Given the amount of “Fizzy” teenage dogs I'm working with lately and my up and coming Tricky Teens course I thought this might be a useful to help you pick your battles!
long one so I the how too help is at the end
WHATS GOING ON?!
A lot!
The brain - Rewiring from front to back starting with the pre frontal cortex - Responsible for processing behaviour and consequences. Regulating frustration and impulse control. This is why puppy basics are forgotten and thought processes slow down.
Hormones - Fluctuating.
Females will have their 1st season and hormones may not settle for three months afterwards which can present through resource guarding, infighting in multidog households, nesting and reactivity,
Males have an increase in testosterone leading to mood fluctuation, impulsivity and reactivity
Change in social dependence - At this point teens are developing their independence. They don’t need mum and dad the same and definitely don’t want rules. It’s normal. In the wild, this stage would be used to prevent interbreeding and is part of moving away from the family unit.
HOW TO HELP!!
Keep it fun, positive and absolutely pick your battles,
This may be the time to ease off socialisation. Secondary fear periods may develop. You may be an increase in reactivity and lead frustration. You may find your dog struggles to engage, becomes hyper vigilant or sensitive,
Ask for support around reactivity training - Work at a distance away that your dog can tolerate and learn to read what the individual is telling you. Disengagement may be tricky
Sits and Downs may be to frustrating in close up situations as it requires self control so we look at other options
Training - Keep it fun and positive to avoids stress. Training isn’t linear. There will absolutely be ups and downs!
Revisit the basics - I always tell my pup humans to keep in mind the exercises we are doing so they can revisit at the teen period.
Consider what your dog was bred to do and use natural outlets
Sleep is massively important - A good 18hrs. Teens suffer from FOMO. Set up a quiet space for them and ensure walks are stimulating followed by calming enrichment to aid rest
NUTRITION - I’m not a nutritionist so I wont advise, however
All about dog food website is useful
I personally found researching a “serotonin diet” interesting
Consider doing your own research as to whether more frequent meals in smaller quantities may help the individual (pros and cons)
Neutering - A hot topic and I'm not a vet so i wont advise but I will share food for thought later - Chemical castration is a less permanent option but again has its own pros and cons so speak to a vet. consider age breed, health considerations and effect on behaviour.
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