"This is a very important time in a dog's life," Dr. Lucy Asher, an animal behavior scientist who led the study, told the BBC. "This is when dogs are often rehomed because they are no longer a cute little puppy and suddenly, their owners find they are more challenging and they can no longer control them or train them."
"But as with human teenage children, owners need to be aware that their dog is going through a phase and it will pass," she explained.
Her advice for pet parents dealing with a moody teenage pup is to use positive reinforcement with their dogs during this time, rather than punishing their pet for bad behavior.
"We would suggest people remain consistent and use rewards rather than punishing their dog," she said. "It's important to remember it's not the dog deliberately behaving badly it's just their biology. In general, we'd ask owners to be kind to their dog during this time and understand it's just a passing phase."
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