Teenage crisis? Yes, it can also happen to dogs!

Dogs reach a phase in life—more quickly than we do—that’s a lot like human adolescence. During this period, at about 8 months of age, they may be more disobedient than usual. In a study published in the journal Biology Letters, the behaviour of 285 Labradors was observed at 5, 8 and 12 months of age. Researchers observed a spike in disobedience at 8 months, seemingly corresponding to “adolescence”. Might other canine breeds experience adolescence as early as 5 months of age? Future studies will let us know. But until then, don’t give up when your adolescent pup is acting up—because it’s probably just a passing trend! (Katrine Joncas)