Golden Retriever Owner Walks Inside, Films Exactly Why 'Teenage Dogs Suck'

Having a puppy is by no means easy, but if you think it gets better after the first year, think again—because after the puppy stage comes the teenage phase, and that brings a whole new range of misbehavior.

Having made it through the early months with her golden retriever pup Sheldon, Taylor Ryan thought all the training would pay off and their days would be much more relaxed. How wrong she was, and now she has come to realize that the adolescent stage of dog ownership is far worse.

Sheldon often misbehaved as a puppy because he didn't understand the rules, Ryan told Newsweek that now her dog knows the boundaries and just chooses not to listen instead. It used to be frustrating, but now she just thinks, "Sheldon's being Sheldon again."

There is no doubting that he likes to test his owner's patience. Ryan recently returned to her home in Devon, United Kingdom, only to see the 18-month-old dog standing on the table, for no good reason other than because he could. Ryan wasn't even surprised by his antics, and she posted the video on Instagram (@_sheldontheretriever) to show people how much "teenage dogs suck."

Ryan said: "Sheldon was the naughty puppy of the litter, so I thought he had a really funny and cheeky side, but that he was still endearing. But now I realize that's his whole personality. His siblings have gone on to train as therapy dogs and service dogs, but I have a Sheldon instead.

"His naughtiness shouldn't be funny, but it is. His side eye has also gotten a lot worse, and I get it on the daily now. When he was a puppy, I thought, 'What have I done?' But now when he misbehaves, I just assume this is the rest of my life and I should probably get used to it," Ryan added.

Since sharing her experiences on Instagram, many people have reassured Ryan that it will get easier, and that Sheldon will "start implementing all of his training once he's out of his adolescence." Until that day comes, Ryan is trying not to lose hope.

This isn't an anomaly. The American Kennel Club (AKC) says that one of the most-testing stages with a dog can be the adolescent period. When they become teenagers, they may seem to forget every command they've ever learned and display a very stubborn nature.

This tends to happen from the age of 8 months until they are around 2 years old, but, thankfully, there are ways to make it more manageable. The AKC recommends consistent training, teaching the dog to exercise self-control, introducing a crate, and providing them with plenty of mental and physical exercise every day.

How Did Social Media React?

While Ryan wasn't exactly pleased with her dog's antics, the video has certainly delighted and amused plenty of Instagram users. Since the clip was posted on February 20, it has already been viewed more than 125,000 times and gained over 3,000 likes. Many people appreciated Ryan's honesty about having a teenage golden.

"The general consensus is that we all have the same experience with raising dogs and that people don't talk about it because they think they're failing, or they're embarrassed," Ryan told Newsweek.

"There's a big community who love and support you and your puppy, dog, or reactive dog. You're not alone, and you can make it through to the other side, and your dog will thank you for never giving up on them," Ryan said.

Nevertheless, there was a great deal of praise for Sheldon online, as one person commented on the post: "I mean he does look like he belongs there."

Another comment reads: "The look of 'what's she gonna do about it' is all over his face."

A third Instagram user responded: "My teenager golden is a menace!"

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