Why is my male teenage dog aggressive
So, you adopted a male puppy. Everything was going good, your dog was getting along with everybody.
Now your puppy is becoming one year old, and for the first time your dog started humping, growling and barking at other dogs… what, why?!
This is the story of many, many owners who have gotten a male dog. If this is something that you are experiencing as well, maybe this explanation from a dog trainer from Pocket Puppy School - the popular free dog training app, will help.
Of course, every person’s situation is unique - nobody online knows 100% what is going on, but as a dog trainer who has seen this quite a few times, typically it looks like this…
Puppy love & Teenage abandonment
The “hard cold truth” is that most people who get a dog, don’t think that they are getting a DOG, they just see a puppy and think that that is how their dog is going to stay like forever.
Then, once the puppy starts growing into it’s teenage years, which start at around 1, the hormones start coming out.
And when the teenage and adult behaviours start coming out as well - it’s not uncommon for people to sadly… give away their dog. 🙁
As sad and uncomfortable it is… it’s true, that there are more people in the world who are not physically and mentally ready to take care of a dog, than those who are.
But in honesty, once you accept what is going on and what you need to do, then it’s not that hard to deal with it.
When male dogs become MALE DOGS
The reason why these problems start is quite straightforward - hormones and DNA.
Dogs are animals.
And these animals specifically have some behaviours engraved in their genes, which help them survive.
Once your dog starts nearing the 1 year mark, the hormones coming from the genitalia start giving your dog signals to do things, such as favouring females, protecting their family and fending off other competitors.
This is all mighty complicated and we are not going to dive into dogs’s deep behavioural patterns today, but simply put - your male dog’s balls give off hormones that make your dog do weird and macho things.
What can you do?
Well, for hormones, there’s not much else to do than to think:
Do you want puppies, like actually?
If the answer is the answer is “Yes”, and you are sure you don’t just want to adopt or buy one of the millions of dogs available, then good luck with the other points.
But if the answer is a sensible “No”, or a “I’m not a breeder, I’ll just adopt”, then consider castrating your dog at around 2 years of age.
It seems like a scary thing, but actually, it’s one of the most sensible things you could do as a dog owner. We have done it as well. It’s just one quick procedure with 4 weeks of recovery, and it has improved our every day life every since.
This helps remove the “Macho” hormones, and therefore helps reduce the given behaviours that occur because of that.
For behaviour in general, the main thing you should be looking at are the three golden rules:
More exercise (Physical, mental and senses)
Rules
Your reactions
Exercise being the main thing you will have to focus on - male dogs have SO MUCH drive, it’s insane.
Often times, the more “manly” a dog is, the better said dog is at a sport. The most aggressive dogs could end up as world champions with the proper training and guidance, because they are so strong and driven.
And finally, if you are still feeling overwhelmed by your dog - start from scratch.
Look up some dog training materials and start working with your dog daily. You might have just gotten too comfortable with the puppy-age.
Start teaching your dog one thing at a time.
Start learning what you need to give your dog.
Also learn how to properly socialize your dog. Puppy time is easy - everybody is a friend, but in the adult world, you quickly learn that not all dogs get along with each other, you need to actually put effort into understanding who has a compatible personality with your dog.
If you’re looking for a great place to start, then check out our free Pocket Puppy School app!
If you need any more help, don’t be afraid to speak to a professional. But other than that, that’s it from us - see you around!
