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Early Training: Adolescence (7-18 months) by Jennifer Floyd
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(Originally published in Choban Chatter, Vol.
10, Issue 3) |
| A dog of 18 months or more is often considered a gem; a
well-behaved dog of polished manners and known reliability. A puppy of under 7
months is not perfect, but is usually biddable, eager to learn and follow
directions. The stage of growth between these ages can be a challenging time,
not unlike the experience of teenagers of other species! |
| Adolescent dogs are prone to seek out excitement, question
authority, and become interested in social position and the opposite sex. These
behaviors can manifest themselves in chasing inappropriate things, ignoring
commands, and wandering. In most circumstances, flock guardians are better
workers if neutered; this tends to help suppress wandering behaviors, dominance
issues, and prevent unplanned litters. Electric wire on fences is also an
effective escape-artist deterrent - but it is best applied preventatively, as an
initial success in wandering leads to repeated challenges of the fence. If your
fence is in good repair when your dog is a pup, there will be no bad habits to
break later. |
| Adolescent dogs are prone to seek out excitement, question
authority, and become interested in social position and the opposite sex. These
behaviors can manifest themselves in chasing inappropriate things, ignoring
commands, and wandering. In most circumstances, flock guardians are better
workers if neutered; this tends to help suppress wandering behaviors, dominance
issues, and prevent unplanned litters. Electric wire on fences is also an
effective escape-artist deterrent - but it is best applied preventatively, as an
initial success in wandering leads to repeated challenges of the fence. If your
fence is in good repair when your dog is a pup, there will be no bad habits to
break later. |
| When a pup enters the "teenage zone", rules
thought well-established may need redefining; play and chewing behaviors may
resurface, and annoyance or damage of the livestock may result. There are a
number of approaches to take, particularly if working in a small farm situation.
Practicing obedience commands ("sit", "heel",
"come", "down") on leash can help reinforce obedience to
other commands ("leave it", "easy", "back"),
helping the pup to obey better in the field. |
| Supervision is an excellent method of controlling
interactions; also, penning near the stock (but not with) when unsupervised, if
troublesome behaviors surface, can be useful. There are other methods that can
slow a dog down, or make the game less fun; specifics can be found in livestock
guardian help or in the book: Livestock Protection Dogs, by Sims and
Dawydiak. |
| The purpose of this article is not to offer a cure to all
problems, but to provide some direction in finding solutions, and to point out
that problematic adolescent behavior is not necessarily a sign that your dog
will be unable to fulfill his or her role as a flock guardian; many dogs have
gone through a rough spot at this point, and with a little more guidance, gone
on to be wonderful working dogs. |
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| Yearling pup with wether |
| As a side note, it is my observation that pups are easier
to train and less likely to engage in problem behavior if they are
"apprenticed" to an older working dog; learning by imitation of their
peers is still the most effective training method. My very first Anatolian was my
hardest one to train, but he helped mentor many others during his 14 years as a
flock guard (well, one year of driving me nuts, and 13 years of being perfect!) |
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