The teen phase of dogs can be a challenging time. Just when you thought you had this puppyhood thing figured out, your sweet and innocent puppy turns into a teenage rascal! Selective hearing, bags of attitude, some serious stink eye and a whole lot of false bravado comes around when dogs go through adolescence. But here\u2019s the thing\u2026they think they\u2019re big and brave, but they\u2019re actually still sensitive and emotionally needy little guys. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
This rocky period is a necessary part of your dog growing up, and is actually the time we need to do the MOST training! And how do we do this? By rewarding the good stuff they do MORE. Don\u2019t think we can phase out the food rewards stage yet. Confused? Don\u2019t worry, we\u2019ve got you! <\/p>\n\n\n\n
In this article we\u2019ll get into when does your puppy become a teenager, how long the dreaded teenage phase lasts, and whether it is really as terrible as you\u2019ve been told. We\u2019ll help you figure out what really happens in the teenage puppy period and how you can cope with it, as well as the hot topic\u2026when to neuter your dog. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
But above all, if there\u2019s one thing you MUST do, as we\u2019ve already hinted, is to train your dog more, not less. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
You can download a full programme of training in the Zigzag puppy training app<\/a>. During their teenage years, it won\u2019t be anything shorter than a lifesaver! We\u2019ve got everything covered there for training your pup: from before you even bring them home, right through to adolescence, and even for when your puppy becomes older; and\u00a0 adult dog training too. It doesn\u2019t stop there – we also have a team of professional dog trainers<\/a> on hand to help you every step of the way!\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n From around 5 – 6 months old, your puppy starts becoming a teenager. This will be different with breeds of smaller dogs since they hit adolescence sooner, and mature faster than larger breeds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Thankfully, not years! Different breeds mature at different rates, both physically and emotionally. This is generally linked to their size.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Here\u2019s our round-up of how long you can expect the teenage phase to last in dogs, based on their size. <\/p>\n\n\n\nWhen does your puppy become a teenager?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
<\/strong>How long do the teenage years last?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n