The Teenage Months

The puppy you trained appears to have left. They have not — they are five months old, the brain is rewiring, and everything you taught is still in there, currently buried under a teenager.

Around month five most owners hit the same wall: the recall evaporates, the potty training wobbles, and something expensive gets destroyed. This is the single most common age at which dogs are given up, and it is also the most predictable. The Teenage Months is 13 pages on how to get through it without losing the dog you built.

What's inside

• A month-by-month map of 5 to 9 — what you'll notice, what's behind it, and what your job is
• The second fear period — the bit owners handle worst, because it looks like disobedience and is the exact opposite
• "He knows it, he's ignoring me" — why trained cues collapse, and the re-proofing ladder that brings them back
• Chewing, round two — the destruction audit, and what actually satisfies an adult jaw
• Why more exercise makes it worse — and the enrichment menu that works instead
• Hormones — the questions to take to your vet, including neutering timing
• Jumping, counter-surfing and door-dashing — the three fixes, for the whole household
• When the puppy license expires — play changes, dog parks, and guarding that appears for the first time
• The daily ten — ten minutes a day, five non-negotiables
• A printable monthly report card so you can see August was worse than November

Who it's for

Anyone with a dog between four and twelve months — or anyone who wants to know what's coming. It's the sequel to The First 30 Days.

Instant PDF download. Print it or read it on your phone. Works on US Letter and A4.