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Adolescent Group Training Classes

Meet Tween & Teen Tails

Tween & Teen Tails Training Classes

Age: Tween – 5 to 8 months old

Age: Teen – 8 to 11 months old

  • 6-Week group class
  • Small class size
  • Handler focus and check-ins around distractions
  • Recall practice for real-world reliability
  • Leash skills and loose-leash walking
  • Impulse control and settling
  • Polite greetings with people and other dogs
  • Recovering from excitement and reconnecting with you

Dogs typically progress from Tweens to Teen Tails, building confidence and skills before advancing to The Adult Good Manners Trail.

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Tween and Teen Tails are our adolescent group training programs for dogs between 5 and 11 months old who are navigating adolescence. These six-week programs are designed for the dog who suddenly “forgot” what sit means, pulls toward every exciting thing, struggles to focus, or has big feelings about the world.

In both Tweens and Teen Tails, we help adolescent dogs practice handler focus, recall, leash skills, impulse control, settling, polite greetings, and better choices around distractions. We also help humans understand what is normal during adolescence and how to keep training realistic, kind, and consistent.

The goal is not perfection. The goal is to help your adolescent dog learn to check in, recover from excitement, and reconnect with you when life gets interesting.

Boxer in training class

What Class Feels Like

Most of our group classes are held at our Gurnee training center. We keep class sizes small so every dog gets personal attention. The atmosphere is supportive, team-oriented, and completely pressure-free. We’re here to help you and your dog succeed, not to judge where you’re starting from.

Classes may include warm-up games, skill-building exercises, guided practice, controlled distractions, and a recap of what to practice at home. We meet dogs where they are, celebrate progress, and help you build the kind of skills that make everyday life easier.

At Trusted Tails, group training is about more than cues. It is about building trust, understanding, and teamwork — one tail at a time.