ADOLESCENT TO ADULT - Dog Training Solutions

 Here is my article ADOLESCENT TO ADULT - Dog Training Solutions

Depending on the breed, most dogs that are between the age of six months and three years old are generally the most difficult for dog owners.  At this age your once perfect pup has seemingly overnight turned into an obnoxious out of control monster.  The pup is now bigger, stronger, and likely much more independent - it’s like comparing a toddler to a teenager in our human society. 

It’s going to take some work on the human’s part, but the good news is- after this short phase, you will very likely have your wonderful canine back again for many more years to come.

Here are some helpful suggestions to make you and your dog’s transition easier. 

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Set boundaries in the relationship with your dog- most dogs thrive on a consistent daily structured life.   

If the human doesn’t take the leadership position, the dog’s own genetics will often force them to take it.  Most dogs don’t want this extremely stressful position of being responsible for everything- so by our setting consistent daily structure into play, we will help our dog’s live more balanced, happier lives.

Dogs do what benefits them- reward them for their calm behavior, it will pay back threefold.

If they are acting pushy, whiny, or demanding without due cause - ask the dog to engage in something constructive first in exchange for your attention, THEN you can reward them. Asking him to do something basic like an already learned sit, down, or heel will encourage calm behavior from him, and helps put you in charge of the situation.

The same goes for nuisance barking, ask them for an already learned basic obedience command, wait them out until they respond, then reward them with praise, complying with their request, and occasionally with a piece of their daily meal as a reward.

Always be more consistent than they are persistent.

I highly recommend using the dog’s daily meals as rewards for training.Hand feeding gives “ value” to the owner in the dog’s point of view.Controlling the dogs most valuable resource gives us a huge advantage in training, as well as keeping our leadership position in the household.

Dogs will take for granted what is given freely.    In order for the dog to appreciate and value what he has been given- just have one dog toy out per day.  Take one out every day and play with him, use a different toy the next day. This makes the toy extra special, and now he must interact with the human in a polite manner if he wants toy privileges.   

Many dogs love a game of tug, but all good games have rules. Work on the OUT command with the toy, praise him for quick release by continuing the game a bit longer.   I have a detailed article on different methods to easily train the OUT command- which is to fully disengage from whatever they are looking at, or is in their mouths.  The article also has suggestions on dealing with dogs who nip inappropriately.

Impulse control activities like The Wait and Take It Game, Focus Game, and The Food Toss Game are all beneficial- details on training all of these can be found in my previous articles.  

My article on Restraint Training for Dogs will help immensely with your dog’s visits to the Veterinarian and groomers. 

Structured walks should be at least once daily, these can be practiced inside if the weather is unfavorable. The dog should be on a loose leash in heel position, no pulling, barking, or marking.  I have a detailed article on Structured Walks, with many easy to learn training tips to help you achieve your goal.

Proper crate training is extremely important, I have a complete article on this.   At the verbal CRATE command the trained dog should walk calmly in, be quiet in the crate, and wait for a release word from the human before they can come calmly out.  If the crate door opens and the dog tries to come out before the release command, gently close the crate door before they get their head out. You will see an immediate change of attitude, more respect from the dog, and now the dog is more focused on you and how you want it to behave outside the crate as well. 

PLACE command is super useful in everyday life.  They will learn to go to their designated area, lie down, be quiet, and stay there until given a release word.  Sessions should be fairly short to start.  I have a very detailed article on training the PLACE command.

Allowing the dog on furniture, and especially on the human’s bed, is a personal decision.  If having them up is not causing any sort of resource guarding, if the dog asks politely to get up, and readily moves off when asked- I don’t see a problem with it. 

Many dogs die every year simply because they bolted into traffic coming out of an open house or car door.   Dogs should be trained to patiently wait for a verbal cue before going out a main house door, or getting out of a vehicle.  My article Barrier Threshold Training gives a detailed description on how to train your dog not to bolt out open doors, as well as how to keep them from entering certain rooms in the household. 

I highly recommend treadmill training for dogs, more for improving the mental attitude of the dog than for the great low impact physical exercise it provides.  Treadmill at just a walking speed daily or twice a day, and gradually add duration.      I have an article on how to easily and safely train your dog to walk on a treadmill. 

My other articles include dog anxiety, fear aggression, potty training, chew toys for dogs, confidence building exercises, nail trimming, dog foods and feeding, training recall, how to stop dogs from jumping on people, and more.  They are available at my links below- which are open to the public and free of charge.❤️🐺❤️

https://allbasics-dogtraining.blogspot.com/

https://www.facebook.com/AllBasicsDogTrainingKimChappell/