Adolescence can be difficult at the best of times, both for those going through it and for those (like parents) who experience it second-hand. Everything from mood swings to body changes can fuel insecurity, making this a difficult phase.
But it isn't only people who struggle with the pangs of adolescence. Surprisingly, dogs have a teenage phase as well, according to a study carried out by a team of researchers from the UK.
The study, the first of its kind, shows that dogs can also be awkward and dismissive when they go through puberty, which for canines begins from the age of eight months. The researchers found that from this age, dogs are less likely to be obedient and exhibit rebellious behaviour.
This behaviour is even worse in dogs that lack a strong attachment to their owners, much in the same way as teens sometimes feel they have nothing in common with their parents or feel alienated from a world that offers them no release.
Choosing not to listen
The researchers from Newcastle University, University of Nottingham, and the University of Edinburgh studied a group of 69 Golden Retrievers and Labradors to investigate their adolescent obedience. They found that commands from the dog’s carer had less impact during puberty than if the same command was given by a stranger. Subsequent tests indicated that the adolescent pups were actively choosing not to respond to their owners.
Younger dogs, from the pre-pubescent range of between five to eight months old, were much more receptive to training than dogs which were nearing their first birthday.
The researchers then expanded their group to 285 dogs that included Labradors, Golden Retrievers, and German Shepherds, as well as crossbreeds. The findings were the same, suggesting that adolescent behaviour is related to age rather than breed.
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In conclusion, the researchers suggested that the typical behaviour in puppies, which may lead to their owners getting angry or even giving them up for adoption, could stem from adolescence and therefore should just be treated as a passing phase, and that understanding and support should be offered instead of yelling and punishment.
