Pet themes 2009
When puppies grow up
While human children need 16 years to grow and mature, puppies undergo the same development within one year. And, early and late bloomers are found amongst both two and four-legged friends. After about five or six months, cute puppies turn into spirited young dogs. They lose their milk teeth and develop a strong, sharp set of chompers. Losing their teeth is a sign for a dog's transition into a new chapter of their life.
Adventurous young dogs want to discover the world for themselves and venture further and further from their owners. Everything is driven by an insatiable curiosity. They are open to learning new things, which owners should take full advantage of for training. Teenage canines continue to exhibit playful, puppy-like behaviour when meeting other dogs, but from week to week, the young dog becomes more self-aware. Hormones play an ever-increasing role and good puppies turn into rebellious teenagers.
This is called puberty. Dogs’ behaviour changes drastically when they enter the world of sexual maturity. Hearing and obeying are suddenly foreign words, and some dogs even display aggressive behaviour while playing. Dogs that they have tolerated until now become rivals or enemies overnight. They regard members of the same sex with mistrust, and even question the authority of their owners. It is all about finding their own place in the world, testing the boundaries and looking after number one.
Small breeds develop more quickly than larger ones. A Jack Russell often reaches puberty at six months. Males start to raise their leg when urinating and females go into heat for the first time. Larger breeds in contrast stay puppies for much longer and sometimes first reach full maturity at two years of age.
Canine puberty can be a stressful time for owners – It is not uncommon for canine disobedience to drive people to despair. It can seem as though four-legged friends have forgotten everything they have learnt and are reluctant to follow even the most simple of commands. The only thing to do is to be patient and consistent, give clear signals and wait until this exciting stage of life is over. Many canine bad habits sort themselves out on their own with time.
A highly pubescent dog can also prove too much for an owner. In this case, do not hesitate to get professional advice from a dog school or an animal psychologist.
