Zen Dog's Kitsilano Teenage Dog Training

Just when you’ve navigated the choppy waters of puppyhood, and everything starts to feel like smooth sailing in Kitsilano – the teething terrors subside, the housebreaking battle is won, and a semblance of routine brings peace to your household…bam! Enter the teenage dog phase.

The Adolescent Dog

Suddenly, your delightful little pup morphs into a lanky, wild adolescent. You might catch glimpses of environmental excitement or newfound reactivity. Impulse control? Gone with the wind in exciting situations. That solid recall you were so proud of? It’s now their favorite version of “catch me if you can.” All the commandments you’ve etched into their puppy brain seem to be greeted with a vacant gaze.

Ah, yes. Welcome to the tumultuous teen years!

Truth be told, many of us brace ourselves for the puppy phase. We’re mentally prepared for a bit of sleep deprivation, a sprinkle of accidents on the carpet, and the inevitable sacrifice of a shoe or two to the baby shark in the house. We enroll in puppy socials and devour all the recommended reads. However, few of us anticipate or fully understand the whirlwind that hits somewhere between 6 to 18 months, stretching up to 2 or 3 years depending on the breed.

What The Adolescent Dog’s Training Needs Look Like

Adolescence is a critical window where lifelong behavioral issues might take root. Tragically, it’s also when many young dogs find themselves seeking new homes through local shelters or breed-specific rescues. The challenge? Not everyone is ready for this rebellious stage or comprehends its dynamics, mistaking these temporary behaviors as a life sentence. Strategies that worked wonders for your pup, and what will eventually resonate with them as adults, often fall short during these teenage trials, as they straddle the line between sexual and social maturity.

In our suite of Kitsilano dog training services, we’ve crafted a course specifically for your backyard excavator turned Teenage Tyrant. We dive into the behavioral ebbs and flows characteristic of this age. Adolescent dogs test the waters of independence, battle with impulse control, and sometimes seem to forget we exist. They may encounter fear periods and grapple with risk assessment.

Their motivation during training can wane, and keeping them focused on a task might feel like herding cats. Plus, they’re practically professional nappers!

Kitsilano’s Teenage Tyrant Dog Training Class

Zen Dog Canine Training’s Teenage Tyrants is a bespoke course tailored to guide you and your pup through these stormy seas. Unlike your standard Kitsilano dog training class, this private course zeroes in on the unique challenges of adolescence, offering exercises and tools to navigate this developmental whirlwind. With Teenage Tyrants, you’ll discover strategies to adapt your training, ensuring these tumultuous behaviors don’t become permanent fixtures. You might even find joy in this transition, glimpsing the adult dog your puppy is slowly becoming.

In Teenage Tyrants, we kick off with a Zoom session to craft better management strategies, introduce impulse control, and focus exercises, review your existing training regime, and bring in the concept of games and choice-based training for effective adolescent learning. The journey continues with two in-person sessions in your Kitsilano home and neighborhood, concentrating on your biggest hurdles, whether it’s outdoor distractions or indoor manners – often, it’s a mix of both.

What Zen Dog Canine Training Will Offer You

We’re committed to balancing your adolescent dog’s need for freedom with safety, teaching them to navigate reinforcement and make wise choices that respect their budding independence. We’ll show you how to encourage relaxation when necessary and bolster confidence through body awareness.

Tailoring Teenage Tyrants to your dog’s unique needs, we’re here to keep you on course, even when the going gets rough. And sometimes, just having a sympathetic ear to share your frustrations and victories with can make all the difference. As part of our commitment to you, we provide full phone and email support throughout the course, with the option to add more lessons if needed.

Zen Dog Canine Training breaks from traditional obedience to focus on forging that crucial connection in Teenage Tyrants, ensuring the journey from puppy chaos to adult perfection is as rewarding as possible.