Watch Moment Dog Owner Realizes Doberman Is in Rebellious ‘Teenage’ Phase

A dog owner has shared footage of the moment she realizes her Doberman pinscher is going through a rebellious “teenage” phase.

As any parent of a certain age will know, teenagers often like to push the boundaries set by their elders. The same is true of adolescent dogs.

In a 2020 study published in the academic journal Biology Letters, researchers were able to highlight how adolescent dogs defied demands placed on them by their owners. A group of 93 dogs were tasked with responding to cues given by their owner and then a stranger. Some of the dogs were up to 5 months old, while the rest were in adolescence and 8 months old.

The researchers found that the older dogs were twice as likely to ignore the sit cues, regardless of whether they were said by their owners or a stranger. The researchers concluded that these dogs were very much capable of mimicking the kind of behavior seen in human teens.

Runtz certainly appears to be in the midst of his own teenage phase, if the video posted to TikTok by his owner, under the handle dobieruntz, is any indication.

In the 12-second clip, Runtz attempts to get his owner’s attention by chewing on her bracelet. When she shakes him off, the Doberman is clearly not best pleased and proceeds to moan in her direction.

When a man just off camera then tells Runtz to “shut up,” he responds with a brief moan as the clip concludes.

Some commenting on the video were convinced the dog had uttered the word no in response to the man’s demand, while a few even suggested he had said damn in response. It’s difficult to know for sure if either was said.

What is clear is that Runtz is going through something. According to the on-screen caption, Runtz is in his “teenage stage” and has “started talking back” to his owners.

For some, this kind of behavior wasn’t all that much of a surprise. “My huskies would go all day to get the last word,” one wrote.

“I got a sassy and mouthy blue heeler and a sweet lil black lab who likes to do stompies when he’s mad,” a second said.

A third commented: “I got a chocolate lab that lovesss to throw hands when he doesnt get his way,” while a fourth added: “His face at the end kills me.”

Another user said: “They really do be talking back like they pay the bills or something.” while another commented: “They always got something to say because you don’t want them touching you.”

Runtz’s owners can take some solace from the fact that no one stays a teenager forever. Or at least that’s what most people said.

One dog owner told a different story, though. “My dog got stuck in this stage,” the person wrote. “He’s like four.”

Runtz’s owners must be hoping he’s a little different.

Newsweek reached out to dobbieruntz for comment on TikTok.

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