When it comes to canine development, there are several stages they will go through. Perhaps the most challenging is adolescence 😩 This is the period between sexual maturity and social maturity between the ages of approximately 4 -24 months, though it varies between breeds and individuals.
During this time lots of changes are happening within your dog’s body 🐕 and although they look more grown up, they are a far cry from the adult they will become.
As their body grows, they become bigger and physically stronger 💪 They will grow in spurts and this can lead to imbalance in your teens developing body. They might seem clumsy 🤪 as they haven’t developed skill and awareness of their body. They might also experience discomfort associated with rapid growth 🦴 and could start to dislike their harness or react to touch on certain parts of their body.
Hormone levels rising and changes to brain chemistry 🧠 also mean that teens can undertake more risky behaviour 💥 to find excitement and pleasure. They are likely to be more interested in other dogs, scent and exploration. This can lead to your dog getting themselves into trouble with other dogs 🐾 as behaviour which was tolerated by others as a puppy becomes a problem as they get older.
The good news is with the right foundations 📚 continued training and appropriate exposure 🌳 🏚️ 👷♂️ to the world around them, this stage is temporary and you will emerge on the other side with a wonderfully well rounded, resilient adult dog 🐶
If you would like more help & support in training your puppy or dog click the links below for more information:
Happy Training! 🐾
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