If you're anything like me you'll look back at your stroppiest teenage moments and cringe. I frequently remember waking up in the worst mood ever, for no apparent reason, snapping at anyone who had the temerity to wish me good morning (sorry mum). I admit it, is was a total bitch at times. And we're not the only ones, because it turns out puppies have a teenage phase too.
If you own a puppy or perhaps just love dogs, then you most definitely know how easily distracted, stroppy and difficult they can be. You've probably had moments with your pup, where you’ve thought to yourself – ‘We were just playing. Why are you so grumpy all of a sudden?’
Well, a discovery by Nottingham Trent Universityhas found that puppies have stroppy teenage phases too. Research published in the Journal of Veterinary Behaviour has discovered that they hit the stroppy teen phase at around 8 months. The aim of the research was to spot dogs who would be suitable for training as guide dogs. But, they found out much more than they intended to as hundreds of the dog owners whose dogs were analysed for research, reported ‘adolescent’ behaviour at 8 months.
Naomi Harvey, a research associate at the University of Nottingham’s veterinary school, told the Times: ‘Many owners will tell you their dog went through a ‘teenage’ phase, typically around eight months.’
‘Most owners report that previously learnt commands are forgotten, their dogs become very impulsive and easily distracted and their behaviour becomes a bit erratic.’
Scientists concluded that a dogs behaviour as an adult was more dependent on how it was treated as a puppy rather than it is breed or DNA.
However, Naomi reassuringly adds that: ‘The thing to remember is it won’t last for ever.’
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This article originally appeared on The Debrief.