Training & Understanding Your Teenage Whippet

Training & Understanding Your Teenage Whippet

It is no surprise that if you scroll through dogs available for rehoming at your local rescue, you will find many of these dogs were surrendered at between 7-14 months. This is the adolescent period, the time when a whippet becomes a teenager and no longer a puppy. This is where behaviours can intensify, your whippet may begin to pull harder on the lead, become more outgoing with strangers and spontaneously forget all that training you did with them at puppy classes! During this time they can develop new problems and with bigger size and stronger opinions things can get difficult for people. With bigger feelings it can all become too much, and this is why this is a common age for dogs to be relinquished into rescue.

Why Is My Whippet Struggling Now?

When your whippet goes through this teenage phase, it often feels personal. Especially when you have put so much time into them. That depends on your individual whippet. This can be where we see reactivity pop up, frustration or fear based and where separation issues can intensify. But they are not doing any "naughty" behaviours to spite you, to be dominant or because you trained them poorly. They are behaving this way because its a normal developmental phase for them to go through. Your Whippet may become more worried, or more wild. This is the time when if dogs were in the wild, they would be veering off from their family units and exploring more. For us this translates as a whippet who just won't listen! They may run off more be more distracted or may become more fearful and suspicious of the world around them.

How Can I Help My Teenage Whippet?

Whatever problems you may be having with your teenage whippet, the key is to be patient. They are having a hard time as much as you are, and getting mad won't help. It can be all too easy to think your training was "too soft" and that you need to switch to using harsher methods, but this won't help! It will likely just make things worse! Instead we need to keep it simple, and go back a step. Go back to training with treats if we stopped, ensure they can manage on those walks we take them on. If they are struggling, can we try somewhere they can cope? Very often with pups we are aware of how much sleep they need, but as they mature we tend to forget that and teen dogs may be on the go and not resting enough. We may have lapsed on their mental enrichment and training as things got easier, and we need to add those back in. It isn't about being firm and ensuring they aren't testing boundaries. It is about making things achievable to boost their confidence and ensure they don't practice frustration and Anxiety.

Why Is My Whippet Suddenly Spooked?

During this period you may find that your Whippet suddenly becomes anxious, seemingly out of nowhere. They may become anxious about new people or dogs or even start to shy away from people approaching. I remember my own Whippet Arthur suddenly become terrified, legs trembling, teeth chattering at the sight of...a carrier bag stuck in a tree! This is a common thing to happen, it is known as " a second fear period". This is essentially a more sensitive period than the socialization period they had as a puppy. During this time they may become more worried and anxious.

It is important not to force your dog into things they are scared of during this time. If you notice your Whippet is suddenly scared of things, then give them a few days breather. Go on quieter walks, take them places they can relax or even just have a few rest days and train at home. The goal is to minimize their exposure during these few days or weeks so that they don't develop the habit of fear and pessimism. Instead encouraging experiences that they can enjoy to boost their confidence.

Most dogs will get through this period after a few days or weeks, but you may find they develop these a couple of times during adolescence depending on them as an individual.

Would Neutering Help My Teenage Whippet?

There was a time when it was advised that owners neuter their dogs to help with teenage behaviour problems. However we now understand that for many dogs this can cause bigger issues. Whether this is because of the stress and changes occurring during this sensitive phase, or the hormonal changes, it tends to have a negative effect for many dogs. It can intensify fear and frustration based issues. Neutering is unlikely to support your Whippet during this phase because they need patience and support to guide them through. Taking their hormones away can negatively impact them

*If your Whippet has Cryptorchidism then follow your vets advise regarding time to castrate.

Common Mistakes We Can Make With Teenage Whippets

It can be difficult to know what to do with your teenage whippet. Whether they are wild, worried, struggling to settle, pulling on lead or generally being a bit difficult; social media is full of opinions on what to do. With those who shout loudest usually the least educated on the topic! You may be advised to be harsher, enforce "consequences", exercise more and more and more..until you are exhausted and your whippet is obsessed with a ball! Using old school techniques is a mistake and trying to exhaust your whippet with a ball will likely only create an athlete and a dog who is obsessed with chasing adrenaline- creating more problems. Try to avoid suddenly "socialising them more" too as this often backfires into creating a more worried or more ott whippet than you had before. This isn't the time to put the pressure on.

When Will The Teenage Phase End In My Dog?

Depending on your dog the teen phase will end between 12 months and 18 months. And then you get to enjoy your chilled laid back whippet! The best thing you can do is go back to basics, offer new brain games such as scentwork and ensure you are not being too hard on yourselves. Go back to enjoying fun training sessions, finding chews and kongs they enjoy. Don't worry about what others are doing with their dog and if yours isn't "keeping up". You are both where you need to be and will get through it! And never believe anyone saying their teen is perfect on social media...they should enter the lottery as they must be the luckiest person alive to have a perfect teenage dog!

Do You Need Support With Your Teenage Whippet?

If you need support with your teenage whippet, your not alone! I work with hundreds of teen Whippet owners around the World. Working on their specific issues via the Complete Whippet Coaching Package through video call. Ideal if you need to get your teen whippet back on track. I work with whippets, Italian greyhounds, lurchers and similar sighthounds. Don't feel you have to go it alone, you can get supportive coaching and a clear plan. Learn more