1 00:00:01,920 --> 00:00:06,520 Speaker 1: Welcome to brain Stuff production of I Heart Radio. Hey 2 00:00:06,559 --> 00:00:08,840 Speaker 1: brain Stuff. Lauren vog obam here with that age is 3 00:00:08,920 --> 00:00:13,399 Speaker 1: old question, Do dogs go through puberty? Okay, well, if 4 00:00:13,400 --> 00:00:16,840 Speaker 1: it's not ages old, it's at least an interestingly odd question, 5 00:00:17,079 --> 00:00:19,960 Speaker 1: and an important one for dog owners. You might assume 6 00:00:20,000 --> 00:00:22,400 Speaker 1: the answer is no, because you probably don't ever remember 7 00:00:22,480 --> 00:00:25,120 Speaker 1: your lab or doodle barking I hate you. You've ruined 8 00:00:25,120 --> 00:00:26,920 Speaker 1: my life. You never let me go to the dog park, 9 00:00:27,000 --> 00:00:30,360 Speaker 1: and then stumping off, slamming the doggie door behind him, 10 00:00:30,440 --> 00:00:33,800 Speaker 1: Although that's unlikely to happen for several reasons. The answer 11 00:00:33,800 --> 00:00:38,360 Speaker 1: to weather dogs and other animals go through puberty is yes. Dogs, 12 00:00:38,360 --> 00:00:42,120 Speaker 1: for instance, go through hormonal changes that are similar to humans. However, 13 00:00:42,240 --> 00:00:45,559 Speaker 1: because they have significantly shorter lifespans, the moody and difficult 14 00:00:45,560 --> 00:00:49,080 Speaker 1: period of adolescence happens when they are puppies. A typical 15 00:00:49,120 --> 00:00:52,519 Speaker 1: puppy goes through puberty sometime between four and twenty months, 16 00:00:52,560 --> 00:00:55,920 Speaker 1: the equivalent of a humans first eighteen years. Small breeds 17 00:00:55,960 --> 00:00:59,400 Speaker 1: developed faster than large breeds, and like humans, female dogs 18 00:00:59,400 --> 00:01:03,400 Speaker 1: typically share faster than males. They won't have acne or 19 00:01:03,440 --> 00:01:07,040 Speaker 1: school dances to contend with, but like human adolescence, dogs 20 00:01:07,040 --> 00:01:11,120 Speaker 1: in puberty may exhibit some less than desirable behaviors. Males 21 00:01:11,160 --> 00:01:13,920 Speaker 1: tend to mark and mount, as well as rome, which 22 00:01:13,959 --> 00:01:15,959 Speaker 1: is the dog equivalent of sneaking out of the house 23 00:01:15,959 --> 00:01:17,920 Speaker 1: to cruise for girls with a car full of friends. 24 00:01:18,680 --> 00:01:21,399 Speaker 1: Female dogs reach sexual maturity once they go into heat. 25 00:01:21,840 --> 00:01:24,640 Speaker 1: They'll show physical signs as it approaches, such as excessive 26 00:01:24,680 --> 00:01:27,560 Speaker 1: shedding and looking of genitals. Male dogs are drawn to 27 00:01:27,560 --> 00:01:29,680 Speaker 1: the female scent when they are in heat, so girl 28 00:01:29,720 --> 00:01:32,319 Speaker 1: pups should be kept indoors and have a secure physical 29 00:01:32,319 --> 00:01:36,240 Speaker 1: barrier around them when outdoors. A female dog can become 30 00:01:36,280 --> 00:01:38,480 Speaker 1: pregnant during her first heat, just like they tell you 31 00:01:38,520 --> 00:01:41,000 Speaker 1: in high school, and due to an increased chance of 32 00:01:41,040 --> 00:01:44,320 Speaker 1: health and behavioral problems, devetinarians device against spain or breeding 33 00:01:44,319 --> 00:01:48,120 Speaker 1: a dog before that. In addition to sex specific behavior, 34 00:01:48,280 --> 00:01:51,040 Speaker 1: pubescent boy and girl dogs share a variety of new 35 00:01:51,080 --> 00:01:56,800 Speaker 1: personality traits and behaviors, which can include anxiety insecurity, irritability, jumpiness, 36 00:01:56,840 --> 00:02:00,280 Speaker 1: and increased independence, including a reluctance to come when alled. 37 00:02:00,840 --> 00:02:03,760 Speaker 1: They may also begin to act territorial and protective, or 38 00:02:03,800 --> 00:02:06,360 Speaker 1: even become picky about playmates and fight with other dogs. 39 00:02:07,680 --> 00:02:10,520 Speaker 1: Dog adolescence is also accompanied by an abundance of energy. 40 00:02:10,760 --> 00:02:14,200 Speaker 1: Perhaps unlike humans, I remember being distinctly difficult about getting 41 00:02:14,200 --> 00:02:16,760 Speaker 1: out of bed in the morning. In dogs, that energy 42 00:02:16,800 --> 00:02:19,960 Speaker 1: can often lead to chewing the wrong things, pulling on leashes, 43 00:02:20,000 --> 00:02:22,480 Speaker 1: and digging, though you can mitigate all of that by 44 00:02:22,480 --> 00:02:25,680 Speaker 1: providing positive outlets such as playing, running, and going on 45 00:02:25,760 --> 00:02:29,960 Speaker 1: frequent walks and outings. In addition to needing healthy avenues 46 00:02:29,960 --> 00:02:33,000 Speaker 1: for extra energy. During this period, experts say it's important 47 00:02:33,000 --> 00:02:36,080 Speaker 1: that pets are mentally stimulated by playing, exploring new places, 48 00:02:36,120 --> 00:02:39,760 Speaker 1: and learning new tricks. Dogs should be routinely socialized because 49 00:02:39,760 --> 00:02:41,960 Speaker 1: along with puberty can come a sudden fear of people 50 00:02:42,120 --> 00:02:44,639 Speaker 1: or things that haven't been issues in the past. This 51 00:02:44,720 --> 00:02:48,000 Speaker 1: is a critical time when early adolescent puppies develop emotionally, 52 00:02:48,200 --> 00:02:52,240 Speaker 1: gain confidence, and decide who they trust. Sadly, the majority 53 00:02:52,280 --> 00:02:55,480 Speaker 1: of shelter dogs arrived during adolescence because people don't realize 54 00:02:55,480 --> 00:02:58,160 Speaker 1: their pets sudden bad behavior is a developmental phase that 55 00:02:58,200 --> 00:03:00,760 Speaker 1: will end if you decide to include a four leg 56 00:03:00,760 --> 00:03:03,040 Speaker 1: an addition to your family. You know the road ahead 57 00:03:03,040 --> 00:03:06,440 Speaker 1: isn't paved entirely with rainbow shaped squeaky toys, but when 58 00:03:06,520 --> 00:03:09,560 Speaker 1: Muffin begins to act ornery around six months. Be thankful 59 00:03:09,600 --> 00:03:11,880 Speaker 1: that she isn't too embarrassed to be seen walking with you. 60 00:03:17,120 --> 00:03:19,560 Speaker 1: Today's episode was written by Meg's Bar with and produced 61 00:03:19,560 --> 00:03:22,079 Speaker 1: by Tyler Clang. Brain Stuff is a production of iHeart 62 00:03:22,160 --> 00:03:24,320 Speaker 1: Radio's How Stuff Works. For more in this and lots 63 00:03:24,360 --> 00:03:26,480 Speaker 1: of other dog on topics, visit our home planet, how 64 00:03:26,520 --> 00:03:28,880 Speaker 1: stuff Works dot com. And for more podcasts from my 65 00:03:28,919 --> 00:03:31,560 Speaker 1: heart Radio, visit i heeart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or 66 00:03:31,600 --> 00:03:33,120 Speaker 1: wherever you listen to your favorite shows.