While puppyhood is often viewed as the hardest part of dog training, new research from Zigzag, the UK’s leading puppy training and development app has found that teenage pups can be equally demanding and need an entirely different approach to training. In fact, a third of London dog owners (34%) would consider giving their teenage pup up for displaying normal ‘doggo-lescence’ behaviour.

The research of 1,500 British dog owners looked to shine a light on the often-overlooked difficulties that owners encounter during their dog’s “doggo-lescence” phase and found that Londoners were most likely to get rid of their dog during this stage.

When asked to identify problematic behaviours in a teenage dog ranging from eight – 24 months, almost half (45%) said peeing on the floor, which was closely followed by pooping on the floor (42%) and chewing furniture (35%).

Over a third (38%) also noticed increased energy levels, 18% said that they struggled with toilet training and 7% said that they noticed how their teenage pup ignores them – typical teenagers!

This lack of education when it comes to teenage dog behaviour also extends to knowing when they become a teenager in the first place, with nearly 56% not realising that the size of their pup can impact the time of which they go through puberty.

When it comes to understanding how much training a dog needs, Zigzag’s research also shows that over half (54%) of London dog owners would stop dog training after the dog reaches 2 years of age.

Lorna Winter, co-founder and head of training at Zigzag, said: “Adolescence is an important time in anyone’s life and dogs are no exception. Owners are not fully aware of how puberty impacts dogs breeds differently and it’s concerning that many believe classic teenage behaviours such as barking, increased energy levels or chewing furniture are problematic and, in some circumstances, a reason to give up a dog. It’s important that this knowledge gap is addressed, both to ensure the best life possible for every dog and to reduce abandonment.”