Chapter 18: Solutions for Rebellious Teens

If you’ve waited to train your dog until he is a teenager, or if you adopted an adolescent dog, you may have your hands full. Your dog has had months and months to build unwanted behaviors. On the other hand, even if you started training your puppy at a tender age, when he enters adolescence, you may wonder if someone replaced your angel puppy with a rebellious teenager.

Shelters and rescue organizations are full of adolescent dogs; this age can be a very trying time for pet parents. People bring home puppies that are relatively easy, and then all heck breaks loose when the puppy reaches adolescence—and people get frustrated.

Teenage dogs are work. They still require supervision, sometimes even more so than when they were puppies. They can get into much more trouble. Short little puppy legs can’t reach the kitchen counter, but the lanky legs of a teenager can. Those legs also propel dogs much faster, so when a teenage dog runs, there’s no way that you can catch him.

It’s understandable that people get frustrated during this challenging time. Unfortunately, some give up, and the dogs end up in rescue or shelters. That doesn’t have to be the answer. There are solutions to surviving your dog’s adolescence.

The best approach is to understand what’s actually going on. Your dog really isn’t rebelling against you. He’s just growing up. When a dog hits adolescence, many things happen at once.

Teenage dogs have senses that are much sharper than when they were puppies. They want to explore their environments. They can have a lot of energy! Those sweet naps they used to take as puppies are long gone. With some dogs, you may feel that you exercise them enough to run a marathon, but they still aren’t tired.

Hormonal levels in intact dogs are extremely high, even higher than those in an adult dog. A dog that is ruled by hormones is not always a dog that makes good decisions. A male dog can run right out into traffic if he’s following the scent of a female dog in heat. He won’t think to stop and look both ways! It is estimated that a dog can smell a female dog in heat up to three miles away.

Male dogs can be consumed by scent, especially where other dogs have peed. This means that his entire body is focused on what he is smelling, not on what you are saying. It’s not personal; it’s hormones.

Female dogs that come into heat can become agitated and can whine or be irritable. They may become extremely interested in other dogs and scents. Some can even go into a false pregnancy and start carrying toys around and nesting. If this is happening to your little girl, she may not listen to you as much as she used to because her hormones are talking louder to her.

Know that hormones can also cause some dogs to get snarky with other dogs, even dogs they consider to be friends. Same-sex dogs can compete for resources or for the attention of a dog of the opposite sex.

As your dog goes through his adolescent period, don’t despair. Just as with puppyhood, it’s a brief blip on the radar of your dog’s life. This, too, shall pass! Learn to understand your hooligan teenager and how to deal with this phase of his life.

Teenage dogs can have tons of energy!

Training? What Training?

A common issue with teenage dogs is that they may act like you’ve never trained them a day in their lives. You could have taken your dog to puppy kindergarten through advanced classes. Then, he hits adolescence, and one day you cue him to Down, and he looks at you like you’ve sprouted two heads and started babbling in an alien tongue. This is really not unusual.

Don’t get frustrated or angry. And don’t feel as if you’ve failed your dog, either. Instead, go back several steps in your training. Review your lesson plans again, and start from the point at which your dog performs well. Start from scratch if you have to. It won’t take you as long to bring your teenage dog back up to speed as it did with your initial training. The fact that you have been training your dog all along will help you, as he will catch up again more quickly.

A common issue with teenage dogs is that they may act like they’ve never been trained.

New Behaviors that Aren’t Nice

Adolescence can be a time when dogs discover new things about the world around them, such as that it’s really fun to steal socks. Or to get up on the couch that they ignored before. Sometimes these behaviors are just annoying, but sometimes they can cause concern. For example, you go to bed one night, and your dog growls when you approach the bed or reach for his collar.

If your dog is developing new, undesirable behaviors, training can help with many of them. For example, if your dog suddenly decides to try a career as a thief, teach Leave It. If he’s hopping up on the furniture, and you don’t want him up there, teach Down on a better spot, such as his bed. Give him an alternative behavior to perform that you like better.

Don’t Be Afraid to Get Help

If your dog has started guarding resources, then please get help from a professional, reward-based trainer. You can also review the chapter on aggression for help.

The Fear Factor

Adolescent dogs sometimes also experience fear periods. There are different theories about fear periods in dogs. Some maintain that there are several fear periods, starting in puppyhood and going into adolescence, and the timetable varies from theory to theory. Some dogs seem to go through periods of unusual fear, while others just sail through their teens.

What you may notice is that your dog is suddenly frightened of something when he wasn’t before. For example, you travel frequently, and your puppy is used to seeing you tote your suitcase on a regular basis. One day, you bring the suitcase out of the closet, and he starts barking at it furiously, backing up, with the fur raised on the back of his neck and shoulders.

What happened? Your dog could be going through a fear period. This, too, isn’t rebellion. It’s just a phase. If a dog is frightened, he is much less likely to respond to your cues. He’s too afraid.

Give your dog a few days. Check the section on fear in Chapter 16 for tips on handling a fearful dog. If this is just a fear period, your dog will likely bounce right back in a week or so. Remember not to scold him for his actions because that will just worsen his fear, and then you may have an extended problem.

Testing Boundaries

Your puppy may have always waited patiently outside the dining room while you ate but, as a teen, decide to come jumping up to check out the dining-room table. Or, you are holding a brush and reach for your dog’s ear, and he backs away, even if you’ve brushed him since you brought him home.

Adolescent dogs can test boundaries—they are learning what they can and can’t do. If you think about it, they often get away with it. You throw the ball and, instead of bringing it back, your dog runs and runs all over the yard. You chase him down. You go to put on his leash and he dashes all over the house, dancing away just out of reach, so you fall into a daily routine of “chase the dog.”

Please be assured that your adolescent dog is not trying to dominate you or take over the world. He’s just a teenager, and he’s exploring boundaries. This doesn’t have to be a challenge. Just go back to your training and reduce his privileges until the phase passes and you establish the rules once again.

For the dog that’s interrupting your dinnertime, go back to teaching Down. If he persists, you can crate or tether him until your training becomes a habit again. For the dog that doesn’t want to be groomed, review the section on handling in Chapter 7 and make it a more positive experience for him so he doesn’t avoid it.

Most of all, be consistent. If your teenage dog is testing boundaries, you can stick to your rules and teach them again, just as if he were a puppy. If you chase your dog all over the house, trying to get a leash on him, this is a great game to your dog. Just don’t play it. He won’t go outside if you don’t let him. This is a lesson that he can quickly learn if you are consistent and patient. Teach him to always sit when you attach a leash.

Be aware that sometimes, when your teenage dog acts as if he’s pushing boundaries or testing you, he may actually have a physical problem. Please never assume stubbornness or defiance. For example, the dog that doesn’t want you to brush his ears may have an ear infection. Brushing his ears hurts him.

If your dog starts stopping on walks, refusing to budge further, he may have an orthopedic problem. Hip dysplasia can manifest itself in adolescence, and your dog may be experiencing pain on his walks. This can be the same dog that runs in the park, which often confuses people. The reason for this is that the park is very exciting to your dog, so he’ll play past the pain. An everyday walk around the block may not be enticing enough to push through it.

If you suspect that your dog’s behavior may be physically rooted, please take him to your veterinarian. It’s better to rule out a physical problem first and then treat it behaviorally if your veterinarian says that your dog is OK.

Adolescent dogs can test boundaries.

Helping the Transition

You may experience only a few issues during your dog’s teenage phase, or you may experience an avalanche. It really depends on the individual dog. But you can survive your dog’s teenage period! Here is a summary of tips to help you get through it and help your dog transition to a successful, adult canine family member.

•Training. Even if you’ve trained your dog up until this point, it’s normal for dogs to backslide in adolescence. Just go back to your lesson plans and commit to the training program.

•Consistency with rules and boundaries. You can keep rules in your house without being harsh about them. Stick to your rules and train your dog to follow them. With positive methods, your dog will learn that it’s much more fun for him to do what you want.

•Manage and redirect behavior. Because teenage dogs get distracted by smells and new experiences, redirect them to activities that you prefer. For example, if your dog won’t come in from the yard because he’s sniffing every clump of dirt, go out with him on leash so you can better control his movement. Continue to work on his Recall training—make it more rewarding for him to come to you, so you can compete with the dirt! (Which is humbling, but don’t feel bad. It’s not unusual. Dogs love to smell dirt.) Another example is a dog that starts exhibiting undesired behavior, such as counter-surfing. Redirect his attention to the floor with food-stuffed chew toys. As your dog goes through adolescence, you will just need to be a more vigilant parent.

•Patience and understanding. Your dog is not trying to be the “alpha” or dominate you. The sweet puppy you brought home and cherish is still in there. Remember all of the reasons why you fell in love with your puppy. Don’t let your frustration and anger lead you down the slippery slope of physical punishment, or you could create more severe behavioral problems. If your dog does something that really upsets you, calmly crate or confine him until you can breathe again and think through the issue. Remember, your dog is still young. He’s still learning!

•Veterinary assistance. If your dog’s behavior is puzzling you or suddenly changes, consider consulting your veterinarian. Your dog may be actually experiencing a physical problem.

•Professional training assistance. If you are at your rope’s end, tie a knot and call a professional, reward-based trainer to help you. It is better to call for help when problems first arise rather than waiting until they become ingrained habits.