From Cute to Chaos: What’s Going On with Your Teenage Dog?

You know that moment when your sweet, responsive puppy wakes up one morning and decides you no longer exist? Welcome to teenagerhood — the emotional rollercoaster of dog development. As a dog trainer and a long-time companion and teammate to my dogs, I’ve ridden this wave more than once (sometimes with a coffee in one hand and a slightly chewed lead in the other).

Let’s talk about what this stage actually is, why your dog is turning into a whirlwind of chaos, and how to manage it — with your sanity (mostly) intact.

1. “Helloooo? Are You Deaf Now?” – When Your Dog Stops Listening

One of the first signs your dog has entered adolescence is their sudden and selective hearing loss. Cues they knew perfectly well — like “sit,” “come,” or “leave it” — are now met with blank stares, yawns, or an impressive display of sprinting in the opposite direction.

This is normal. Their brain is undergoing developmental changes that impact impulse control and focus. It’s not personal — even if it feels very personal when you’re chasing them across the park with a pocket full of sausages.

Flori, my Swedish Vallhund, suddenly decided she could no longer hear me on walks. Especially if a wheelie bin was nearby. Apparently, she’d watched too much Doctor Who and became convinced bins were Daleks in disguise, demanding full-scale bark-based extermination.

2. Challenging Behaviours (a.k.a. Your Dog’s Teenage Tantrums)

Teen dogs can become bold, barky, bitey, jumpy, and dramatic — sometimes all in one day. You may notice:

• More frequent barking or reactivity

• Increased pulling on lead

• Ignoring boundaries

• Rough play or humping

• A cheeky streak a mile wide

They’re not being “bad.” Their emotional regulation is all over the place, and they’re experimenting with behaviour — just like teenagers pushing curfews and eye-rolling at authority.

3. Give Them a Job — or They’ll Go Self Employed

Adolescent dogs need a lot of mental and physical stimulation. Without it, they’ll find their own jobs: like redecorating the skirting boards or organising the recycling... violently.

Some excellent “teen-safe” jobs include:

• Scentwork – Let them use their incredible nose to search for specific scents or hidden treats. It’s natural, rewarding, and mentally tiring in the best way.

• Dog Parkour – Using natural or human-made obstacles (logs, benches, walls) to build body awareness, confidence, and focus. Plus, it’s really fun.

• Shaping and trick training – Let them problem-solve and get creative.

• Long-line sniff walks – Slow down, let them explore, and meet their sensory needs.

  
  

These outlets satisfy their brain and their instincts — which helps reduce unwanted behaviours at home.

---

It’s also important to understand the prey drive sequence — a series of instinctive behaviours that dogs are genetically programmed to perform:

Orienting → Eye/Stalking → Chasing → Grabbing/Biting → Shaking/Killing Parading → → Dissecting/Eating

Different breeds are wired to enjoy and excel at specific parts of this sequence. If we don’t provide appropriate outlets for those drives, dogs will find their own — and it might involve your laundry basket, garden fence, or next door’s cat.

Some dogs love the thrill of the chase. Others prefer the satisfying “shake and kill” of a toy, or the victory lap — known as parading — where they proudly strut around with their prize. Terriers and retrievers often love this part and may parade with socks, toys, or even the TV remote if they can get away with it.

Here are some examples of how to work with, not against, your dog's natural instincts:

• Scent hounds, like Beagles or Basset Hounds, are nose-first dogs who live for the thrill of the trail. They’re less interested in the chase and more obsessed with tracking the invisible story a smell leaves behind. I’ve worked with teenage scent hounds who seemed utterly deaf outdoors — until you give them a job involving their nose. Teaching them to find hidden food, follow a scent trail you’ve laid in the garden, or search for a favourite toy turns their “selective hearing” into focused engagement. They’re not ignoring you — they’re just on a mission. Give them a mission you control, and suddenly, they’re working with you.

  

  Daisy loves following her nose

• Sighthounds, like Whippets, Lurchers, and Greyhounds, are visual hunters. Their instinct is to scan the environment, lock onto movement, and launch into a chase — fast, focused, and often deaf to everything else. It’s not defiance; it’s programming. But this is where the Premack Principle comes in: we can use the behaviour they want (chasing) as a reward for the behaviour we want (like checking in or coming when called). For example, you might ask for a short lead recall or eye contact — and then immediately release them to chase a flirt pole, run a figure-8 around cones, or sprint off lead in a secure field. Over time, the dog learns: “If I listen to you first, I get the fun thing after.” It’s not bribery — it’s building value in the behaviour chain.

  

  Sight hounds are visual hunters

  
  

• Terriers are the demolition experts of the dog world. They adore the grab, shake, and kill part of the sequence — not in a malicious way, but because that’s what they were bred to do. Teenage terriers often get a reputation for being ‘naughty’ because they rip up cushions or attack toys like they’re on a mission. But they’re not being bad — they’re being brilliant at what they were made for. Give them a dig box in the garden, a tough tug toy with some rules, or a toy that can be pulled apart safely (think old towels with hidden chews inside), and you’ll see how satisfied they are when they can complete their “job” appropriately.

  

  Jack Russel Terrier playing in the park

• Gundogs, like Spaniels and Retrievers, are the cooperative athletes of the prey drive world. They’re often motivated by the whole sequence — especially the stalking, chasing, and retrieving — but what they really love is the parading. That moment when they proudly carry their prize (your sock, the post) around the house, tail high, eyes sparkling — that’s parading. And it’s deeply satisfying for them. Training these dogs to retrieve toys or scent articles on cue, and then letting them show them off, gives them an outlet for this behaviour that doesn’t involve stealing your laundry.

  

  Irish Setters are part of the gundog group

• Herding breeds, such as Collies and Australian Shepherds, often show exaggerated orienting and stalking. They notice movement before you do and may start trying to “herd” children, other dogs, or even joggers. Many teenage herders start circling obsessively or become overexcited around wheels, flapping clothing, or anything that moves unpredictably. While they’re unlikely to want to complete the full prey sequence, the beginning stages are intensely rewarding for them. Dog Parkour, Hoopers is brilliant for these dogs — it builds confidence, coordination, and gives their brain a challenge without relying on external movement.

  

  Swedish Vallhunds are bred to herd cattle

  
  

Once you understand which part of the prey drive your dog enjoys most, you can build that into your training. It’s not about suppressing their instincts — it’s about giving them the right outlet for them.

A dog whose needs are met is far less likely to turn into a chaos gremlin. And yes, even if your teenager is currently parading around the living room with your slipper like it’s the Olympic torch, there is hope.