Services

The Adolescent Option
(Suitable for dogs between 6 – 18 months)

1 x 2 hour session (or 2 x 1 hour sessions where appropriate)

£95 (includes ‘The Adolescent Survival Guide’)

So, your cute and adorable puppy is growing up, no longer the playful and innocent little pup but not quite an adult dog either. You’ve reached that in-between teenage phase known as ‘adolescence’! Although you still love your dog to bits, you don’t always particularly like them at times! Does this sound familiar?

The adolescent development stage can be a challenging time as hormones kick in and young dogs become braver and enjoy testing boundaries. There’s nothing they like better than winding us up it seems, mini battles and being chased can be so much fun! They are experts at testing our patience and it can feel very overwhelming.

You might recognise some of the following –

• chewing inappropriate items
• jumping up at yourself and others
• housetraining issues revisited
• excitable nipping and mouthing
• grabbing your clothing (while you’re wearing it!)
• stealing things and running off with them
• pinching food from worktops and other surfaces
• raiding the bin
• barking … at everything … a lot!
• turning a deaf ear
• pulling on the lead
• not coming when called
• lunging and barking at other dogs

This is a time for adjusting our expectations temporarily, keeping things simple and setting dogs up for success as much as possible. Allow me to help you navigate this adolescent period effectively and come out the other side unscathed. The good news is that, with a patient and consistent approach, you will have the well behaved, responsive and happy dog you always dreamed of.