The common-sense dog
By STEPHANIE VICHINSKY
The Common-sense Dog
We’ve discussed a lot of different scenarios that can lead to behavioral issues in our dogs, but what about life stages in the dog and the behavioral changes that come along with them?
Dogs often develop problem behaviors because they are maturing, and we are not adapting our training routines to meet their needs.
When dogs are 2 to 4 months old, they are pretty easy in the training department (aside from potty training and puppy biting). They follow us, listen pretty well, learn commands quickly, and don’t have a real desire to fly the nest just yet. This is when most people call us and say their dogs already know how to sit, down, shake, come, and are fully off-leash trained.
Unfortunately, this stage does not last.
My daughter is 7 years old. She thinks I am amazing. She wants to walk like me, talk like me, and eventually be a dog trainer. When she turns 13, this relationship will no longer exist. She will be much more consumed with her own independence and what the world has to offer to spend her time following my footsteps. There is nothing wrong with this, but as a parent, I need to adapt in order to raise her correctly.
When dogs become teenagers (usually between 7 to 10 months of age) they stop looking to us for everything, and the world becomes much more enticing. They become more distracted and more resistant to everyday direction. This is also the prime time for aggression to first appear.
Teenage dogs go through their awkward and insecure phase where new things and people frighten them. They also have raging hormones which can lead to territorial issues over land, possessions, other dogs, or humans. Fighting housemates usually start fighting during this sexual maturity stage. Once dogs have completed sexual maturity, if handled and trained correctly, they become easier to direct, but they still remain adolescents for the next 12 to 18 months.
As they move away from the adolescent phase and into the adult phase, we come to another milestone (usually between 2 and 3 years) when dogs reach social maturity. This is the phase where dogs tend to challenge the structure of the house the most to solidify their place in it. It is also the time when we often see serious aggression form. In this phase, we are no longer dealing with young and underdeveloped dogs. We are dealing with dogs that have fully matured and have their own understandings and beliefs around them. It is important to start training early to have the best relationship possible during this phase.
While working with your puppy (2 to 4 months), focus your training on confidence building like play around new sounds and surfaces, boundaries when they play too hard, and feeding by hand. Build a relationship of trust and respect. While you can teach obedience during this phase, it doesn’t fully sink in until the dog’s brain develops more. Focus more on the positions, building muscle memory, and teaching the dog that it is fun to learn.
While working with your teenage dog (6 to 12 months), focus your training on the relationship your have with the dog, create clear and firm boundaries, remain ultra-consistent, and begin official obedience work. Teach your dog to enjoy working for food, toys, affection, and new freedoms. These things should not be given freely.
While training your adult dog (2+ years), focus your training on a relationship of trust, respect, and fun. Teach your dog to seek you out for advice before making decisions, solidify obedience, and maintain firm but fair structure in your household.
If you follow these steps, you can help prevent behavioral issues as dogs mature.
Happy training!
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Stephanie Vichinsky is the owner/head trainer of Method K9 in Post Falls.