Puberty in Dogs
When your girl dog stays out too late at night, sneaks out secretly, wants to be with everyone (except you!), and the boy dogs are lining up at your door, then it's time: With them, your furry friend's puberty is also at the door.
But no panic - we have a few tips for you to support your little four-legged friend.
Physical and Mental Changes
Just like in humans, your puppy's body changes during growth. Besides external changes, internal processes also play a role. The latter often lead to typical signs of puberty: mood swings, irritability, and stubbornness.
During this time, which starts around the sixth month, it may happen that your usually cuddly, obedient four-legged friend becomes rebellious, ignores commands, shows marking behavior, and has an increased hunting instinct. Confrontation with other dogs can lead to a desire for wrestling and power struggles.
Sexual maturity also plays a role here - young males sniff every two meters in search of females, while they are just confronted with their first heat. From the sixth month of life, your female dog can go into heat, but sometimes the heat only starts in the second year of life. After the first heat, your female dog's cycle repeats once or twice a year.
An exciting time of upheaval begins, as this new phase of life brings some changes and also responsibility for you and your four-legged friend.
Just a moment ago, your four-legged friend was still a little puppy, and now he could become a mom or dad himself. You should consider questions like "Should my female dog have puppies later?" during the first years of your dog's life.
If you plan such a thing, always discuss this intention with your veterinarian, who can provide you with information on puppy planning, inheritance, and health.
Your Behavior is Important
Your four-legged friend is particularly often torn back and forth during this phase and doesn't quite know where to go with himself and his mood. That's why it's also up to you to support your furry friend as best as possible.
During the heat, you should keep a close eye on your female dog and choose as calm routes as possible for walks to avoid (closer) encounters with males. This way, you can prevent unwanted pregnancies and reduce stress for your darling. To avoid stains on furniture and floors from menstrual blood in the house, you can use special panties for females from pet stores.
If your male dog sniffs out a female in heat starting from puberty, he will try very energetically to locate her. Therefore, you should keep him well in check during walks and also ensure that he does not become intrusive towards other dogs.
Training Your Pubescent Puppy
But you should also keep your puppy under control in terms of training during puberty: Don't let your little furry friend get away with various things out of pity that you would otherwise forbid her. Make it clear to your dog that you are still above her in the hierarchy and provide her with security.
It can also happen that your puppy no longer responds to his name and ignores pretty much all commands. Stay consistent here, don't yell at him, and continue to reward desired behavior. With praise, you can achieve a lot even during this difficult time.
Until When is My Dog a Puppy?
Puberty is your furry friend's path to adulthood. Of course, you might also wonder: "Until when is my dog actually a puppy?" And when is he considered a young dog or even an adult?
The right puppy time ends earlier than often assumed. While technically one speaks of a "puppy" only until about the 16th week, he is already a young dog from this time and goes through new developmental phases. Often, the teething marks the transition to young dog age. Dogs are considered adults - depending on the breed - from about 12-18 months.
With Love into a Shared Life
Rest assured: every puberty eventually ends, so you will have your familiar four-legged friend back once he is about 18-24 months old.
What's important is that you both get through a shared, loving life together. We wish you lots of fun with your puppy and hope that you can now start well-prepared into the puberty of your furry friend!
