Zen Dog's Strathcona Teenage Dog Training

Just when you’ve navigated the choppy waters of puppyhood in Strathcona, thinking you’ve reached the tranquil shores of dog ownership, the adolescent pup storm rolls in. Imagine, if you will, the scene where the fog lifts, and the person at the other end of the leash finally takes a long-awaited sigh of relief: the incessant nipping has dwindled, potty breaks no longer require an alarm clock, and a semblance of daily routine has taken root…bam! Enter the teenage hound.

The Adolescent Dog

Suddenly, your once cuddly fur baby morphs into a lanky, somewhat wild creature! You might catch glimpses of environmental excitement or reactivity that weren’t there before. Or perhaps, a sudden vanishing act of impulse control in electrically charged moments. That reliable recall you prided yourself on? It’s turned into an impromptu game of tag. All the pearls of wisdom you’ve painstakingly imparted to your pup are now met with a look as vacant as a deserted alley.

Yes, my friends. This is the teenage phase!

The stark reality is, many folks brace themselves for puppyhood. They gear up for a few restless nights, a sprinkle of accidents on the carpet, and possibly bid farewell to a household item or two, courtesy of those razor-sharp puppy teeth. They dive headfirst into puppy socialization classes and devour every book they can. Yet, very few brace for the whirlwind that is adolescence, kicking in around the 6 to 8-month mark and possibly lingering until the 2 or 3-year mark, breed dependent.

What The Adolescent Dog’s Training Needs Look Like

Adolescence is the prime time for potential lifelong behavioral quirks to take root. Tragically, it’s also when many young dogs find themselves at the local shelter or with a breed-specific rescue. The new behaviors, often misunderstood as a life sentence, catch many off guard. The tricks and techniques that were golden for the puppy and will eventually resonate with the adult dog don’t quite cut it for the teenage terror, who’s navigating the choppy waters between sexual and social maturity.

As part of our comprehensive Strathcona dog training repertoire, we’ve crafted a course tailor-made for your rebellious teen. Our strategy zeros in on the unique behavioral patterns that surface at this age. Adolescent dogs are the epitome of independence. They grapple with impulse control, remaining attentive, and often experience fear periods alongside a skewed risk assessment.

They may show a lack of motivation during training and struggle to remain focused on a task. Plus, they require an astonishing amount of sleep!

Strathcona’s Teenage Tyrant Dog Training Class

Zen Dog Canine Training’s Teenage Tyrants is a bespoke course designed to address these emerging patterns. We equip you with exercises and tools to smoothly navigate this developmental stage. Traditional Strathcona dog training classes might not tackle the issues you’re facing, and a personalized approach can reassure you that the current chaos will eventually give way to calm, as social maturity dawns. Teenage Tyrants aims to fine-tune your training approach, ensuring these budding behaviors don’t overstay their welcome. You might even find joy in this transition phase as you witness the adult dog beginning to emerge.

In Teenage Tyrants, your journey kicks off with a Zoom session, where we lay out strategies for better management, impulse control, focus exercises, review your ongoing training plan, and introduce game-based and choice-driven training as effective learning tools for young dogs. We then shift gears to in-home and neighborhood lessons, concentrating on your biggest challenges, whether it’s dealing with distractions outdoors or fostering improved behavior indoors. Often, these two aspects are intertwined.

What Zen Dog Canine Training Will Offer You

We’ll explore ways to grant your adolescent pup the freedom they crave without compromising safety. We’ll guide you in teaching your dog to navigate reinforcement and make wise choices that respect their newfound independence. We’ll show you how to encourage relaxation when needed and bolster confidence through body awareness exercises.

Teenage Tyrants is customized to your dog’s specific needs, helping you stay the course even when the going gets tough. We’re also here to lend an ear; sometimes, simply talking things through can make a world of difference. Like all our private training sessions, we provide full phone and email support throughout the course duration. And should you feel the need, additional lessons are always an option.

Zen Dog Canine Training takes a bold step away from conventional obedience training with Teenage Tyrants, focusing instead on forging that vital connection.