Surviving Canine adolescence

Puppy adolescence can feel like everything you taught has suddenly disappeared.

Recall becomes unreliable, boundaries are tested, focus drops, confidence can wobble and your once-responsive puppy may suddenly seem to have other ideas.

This practical guide is designed to help you understand what is really happening during adolescence and how to support your puppy through it without panic, punishment or unrealistic expectations.

Written from a reward-based, behaviour-focused perspective, it covers the common challenges owners often face during this stage, including changes in recall, lead walking, impulse control, confidence, arousal and everyday behaviour.

15 pages Inside, you’ll find practical advice on:

• Why adolescent behaviour changes happen• What to expect during the teenage stage• Recall and why it can suddenly become less reliable• Loose lead walking and managing distractions• Impulse control and self-regulation• Confidence and fear periods• Managing excitement and arousal• Going back to basics without feeling like you have failed• Supporting your puppy through brain development and hormonal changes• Rewarding the behaviours you want to see more often

This is not about creating a “perfect” dog. It is about helping you understand your puppy, keep training realistic and build a strong relationship through one of the most challenging stages of development.

Created by Maria Canine Care using practical, reward-based guidance and real-life experience raising and training Bruno, a young Sprocker Spaniel.

Digital PDF download.