Frustrations of “Puberty”.
August 22 2021
You brought home this adorable little puff ball of fuzziness. A small helpless little being who’s curiosity for life and engagement with you was just breathtaking. You taught them to sit, walk on a leash, potty trained them, and they were the best puppy you could have ever asked for.
Then suddenly, if almost as it happened overnight, your dog started getting into trouble. Doing things they knew better than to do, having selective hearing, and becoming too much to handle. You get advise from friends and neighbors on how to be the alpha, and you become mor estrict and add in punishments for their actions like any good parent would discipline their child. But it stops briefly just to come back with a force that is unnerving or it gets worse.
You think your dog is broken or incapable of learning. This is the period of time that most dogs who get relinquished to shelters, get relinquished. People believe their dog is a bad dog and incapable of change. They have done everything they can. They become overwhelmed, frustrated, and resentful. These are normal human emotions.
But the truth is, most people have tried everything they know how to do but not everything there is. Usually with just a few changes to the environment, some skill building with humans and their canine counterparts restless homes that are struggling can turn into happy cohesive units.
Puberty in dogs is much like children. They are developing from a handler/parent focused brain into a self sufficient adult. Their needs change and so do their likes and dislikes.
Choosing a credentialed, evidence based, modern dog trainer or behavior consultant can make the difference between achieving that and continue with stress or worse.
We highly encourage you to watch our video on how to search for, find, and choose a credentialed trainer or behavior consultant here.
