Have you recently noticed that your dog has been acting quite distant? distant perhaps? Maybe in the mornings, when he greeted you excitedly when you got out of bed, now he doesn’t even get up to look at you? Or maybe your dog who used to be so obedient doesn’t even come when you call him? Maybe it’s gotten to the point where other people are noticing, and maybe they’re saying things like, “Hey, you know, your dog doesn’t seem to like you anymore.”

This change in behavior is not unheard of. This behavior may or may not be easy to remedy, depending mainly on how you handle the situation, what your dog’s general temperament is like, and what your relationship is like between you and your dog.

While this can be a confusing, possibly even painful stage for you, it’s important to understand what is most likely to happen. Your dog is probably entering his “teenage” years, if you will. This is probably a time in your dog’s life where he has reached a point in his relationship with you where he is getting a little tired of you. It’s not that they don’t like you anymore, more like a rebellious stage. They may be in the mindset of saying they don’t really need you, therefore they are not going to do what you say. Probably the best thing you can do about it is to continue to love your dog. Perhaps he will go over the basic obedience exercises again, reinforcing both the fact that you are in charge and that you love your dog. And don’t worry, most of the time this stage passes in a few months and things will continue as normal. Consider it a time in your dog’s life when he’s going through a change, and if he’s ever needed a friend, it’s now.