# What's worse? Landshark phase or adolescense?



## Sir Bear (Mar 9, 2012)

Bear is knee deep in teething right now and while he's a handful...he's honestly not that bad. He hasn't destroyed anything besides a couple paper towels and while he can get super hyper it's nothing some exercise doesn't fix. 

My question involveds the adolescent period, my trainer and this board make it sound like impending doom is coming my way...which was worse for your dog? Teething stage or teenage phase? Did you dog even have a teenage phase?


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## Caitydid255 (Aug 28, 2010)

My vote is for adolescence. During land shark phase they are so **** cute you can't get too mad and it's fairly maneageable. Adolescence on the other hand, it's frustrating to see your pup who listened to you the day before suddenly decide you are not worth the bother, or to revert to forgotten behaviors. You just double down on training and you get through it. adolescence isn't too bad, more frustratin than scary.


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## doggiedad (Dec 2, 2007)

the land shark phase is tougher. people make such a big
deal of what they call the adolescent stage. with consistent
training, socializing and supervision the adolescent stage could
mean nothing more than your pup is getting older and because
your pup is getting older he has more training and with more training
and socializing he'll be easier to manage. i think people blame stages/phase
when their dogs are misbehaving. i think most of the misbehaving is do
to a lack in training phase or a not being trained and socialized properly.


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## Klamari (Aug 6, 2010)

When she was 2-5 months old, and the teething phase were the most challenging for me. I didn't even notice an "teenage" phase, but that might be because mine is just a pushy, fearless, willful......brat.....no matter her age


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## Clyde (Feb 13, 2011)

I don't believe in the "adolescent stage" and have never experienced it. When people complain about the adolescent phase it sounds more like they were expecting to much at a young age and lack consistency in their training to me.


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## Elaine (Sep 10, 2006)

The land shark stage is tough and there is no such thing as the adolescent stage. I'm with Doggiedad and Clyde on this one.


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## Draugr (Jul 8, 2011)

You're lucky to have never experienced it then. Or your dogs were already neutered which can cut out a lot if the butthead behavior.


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## GsdLoverr729 (Jun 20, 2010)

Koda was pretty horrible with teething, but I never dealt with an adolescent stage. She's been a great girl since she got past teething, between training and exercise.


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## doggiedad (Dec 2, 2007)

it doesn't have to be luck and i've never had my dogs neutered.



Draugr said:


> You're lucky to have never experienced it then. Or your dogs were already neutered which can cut out a lot if the butthead behavior.


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## GSDkid (Apr 19, 2011)

I've never had the pleasure of experiencing an actual Adolescence phase (not that I know of) but that land shark phase was enjoyable. I had holes in all my socks. All of her toys were no longer stuffed (she pulled them all out). Her bed was ripped to shreds but she grew out of it at around 6 months.


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## Draugr (Jul 8, 2011)

Mine grew out of it pretty quick. It came and went and wasn't really all that severe; he's always been fairly attentive to what people want him to do. The only reason I say his teenager phase was worse was because his landshark phase was almost no-existent. Just a few weeks of chewing on things he shouldn't have, but nothing major was damaged. A few things in my truck got chewed up, he scratched the dishwasher, and ate some speaker wires, but that's it. Could have been a lot worse.


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## Clyde (Feb 13, 2011)

Draugr said:


> You're lucky to have never experienced it then. Or your dogs were already neutered which can cut out a lot if the butthead behavior.


I am sure neutering would have no effect what so ever. I think you give neutering to much credit. And no not neutered here.


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## Lilie (Feb 3, 2010)

Hondo was never a land shark and at 2.5 years old is still (for the most part) a pretty solid dog. 

I think a dog at any age will test the waters. It's part of building confidence. It's the handler's job to let the dog explore it's world with out making bad decisions. 

I have a puppy now (non-GSD) who is a total land shark. Worse than any puppy I've ever owned. He is a challenge, and I enjoy a challenge. It's really worth the hard work and blood when you see a confident pup.


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## Stosh (Jun 26, 2010)

Oh, the landshark phase. I can't speak for all dogs, but Stosh never had an obnoxious teenaged phase. If anything it was my lack of consistency once I felt we had the basics covered- I got comfortable and let a lot of things slide that I shouldn't have. Playing catch up is a lot more time consuming than maintaining a regular training schedule


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## Draugr (Jul 8, 2011)

Clyde said:


> I am sure neutering would have no effect what so ever. I think you give neutering to much credit. And no not neutered here.


Believe me I'm far from being a neuter advocate. But I don't do anyone any service, myself or otherwise, if I sit around, plug my ears, and deny what it can (or cannot, for that matter) do. One thing testosterone does is contribute to behavior which can generally lead toward "challenging" behaviors from a dog. Commonly referred to as "butthead behaviors" by many people. And that can surface no matter how well you train or how consistent you are or how submissive your dog is to you. My dog's issues were very minor because I'd done well on all that, which is why his adolescent phase was really not much of an issue for me to handle.

ETA: I'd also say genetics play a strong role in how much the teenager phase does or does not present itself.


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## lorihd (Nov 30, 2011)

my dog will be 10 mos in a week, adolescent stage i find is a pain in the butt! she had the down stay for 3 min last week nailed down, this week she blew it (i work on this everyday). i do take into consideration that a lot of people on this board are very knowledgable about training and dogs in general. im your average joe schmoe


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## Magda (Feb 26, 2012)

Definately the landshark phase! Nothing was ever safe with Bella around, and with the pups I notice Bear is more destructive than Skylar.


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## Dakotasmom23 (Jan 11, 2012)

I waited and I waited, Dakota is now 6 months old and have yet to see a landshark phase! ??? Having said that, I've fostered dogs for years and the vast majority of dogs we get are between 6-18 months of age; the adolescent age. Most of the bad behaviors you see with dogs are going to surface during this time frame if they are going to happen. I don't know if its the age, lack of training, not being neutered, poor genetics, ect... but my absolute hardest dogs to deals with have been un-neutered males in this age group. But like I said, my experience of the adolescent nightmare phase has been from working rescue so its not like the majority of those dogs had the best owners to begin with. So now I'm waiting, waiting to see what monster my sweet girl evolves into, lol.


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## TimberGSD2 (Nov 8, 2011)

I'm in the landshark phase with Milla right now. Kya was such an angel that there was no landshark phase but I am pretty sure at 11.5 she's still in the adolescent phase. 

I think landshark. I can deal with a butthead but a butthead with sharp, pointy teeth that are constantly seeking my flesh is something I deal with because she's so cute but really wish didn't happen.


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