Say Goodbye to Teenager Troubles
Chelsea Murray CPDT-KA, KPA-CTP, CTDI
Puppies are cute and we quickly fall in love as we look into their eyes. Despite the sleepless nights and the constant supervision, we feel strong knowing this will soon come to an end and all our efforts will pay off. But, all of a sudden our affectionate and attentive puppies become more independent and it feels like all of our training has gone out the window! Welcome to the teenager phase…
The bad news is that as a professional trainer, I consider the teenager phase (6 months to 18 months) even more challenging than puppyhood for many of my clients. But the good news is that there are some ways that you can reduce the pain and struggles during this time to make sure that you all come out on the other side intact!
What is the Teenager Phase?
As our puppies start to become teenagers, we generally see our dogs start to become more environmentally focused instead of human focused. The puppies that used to follow at foot and stick close while outdoors are beginning to become more interested in their surroundings and it likely will take more effort to grab their attention. Along with an increase in distractibility, we see an increase in excitability. Our teenagers quickly become stimulated, maybe even too aroused with normal stimuli. And generally coinciding with that excitability is an increase in frustration. It may appear as if your dog is “acting out” when they cannot get something that they want. The most challenging of all may be our mindset about it all. While our dogs may be bigger in size and strength, their thinking capacity is closer to that of a puppy than an adult. So, it is up to us to help set them up for success in all our training sessions to help them through this difficult time. But how can we do that?
Increase Management and Supervision
Management is any tool in our toolbox that we can use to help prevent unwanted behaviors from happening. As our teenagers become more interested in their environment and more independent, we may see that clingy puppy begin to counter surf and dive into the trash cans at home. These behaviors are self-rewarding, meaning that the moment they do it, they get reinforcement. Exploring and grabbing new “toys” from the counter is loads of fun!
As owners, we need to increase management around the home to help prevent the dogs from being able to rehearse these behaviors so that they don’t become “normal”. So, crates, baby gates, and x-pens can be set up around the home to block off certain areas like the kitchen, or even keep our dogs confined to a safe “puppy proofed” zone. This way they only can rehearse desired behaviors, which you can reward to increase their frequency!
When we are around our dogs, we can lighten the use of management. But, it is important that they remain under supervision. With all our attention on our dogs, we can catch them and use a positive interrupter (like kissing sounds or clapping) and redirect them to something more positive BEFORE they get that reinforcement from the environment. And if you must step away for a moment, don’t trust the teen! Ask them to tag along or prop up that baby gate. Remember that behaviors that get rehearsed and reinforced get stronger. So, during this teenager phase, use of supervision and management can ensure that only desired behaviors get rehearsed.
All Interactions Should Be Training
Often times with our clients we recommend 3-5 minute mini sessions throughout the day. This is helpful as you work on strengthening a single skill, like a wait at the door. But one of the biggest mistakes people make with their training is they assume that a few training sessions throughout the day is all they will need. This results in our youngsters “ruling and roaming the house” during the day practicing all kinds of bad habits. Instead, think of each interaction your dog has as an opportunity to learn. Our dogs are ALWAYS learning, and we want to make sure that they are learning the right kinds of things!
So, while your dog might only be able to do a 3 second wait with the door cracked, practice that each time you head out for a potty break. Take 10 extra treats and work on a little bit of wait before the final “free” and exit through the door. This helps our dogs build patterns. They learn that the rules at the door are the same, and some semblance of patience is necessary instead of just bolting out the door. Practicing each time like this helps your dog learn the rules faster, and will result in stronger behaviors!
You can even tie in training throughout the day in a less formal manner. Grab some treats or kibble and put it in your pockets or treat jars around the house. When you catch your dog doing something you like, pay them for it! Our teenagers are often bouncy and excitable. So, focusing on rewarding calm greetings (instead of jumping), four on the floor in the kitchen (instead of counter surfing), settle on a mat (instead of pacing), and chewing on toys (instead of inappropriate chewing) can all be great behaviors that you can pay throughout the day. Remember that anything you reward will happen again!
Combating the Arousal
As our puppies grow up and hormones begin to surge, we will often see an increase in overall energy and exercise requirements. And while they may look more mature, it is important to realize that physically they are not. Increasing the wrong kinds of activities can be damaging on their growing bodies. We also want to consider what behaviors they are rehearsing. By allowing dogs to rehearse MORE high arousal behaviors that will become more normal. So, while you may have the urge to “run it out” of them, I encourage you to pause and think.
Instead of increasing games like fetch, frisbee, and running we instead want to focus on lower impact exercises and training calmness. Long line sniffy walks, slow and steady trail hikes, and playing some jazz up and settle down games with a tug toy and a settle mat are all better ways to expel some of that energy without the detrimental joint impacts. You can also increase the use of food puzzles like slow bowls, Kongs, and chews to work the brain. Trick training can be incorporated to work your dog’s brain and provide a more balanced approach to tiring the dog out both mentally and physically.
In addition to focusing on lower impact exercises, we also want to focus on teaching our rambunctious teens the one skill that is so challenging…. relaxation! Focusing on skills like settle on a mat (lay down and stay on the bed until released) is a great way to begin to teach the behavior they are having trouble with. Then, once you start to train this, your dog will begin to find the mat on their own, giving you even more opportunities to reward that calm behavior.
Consistency and Patience
The teenager phase is hard on you and the dog. It is important to remember that there is a light at the end of the tunnel, but they won’t just “grow out of it”. You need to support them and train them through this phase so that they come out of it looking like that well-mannered adult dog you desire. Focus your efforts on helping provide appropriate outlets for all the energy in ways that won’t harm their growing bodies. Take deep breaths and find patience when they “mess up” and show their natural opportunistic traits and excitable nature, because trust me they will. And work consistently on training behaviors that you want more of like attention and calmness starting with easy exercises where they can find success. The more you reward a behavior, the more it will happen.
Are you having trouble with your teenager? You might enjoy this video podcast: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dGB_ndItSQw&t=31s
