Tues 22nd Oct: What's a doglet?

Lilo 

The young beagle girl I mentioned yesterday was brought to our Ap Lei Chau Homing Centre in the morning, and I had to take her to AFCD and Acorn as we weren't given any paperwork at the time (as it happened they were brought later in the day).   Lilo is a lovely dog although really non-stop and very talkative, giving her opinion on everything we passed during the drive to Sai Ying Pun as she shared the front seat with me and looked out of the window.  She already has a few offers of a home so hopefully she'll be leaving us by Wednesday as she really needs a lot of space, exercise and attention, with preferably another dog to play with.

As much as Lilo made me laugh for the short time I spent with her, I have to admit that I'd find it hard to cope with such a demanding dog and I prefer more of a laid-back and independent character, which the mixed breeds tend to be.   Although many of my Lamma dogs love attention, they're happy with a passing scratch of the ears or a few minutes of conversation and back rubbing, after which they go back to whatever they were previously doing.  By now most of them are well past the adolescent stage and have settled into mid or even old age, but I still remember their "teenager" period very well.

The teens for a dog is when I call them doglets, older than a puppy but not yet an adult, and it's the age when most dogs are given up for "bad" behaviour.  Suddenly the cute and adorable pup turns into a monster, at least from the owner's perspective, and out it goes.  This very good article I saw today on Facebook best describes the typical canine teenage behaviour, which is exactly the same as the hormone-driven turmoil human teenagers experience as they move from childhood into adolescence:  https://www.thegoldcoastdog.com/adolescent-dogs-the-teenage-stage/?fbclid=IwAR1pHgyCANsQlRCP_MrqRZrMT6sIDFZUBg5UB0poMwnoLyJDwOeFPy5wy6E

One of the unexpected aspects of the doglet period is that a previously confident puppy may go through a fear period, which again I think can equate to typical human teenage lack of confidence.  Many adopters think this relates to previous abuse but that's not the case, it's a natural "coming of age" thing.

What To Expect

Here are some of the common things you might start noticing when your dog enters the teenage stage:

• Some noticeable changes to behavior. Your dog may no longer come when called, despite listening previously. Things your dog use to know come and go. You will need to be creative at times. You MUST be consistent, as this is where training counts.
• “My dog seems to be more curious and seems to test the boundaries.” I hear this a lot and I would say this is an accurate description of what you might notice. 
• Behaviors that you found acceptable or cute when your dog was a small puppy are now unacceptable. Your dog may also become more persistent in these behaviors, worsening the problem.
• You might see your dog gets overstimulated more easily (a lack of impulse control). This might include becoming mouthy when excited or even excessive humping. You might even notice things like your dog, who once walked nicely on leash, is now becoming an excessive puller. 
• Your dog’s behavior towards other dogs might change. They might become more pushy, frustrated or even seem to attempt to square off with other dogs. 
• Excessive amounts of energy…need I say more? Your dog that used to relax and settle after a walk or playtime is now restless and won’t settle down. (Pro Tip: I usually like to give a bone or frozen food stuffed puzzle after playtime. This may help your dog relax, and eventually fall asleep.)
• Changes in sleep patterns.
• Secondary fear periods may appear. Things that a dog is familiar and unfamiliar with all of the sudden become scary.