Dog adolescence can be a tough time…we feel for you! But we’re also here to help you through it. Here are some goodies you can buy to help smoothen the road, as well as some extra training tips to make that teenage phase go by easier.. We’ve rounded up our essential items to help your pup through those terrible teens. From choosing the correct equipment to walk your dog, to finding treats, toys and chews we’ll help you get the best out of your teenage dog.
Among our list of teenage dog products are harnesses, collars and leads for your teenage tearaway that we’ll help you choose, and methods to help calm your wee wildling down!
For a training programme dedicated to dog adolescence, check out the Zigzag puppy app. Our training caters for your dog’s age, which means we take all of those testing hormonal times into account. We also consider their breed type and the characteristics that come with it to design a training program that’s tailored for you and your dog’s needs. Our team of professional dog trainers are also available 24/7 via our in app chat, so any worries you have, you can just pop online and ask them.
Sounds good? Let’s get going!
Choosing the right collar and lead for your teenage dog
Puppy training accessories like the right collar and leads can make a big difference when teaching them important lessons, like not pulling on the lead when you’re out on walks. This becomes a big problem for dogs in their adolescence period, we tend to find!
At Zigzag, we’re big fans of using a harness for walking dogs; especially in high energy adolescents. Collars are there to hold your dog’s ID tag, and for attaching a lead on to them.
For leads, we like double-ended training leads in a soft, comfortable fabric or leather. Having a training lead means you can adjust the lengths to suit your style of walking. They have two points of contact on your dog, which are super helpful to stop a dog who might back out of a harness or to balance a dog who might want to pull.
We’ve got plenty more information on leads in our articles on best training leads and long lines. You’ll find them handy for recall training since you’ll be able to keep your dog safe, while giving them some freedom.
Choosing a Harness for your adolescent dog
Who doesn’t love a harness? They’re generally much more comfortable for a dog to walk on; especially when they’re hormonal in their teenage phase where everything is interesting and overwhelming -strangers, squirrels, other dogs, food, everything!
Puppies grow quickly, so you might be on your second or even third harness once they hit dog adolescence. Think of it like a child wearing shoes, you still buy them good quality shoes as they grow, right? Wrong sized shoes can affect their development, and harnesses are no different.
The wrong shape of harness can have an effect on the way your dog moves, their gait, and posture – they can even cause them to have pain or problems on their muscles and bone structure!
We recommend a soft and comfortable Y-shaped harness. They won’t tighten or cause pain if your adolescent dog suddenly and urgently want to sniff a particular and specific blade of grass. Gosh, they can be so intense in their sniffing activities in their teens.
And yes, it is worth stretching the budget and getting something that fits well, that won’t rub or cause issues with your dog’s fur or skin. No one needs under arm chaffing – yikes!
Learn more in our article all about puppy harnesses.
Methods to calm your teenage dog
Adolescent dogs have a ton of energy, so having a schedule and routine where they get to burn it off is key. Look to include games and sports like agility and other brain games to help them find moments of calmness day to day.
Here are some accessories for puppies and things for keeping your adolescent dog calm.
Chewy toys
Even if your teenage tearaway has been through their initial teething phase where they lost their puppy teeth, those big adult teeth are still going to want to chew a lot. Dogs need to chew recreationally, even when they are past their intense chewy stage. Dogs will always be on the chew-chew train, actually.
You can choose between edible chews like rice bones, vegetable toothbrushes, cow ears, bully sticks… there’s really quite a variety. These all tend to go down really well with dogs. You can also look at chew toys like stuffed Kongs, West Paw Toppls or good old Nylabones; these toys provide a longer lasting chew for a dog to work their jaw muscles on.
Interactive toys for brain training
Your teenage dog is learning new things every day, so by working their brain and introducing them to problem-solving tasks with interactive games and toys, we can sharpen that brain and improve their cognitive function. Brain games will also tire them out, so they’ll be less likely to go off on their own and get into trouble. They’ll also be a lot less stressed to spend time home alone when needed, which is fantastic.
Interactive toys are also perfect at helping dogs cope with frustration, so they learn that gratification isn’t always instant, and can rather often be delayed. This type of self-control and frustration tolerance will play a large part in your teenage dog’s mental development, and forming of their personality. You’re in for raising a patient dog, aren’t you?
Nina Ottosson makes some excellent interactive toys, but you can also get creative and DIY lots of them. We’ve got plenty of ideas for you in the Zigzag app – go ahead and download the app to discover them.
Replacing your current toys
New toys or rotating old ones are a good way to keep things interesting for your teenage dog. If you want to keep your wallet sane, rotate toys so that your dog doesn’t get the same ones left out all the time and gets bored with them quickly.
Not sure what toy your pup might like? Check out our guide to puppy toys. Oh, also check out our lessons on teaching your dog to drop and leave it. It’s also good to learn about resource guarding, especially in their adolescence period, just to prevent any issues in the future.
Top tips for dealing with your teenage puppy
Ah…but our number 1 tip for dealing with a teenage puppy is patience and a good sense of humour. They are completely crazy! Enjoy this phase while you can.
But here are some other tips to help you cope with the wobbly parts of this stage:
- Give them structure and routine – knowing what’s coming next gives dogs confidence, and helps you keep your head on your shoulders, too.
- Provide enough for them to do – good physical and mental exercise are key at this stage, or else your dog WILL go off on their own looking for trouble to find their own amusement.
- Remember, they are still babies! They’re not emotionally mature yet, and need us to help them make the right choices. Remember to be patient!
- Be mindful of hormones – their moods may swing every day from a sulky teen, to anxious, and then back to being confident, so it’s something to be prepared for.
- Teach them a good set of behaviours by having a wide repertoire of behaviours to choose from. That way, your dog can choose among many options to make better choices in the future – they’ll have plenty of ways in which they know they’ll get a reward for.
- Keep it positive! Always use Positive reinforcement. Not only does it keep life and training sessions fun, it also helps your pup learn in a healthy and effective way.
- Management – Keeping your teenage tearaway on a long line when you’re out is a clever thing to do! You’ll want to prevent them from running off or exploring picnic- raiding endeavours.
- Get into an activity – Whether it’s obedience, agility, parkour, scent work training or joining a dog sports club, any of these will be great for keeping your adolescents dogs’ mind going and helping strengthen your bond together.
- Get the right gear – getting the right accessories for puppies just makes life easier. It’s as simple as ‘add to basket’.
Remember that life with a dog should be fun. We know that adolescence can be a tricky time, but with a plan and a training programme like we have in the Zigzag app you’ll be able to ride out the storm.
If you’re in trouble, just reach out to our professional dog trainers; they’ll be able to wiggle you out and answer all of your questions.
Oh, one last thing, here’s a freebie – check out our 50+ training games library – we’re sure you’ll find something that tickles your teenager’s funny bone.
