Busting ‘teenage’ myths

Like many, I follow various pages and groups on social media and I always find it interesting to read about other people’s training experiences and suggestions.

Occasionally, you come across some inspired idea or innovative technique that can be used. It also gives me a really good idea of what the vast majority of gundog owners struggle with day-to-day. This means I am able to plan these problem solvers into lessons and attempt to find constructive, yet simple, ways to help. It did strike me not long ago, however, how many people talk about their dog’s ‘teenage’ stage or phase.

The rule of thumb is that there are seven dog years to every human one. This would mean that at around 1½ years old the dog would enter the equivalent stage of a 13-year-old pubescent human. Obviously, like humans, dogs are all different, so this age range could easily differ.

Many write