“They’ll grow out of it” - or will they?

“They’ll grow out of it” 🤔

Adolescence is a tough time. Our dogs (and other mammals) brains are restructuring, their hormones are doing all sorts of funky things and this can make for some fluctuation in behaviours. You might see their confidence levels changing, less impulse control and more independence seeking behaviours among other things. When I see these changes in an otherwise solid pup, I’m not panicking. I’m staying the course on training and building the habits I want, because chances are they will settle and come back to level as they mature.

But while their brains will develop over time, the behaviour habits they develop might not be something they just “grow out of” if they’re allowed to continue rehearsing it and finding value in it.

🚬 Think of a human teenager who starts smoking in college. They’ll mature, become adults who know who they are and in most cases become a bit less impulsive. But they’ll still have that smoking habit unless they actively make the choice to quit.

The same is true of things like chewing, digging, many reactivity cases and aggression. They’re not just growing out of it, and they’re not going to be desexed out of it either. They’re habits & feelings that have been rehearsed and reinforced over time - many of them are self reinforcing, the behaviour itself has intrinsic value for the dog. That’s the stuff we want to be managing, training and supporting them with so they are practicing the behaviours we do want to see in our adult dogs instead.

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Do you need a hand with your adolescent dog? Owner coaching is available to support you throughout Waipa & Hamilton.

Contact 👉🏻 hello@wolfedogs.nz