At this point they will begin to realize they are stronger. You might experience your dog wanting to pull you around on the leash, BUT if you let puppy pull you around when they weighed 10lbs., don’t get angry if your dog drags you at 30ish lbs. If you did a consistent job of leash training early on, it won’t be a problem to get this pulling, dragging stage under control. You might also find that your puppy is jumping, body slamming, intentional mouthing/chewing you the owner, or going back to finish off your lovely antique rug or loveseat! Digging is also an issue, counter surfing, stealing, escaping and refusing to come when called, and much more. Puppies are actually testing boundaries and will now see how far they can push you around. Once again, if you established good habits early on, these behaviors and others I didn’t list can be brought under control.
For instance, if you were heavy handed in puppy’s early days/weeks, you might find your dog will pay you back. This isn’t because you have a bad dog, it’s because you didn’t demonstrate your puppy ownership in a positive manner. Behaviors in the adolescent stage will at times be unpredictable.
I encourage you not to become overly frustrated at this time, but you might find you need to go back to the basics or go back to your trainer and they can definitely help you through this.
I hope this short blog will help you to better understand your puppy during this difficult stage that we ALL are embarking on TOGETHER!