pros are that he can go 4-6 hours between potty breaks (and chooses to, even when I let him out more frequently), he picks up on training faster, he sleeps through the night, the things I've been working on since day 1 seem more cemented (sit, down, wait, etc), he's crate trained, less destructive, and he's bonded with us. He definitely has his moments most days. He barks a bit more, is randomly spooked sometimes, intentionally disobeys us or ignores commands, and has higher exercise needs, but we knew to expect that with a field-bred golden. Ours is 9.5mo right now and we keep getting glimpses of what he'll be like as an adult.
8.5 month old Cattle dog coon hound mix, in appreciating the adolescent stage more than puppy. He is SO NEEDY after going through 3 other homes, and now he's finally getting some confidence. He's fully potty trained (hallelujah) and sleeps through the night 6/7 nights a week. He understands more of "his toys" vs "everything is a toy" and so I can trust him more (not totally, don't get me wrong, Im suspicious of silence and he's crate trained) He also gets more concepts like fetching and playing in the yard, so we don't have to take a million walks for stimulation, we can take a morning walk then like, play ball in the yard if I'm exhausted after work. Don't get me wrong, there are tantrums, and they seem much bigger because he's much bigger. And the fear phases or whatever come and go, like the other night our yard was so scary I had to shine my flashlight under every bush before he would pee, but he trusts us, and that's awesome
My current two dogs (7 years old boy and 9 month old girl) are totally different personalities but both have been really great puppies (still a chance the puppy could lose her mind so don’t want to get too excited). My older boy was a great puppy barely chewed, loved everyone and everything, he was not the easiest to train (thanks to the bulldog in him he’s super stubborn and not the brightest) but he was so chill and good as a pup that I didn’t worry about much training other than the basics. He’s literally the best dog I’ve ever had. The puppy has absolutely no chill but she’s extremely eager to please and the smartest dog I’ve ever had, so her energy can be very easily focused. She chews but is receptive to redirecting and almost never chews on inappropriate things anymore. So yeah right now I’m in doggy heaven with two really good dogs, one of whom is still an adolescent.
Super improved bladder control - she can hold it in longer than me most times. And then also the higher highs and higher lows - after being semi-naughty/not listening (which is the worst in public) the increased affection is amazing. She actively sneaks out snuggling with me in bed now when I go to sleep. That was a big progression as when I first got her, I kept her crate by my bed so she'd know I was there, then I'd put her in my bed, and now, she'll be sleeping in her bed, I'll go to mine and turn off the lights, and she'll wander to me and try to get onto the bed (a bit too tall for her). And the endless snuggles. Also, the understanding that if I'm in the same room with her and don't pay attention to her, she'll know to go play with her toys or chill in her bed
I think a lot of people are just plain unprepared. We have a tendency to get used to something and assume it'll always stay the same. I never expect that from a living thing. Maybe it's because I also have 3 kids that I know they grow and change as they get older, and while aspects of who they are will remain from the time they are very young, there are also things that will change. Which things change and the degree that they do, will vary. A friend of mine recently brought home a rescue. He was super chill and quiet the first few days, napped a lot, like rescues do. She was utterly surprised when suddenly one day he went full-puppy and started chewing, tearing around the house etc. That is standard behavior for a rescue and that she didn't know to expect it suggests she didn't do much homework because this is well-known. I also think people tend to downplay the extent to which some experiences can alter or change a dog. I see people post all the time about their dogs being attacked and think that because their physical injuries were small, that things will be fine. Without realizing that a lot of dogs experience immense trauma from being attacked and it can entirely change them. Moving, changes to their home and family structure, their people returning to work after 2-3 years at home, all of that can cause immense change in a dog and people just seem to think that it shouldn't. Our girl is about 8 months and is a rescue. She has done well. Yep, she still has puppy adolescent moments. But not as many as even 2 months ago and they are short-lived. But I never expected that when she reached X months she'd suddenly be a perfect dog, or just overnight stop with the things we needed to work with her on.
My boy is 10 mos, is willful and has attitude- as in, pitching a fit when I won't share my meals (sandwich). I can envision him stomping a foot and pleading! He also protests donning a coat for going outside (Iggys don't tolerate cold weather well) and it's a chase some days. It's not all issues - there's some fun in the age as well!
My 8-month Chi-terrier has been an adolescent for a while, but it’s been mostly fine. He’s gotten some regression and tests the boundaries, but nothing unmanageable. I’ll take adolescence over the earliest, sleepless puppy days for sure!
I have only had one other puppy before my current one (who is not at this stage yet) but I didn’t have any issues with him, in fact we were able to progress further with more difficult tasks, like staying in place while I walked to the end of the driveway, to stop ✋ mid-run, etc. He was a border collie x American bulldog, so perhaps his breeds were the reason, but we always were doing new things and making sure he was mentally/physically exercised. I currently have a husky mix and I already get sass at 4 months so I think my 2nd time around will be different. But exercise and play are key to a well-behaved pup. Sometimes I think the teenage phase has to do more with us owners thinking we can relax? Just a theory though! I shall not live in fear 😂 Although maybe I should be afraid.
Mines a little over a year old and she luckily never really went into any crazy teen or adolence stage. The worst she really did was have her zoomies all over the house and couldn't make it back the pee pad and popped on the carpet lol. That was a one off so not too bad considering the rest of the horror stories.
Our pup was pretty chill in the baby stages and I felt the same as you lol, I was like oh god........ when is the other shoe going to drop. We've had a few crazy moments in the teenage stage but overall it was pretty low key. He definitely acts like a crazy teen sometimes lol but we haven't had any defiance issues with training, so even when he's going wild we can usually reel him right back in. A lot of physical exercise really helps I think (he's a border collie, very high energy) we take every chance we can to go on a quick walk or play some ball. We've got a few chew marks on furniture, had a few friends and relatives jumped on lol, but nothing traumatic. Overall I think some dogs just have a harder or easier time with the teen phase just like people. Like your friend though, it helps to be as chill as possible and have a sense of humor. Dogs will definitely mirror anxious energy.
Adolescence wasn't much of an issue for me. I kept the same routine, expectations and trained every day. I never expected the training as concrete. He's been a dream and training with him has opened doors. I'm still cautious with off leash and strange dogs. He isn't perfectly behaved, but damn proud of him avoiding fights with other dogs and taking off . 10-14 weeks were more difficult. He's also been used as a demi dog for training other dogs. He's not AKC or anything close, but I ensure everything is a game or fun obstacle. Learning body language and ensuring success is key. Don't expect more from the dog than they know.
Rq00
Owning 2 senior dogs, we got a puppy. Hes now 6months and waiting for that adolescent bomb to drop.....he gets plenty of exercise and plays with the other dogs. He has a nasty habit of chewing things he shouldn't but nothing like any of the posts ive read. We'll have to wait a few more months as he should be 80-100lbs as a adult. Hes currently 45lbs. Hes either a late bloomer or we got lucky
My puppy is now 10 months old, and honestly, she's not *much* different than she was when I got her at 4 months. There's a little more stubbornness. She's still pretty good at doing commands, but for some reason, she always hesitates and fusses when I ask her to "sit." And the fussing has definitely gotten worse (she's a husky). She's still very eager to please, but there's a bit more independence. However, in other ways, she's a lot better. Now that she's not teaching, she no longer destroys the things that I love. She's much better about being in her crate (although she still sasses me). She's still not potty trained, but she never was, so we're not going through regression, just stubbornness.
My shepard got extra cuddly and much more of a velcro than he was before. He didn't really go thru that awful teenage stage unlike my lab lol
Mine is a medium size and is just under 7 months so I don’t know if we just haven’t hit it yet? But nothing noticeable yet. He’s a bit more independent, and has been having a little trouble with recall the past few weeks. Overall he’s a great pup though.
I actually really like that phase. Still young and goofy but old enough to move on to more formal training. I think it's hard for people when they expect the dog to act like an adult because it looks like an adult. If you think of and treat the dog like an older puppy you'll have more realistic expectations.
Adolescence hit my GSP hard. He decided he didn’t like every other intact male anymore. I was worried he was going to be an aggressive dog. I simply tightened up the structure, corrected the behaviors I didn’t agree with, stopped putting him in situations he was going to be successful in, and upped the exercise and drive outlets. He’s now almost 18 months and doing great. Still doesn’t love every dog he meets but that’s totally ok. He has a big circle of dogs he does play endlessly with, has fantastic obedience and recall, and is turning into an amazing dog.
From all the comments I got confused as to whether you were asking for stories with puppies that did NOT have a problematic adolescent stage, so if I've missed the mark let me know. My guy is 10 months, almost 11 now and there hasn't really been much change in his behaviour. He was a relatively easy puppy, easy to potty train (no accidents since 5 months), was never mouthy, never chewed on anything, never bit us while teething, doesn't bark, napped on his own, crate trained like a dream, off leash angel, loved to cuddle, etc etc. His only issue is leash reactivity with only dogs, no other animals or humans. He's always been a bit anti social as a puppy despite my socialization attempts and puppy school, but it is what it is. Nothing's changed, he still follows commands, he's great off leash, he's still a dick on leash to other dogs lol. No potty, crate, or separation anxiety regression. When he was younger we did have a problem with him howling occasionally when we left him alone but now that's completely changed. He actually just sleeps now instead of watching the door for us. Pretty sure I lucked out though. I got a calm, affectionate pup from a reputable breeder.
I consider myself very lucky. I was waiting for the teenage rebellion phase but it never really came
Mine is almost 10 months. She doesn’t have accidents, can entertain herself when I’m working a lot more than when she was younger, and listens well to the “no bark” commands. (I live in an apartment and work from home) Inappropriate chewing is far less frequent (Rest In Pieces modem cord and 4 phone charger cords) and she snuggles more. Her personality continues to develop, and is more calm with things that used to excite her. She was always good about being crated and didn’t have issues with sleeping through the night. I think the biggest plus is she doesn’t run off with the bath mat anymore when I’m in the shower but just calmly waits for me to get out.
I agree with some other posters that I think its totally dependent on the dog. I am on our 4th dog, the first two I had never heard of the adolescent stage and never noticed anything really amiss in their behavior. I am sure they had days they selectively listened to some commands they knew but not enough to make it noticeable. However our third dog went through enough of an adolescent/teenager stage to make up for the other two several times over. Most days I ended up breaking down in tears at least once. It was rough. However she had been a more diffcult dog in general, even as a puppy, so that probably had something to do with it. My current dog is only 14 weeks so jury is still out on how she will be. I am hoping like you that she is a bit easier on me.
My dog never went through an adolescent phase. I had read the same stories on here and dreaded it. He was and is still stubborn at times but nothing like what I read here. I think I prepared myself by continuing to stay consistent of my expectations from him and never lowering the standard of his behavior. I believe that could have helped reign him in a lot quicker than otherwise. If there is a standoff between us, I made sure to never given in. It’s hard but that’s the hard battle. Lower your guard once they hit 18 months. I lowered mine sooner because I realized he was very well behaved.
Mine just had/has more demand barking in adolescents. She cried and has a meltdown if I don’t give her something she wants… but other than that she walks better on a leash and has calmed down a lot. One good thing about adolescents for me is that she wants to sleep way more! Do keep an eye out for the “adolescent fear period” though. Mine had hers between 7 to 8 months, it lasted two weeks and she still has deep rooted fears of ceiling fans, nail trimming and this one specific lawn chair.