04/09/2026
🐾 Why wait until adolescence to start training?
Something I’ve noticed recently is that I see far fewer people seeking puppy training than I do adolescent training.
And it got me thinking… why is that?
Quite often, our puppies can seem like the absolute dream dog.
They stick to us like Velcro.
They come running back when we call.
They follow us everywhere.
They sleep a lot.
And generally, we think we’ve struck gold! ❤️
But this isn’t necessarily because we have the perfectly trained puppy.
Our puppies are brand new to the world.
Everything is new — the sights, smells, noises, people, dogs and environments around them. For a tiny puppy, that world can sometimes feel pretty overwhelming.
As they grow, puppies move through different developmental stages and periods when they can become more sensitive or unsure about the world around them.
Then adolescence arrives.
Hormones begin kicking in and suddenly our puppy starts discovering what it really means to be a dog!
Those smells become AMAZING.
Other dogs become incredibly exciting.
The environment becomes far more interesting than we are.
Recall that once seemed brilliant can suddenly disappear.
Loose lead walking can turn into being dragged along like a steam train.
Getting their attention becomes harder and frustration starts creeping in — for both dog and owner.
Suddenly that gorgeous little Velcro puppy appears to have turned into a teenage hooligan who has completely misplaced their ears! 😂
And this is often the point at which people seek training.
But what if we started earlier?
Puppy training isn't about fixing a problem.
It's about building the foundations before we need them.
🐾 Engagement with their owner
🐾 Recall foundations
🐾 Loose lead walking skills
🐾 Calmness around other dogs
🐾 Impulse control
🐾 Confidence in different environments
🐾 Appropriate socialisation
🐾 Clear communication between puppy and owner
And socialisation doesn't simply mean meeting and playing with lots of dogs.
Learning that they can see another dog and not have to interact with them is an incredibly valuable life skill too.
Whether training takes place 1:1 or within a well-managed puppy class, we're helping puppies and their owners build a toolbox of skills that they can take with them into adolescence.
Adolescence will still happen.
They'll still explore. They'll still get distracted. They'll still occasionally make us wonder whether they've forgotten everything we've ever taught them! 😆
But instead of starting from scratch when things become difficult, we already have foundations to fall back on.
Puppy training isn't just about the puppy standing in front of us today.
It's about preparing for the dog they are becoming. 🐾
Bristol Dog Days
Building calm, confident dogs.
