Remember, the terrible twos are temporary, but it's especially important to stop bad behaviors before they become habits. Patience, persistence, and consistency will help you correct any unwanted behaviors. Learn more about dog behavior in our Pet Behavior Library.
The most challenging time of raising a puppy is the adolescent period. Dogs become “teenagers” and seem to forget everything they have ever been taught. This period is individual to each dog, but it may begin when he's about eight months old and continue until he's two years old.
Most puppies will go through a very trying stage when they turn about 5 months of age. Dogs often don't out grow that teenager phase for 2-3 years depending upon the breed. Many experts agree that the most challenging time is between the ages of 8 months to about 18 months.
Undesirable behaviours such as barking, chewing, counter surfing, house-soiling and jumping up commonly begin to occur at around 3-6 months of age.
Puppyhood ends between six and 18 months of age. Adolescence starts between six and 18 months of age. Adulthood starts between 12 months and three years of age. The senior years begin between six and ten years of age.
Dog breeds with a higher active nature, like a Border Collie or a Springer Spaniel, may take up to two years before they start to settle, and even then you will need to meet their exercise needs to curb their high energy levels.
While the timeline varies from dog to dog, the terribles often hit around 6 months of age and can last until they are anywhere from one to two years old.
How Long Before Having a Puppy Gets Easier? Having a puppy gets easier once they hit 4-5 months of age because that's when puppies are usually potty-trained, can focus for longer, and have settled into their new home.
Puppies Four to Six Months Old
Puppies between four and six months old are still energetic, but their attention span is longer. That makes training easier, and if you're consistent, some puppies may begin calming down at this age.
If you're anything like us, you'll probably continue referring to your dog as a puppy until they're old and grey! But generally speaking, a puppy is officially considered an adult dog between the ages of 1 - 2 years, once their bones have fully developed and they've reached their final height and size.
Some dogs will misbehave because they are bored and have not had enough exercise, others lack proper training. A dog who is feeling anxious may also exhibit behavior that appears to be a case of misbehaving.
Many excitable and rowdy behaviors that we see in puppies will diminish with time and proper early training (see Principles of Teaching and Training Dogs). The unruly dog is one that continues to be difficult for the owner to manage past puppyhood, or 6 to 9 months.
If your dog is between 5 and 18 months of age, he is just experiencing the ups and downs of the teenage years. His bad behavior probably appears as a result of this rebellious phase and his need to test your boundaries. Dogs tend to bury their pain, but their behavior will sooner or later reveal hidden emotions.
Dog behavior changes with age, but it is a gradual process. For example, a 2 year old dog behavior change is a common milestone, which is the age many dogs reach adulthood. Later on, some senior dogs may display irritability due to things like arthritis pain or loss of vision.
Ryan Seacrest shared if you want to train your dog, they are most teachable at age 6. A recent study says the sweet spot for dog obedience is not the puppy stage, but actually 6 years old. Why? They've outgrown the excitable puppy stage, but 6 is before they are too set in their ways.
The Root of the Behavior
Canines who are aging are likely to grow more affectionate to their human companion as their reliance on them grows. This is doubly so for canines who are experiencing deafness, blindness, or trouble smelling provided these are not lifelong disabilities.
6 Months Old
Puppies are entering the adolescence stage by this point, and it is the most difficult stage to start training at. That is why it is important to start training them as young as possible!
It does appear that as dogs age that they become calmer but in fact, your dogs energy level is set at a certain age and will not get less, what will happen though, is that your dog will learn when to be excited and when not to be.
In fact, adult dogs can sometimes be easier to train than puppies because they have a longer attention span and more self control. Puppies can sometimes pick things up faster than older dogs, and older dogs can be a little more set in their ways, but you can absolutely train a dog of any age.
If your dog seems hyper, or overly-excited, the problem likely stems from boredom and a lack of stimulation. So in order to address the problem, you have to assess the way you are interacting with your dog and the kind of activity your dog gets on a daily basis.
There are multiple reasons that a dog may exhibit aggression toward family members. The most common causes include conflict aggression, fear-based, defensive aggression, status related aggression, possessive aggression, food guarding aggression and redirected aggression.
Most puppies start to calm down as they approach their maturity age, which is usually around 12 months, but for larger breeds it can be more likely to occur between 18 months and 2 years.
So as long as a dog can smell, has healthy eyes, and can hear, they will most likely remember you no matter how long you've been out of their life. If you are wondering if your dog misses you while you're gone they don't have any knowledge of time but can experience separation anxiety.
Once your dog is between one and five years old, they'll start sleeping a little less than when they were a puppy. Dr. Evans advises that adult dogs get eight to 14 hours of sleep per day to be their happiest, healthiest selves.