Speaker 1: Welcome to brain Stuff production of I Heart Radio. Hey
Speaker 1: brain Stuff. Lauren vog obam here with that age is
Speaker 1: old question, Do dogs go through puberty? Okay, well, if
Speaker 1: it's not ages old, it's at least an interestingly odd question,
Speaker 1: and an important one for dog owners. You might assume
Speaker 1: the answer is no, because you probably don't ever remember
Speaker 1: your lab or doodle barking I hate you. You've ruined
Speaker 1: my life. You never let me go to the dog park,
Speaker 1: and then stumping off, slamming the doggie door behind him,
Speaker 1: Although that's unlikely to happen for several reasons. The answer
Speaker 1: to weather dogs and other animals go through puberty is yes. Dogs,
Speaker 1: for instance, go through hormonal changes that are similar to humans. However,
Speaker 1: because they have significantly shorter lifespans, the moody and difficult
Speaker 1: period of adolescence happens when they are puppies. A typical
Speaker 1: puppy goes through puberty sometime between four and twenty months,
Speaker 1: the equivalent of a humans first eighteen years. Small breeds
Speaker 1: developed faster than large breeds, and like humans, female dogs
Speaker 1: typically share faster than males. They won't have acne or
Speaker 1: school dances to contend with, but like human adolescence, dogs
Speaker 1: in puberty may exhibit some less than desirable behaviors. Males
Speaker 1: tend to mark and mount, as well as rome, which
Speaker 1: is the dog equivalent of sneaking out of the house
Speaker 1: to cruise for girls with a car full of friends.
Speaker 1: Female dogs reach sexual maturity once they go into heat.
Speaker 1: They'll show physical signs as it approaches, such as excessive
Speaker 1: shedding and looking of genitals. Male dogs are drawn to
Speaker 1: the female scent when they are in heat, so girl
Speaker 1: pups should be kept indoors and have a secure physical
Speaker 1: barrier around them when outdoors. A female dog can become
Speaker 1: pregnant during her first heat, just like they tell you
Speaker 1: in high school, and due to an increased chance of
Speaker 1: health and behavioral problems, devetinarians device against spain or breeding
Speaker 1: a dog before that. In addition to sex specific behavior,
Speaker 1: pubescent boy and girl dogs share a variety of new
Speaker 1: personality traits and behaviors, which can include anxiety insecurity, irritability, jumpiness,
Speaker 1: and increased independence, including a reluctance to come when alled.
Speaker 1: They may also begin to act territorial and protective, or
Speaker 1: even become picky about playmates and fight with other dogs.
Speaker 1: Dog adolescence is also accompanied by an abundance of energy.
Speaker 1: Perhaps unlike humans, I remember being distinctly difficult about getting
Speaker 1: out of bed in the morning. In dogs, that energy
Speaker 1: can often lead to chewing the wrong things, pulling on leashes,
Speaker 1: and digging, though you can mitigate all of that by
Speaker 1: providing positive outlets such as playing, running, and going on
Speaker 1: frequent walks and outings. In addition to needing healthy avenues
Speaker 1: for extra energy. During this period, experts say it's important
Speaker 1: that pets are mentally stimulated by playing, exploring new places,
Speaker 1: and learning new tricks. Dogs should be routinely socialized because
Speaker 1: along with puberty can come a sudden fear of people
Speaker 1: or things that haven't been issues in the past. This
Speaker 1: is a critical time when early adolescent puppies develop emotionally,
Speaker 1: gain confidence, and decide who they trust. Sadly, the majority
Speaker 1: of shelter dogs arrived during adolescence because people don't realize
Speaker 1: their pets sudden bad behavior is a developmental phase that
Speaker 1: will end if you decide to include a four leg
Speaker 1: an addition to your family. You know the road ahead
Speaker 1: isn't paved entirely with rainbow shaped squeaky toys, but when
Speaker 1: Muffin begins to act ornery around six months. Be thankful
Speaker 1: that she isn't too embarrassed to be seen walking with you.
Speaker 1: Today's episode was written by Meg's Bar with and produced
Speaker 1: by Tyler Clang. Brain Stuff is a production of iHeart
Speaker 1: Radio's How Stuff Works. For more in this and lots
Speaker 1: of other dog on topics, visit our home planet, how
Speaker 1: stuff Works dot com. And for more podcasts from my
Speaker 1: heart Radio, visit i heeart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or
Speaker 1: wherever you listen to your favorite shows.