Adolescent & Adult Dog Training
It’s Never Too Late to Learn
So your sweet little puppy turned into a teenage whirlwind. Or maybe you welcomed an adult dog into your family, and they came with some habits you’d like to work on. Either way, you’re in exactly the right place.
Adolescence in dogs is similar to people, and it hits between 5 and 11 months. Dogs go through a “tween” and “teen” phase before they’re fully grown — and it can catch a lot of families off guard. Even the best puppies become distracted and impulsive. It’s not stubbornness. It’s science. And it’s exactly when the right training matters most. At Trusted Tails, we split this stage into two parts: Tweens (5–8 months): the in-between stage, when puppy habits start slipping, and independence kicks in, and Teens (8–11 months): the full adolescent whirlwind — more energy, bigger feelings, and a growing interest in everything except you.
Adolescent Dog Training
Age: Tween – 5 to 8 Months
Age: Teen – 8 to 11 Months
The Trusted Tails adolescent programs meet your dog where they are developmentally and build skills through trust, patience, and positive reinforcement.
From group classes to drop-off day school and from sports classes to private sessions, we have the programs to help you and your dog learn while building a unique bond.
Adult Dog Training
Age: 1 Year & Older
• Rescue dogs adjusting to a new home and routine
• Dogs who never had formal training
• Dogs whose owners want to deepen skills or explore new activities
• Dogs working through leash reactivity, jumping, pulling, or other common issues
Adult dogs are excellent learners because they have longer attention spans and more emotional maturity than puppies. Whether your dog needs to start from scratch, brush up on skills, or work through specific challenges, our programs can help.
The Teenage Phase Is Real (and It’s Normal)
If your dog is roughly 6 to 18 months old and suddenly acts like they’ve never heard the word “sit,” welcome to adolescence. This stage is marked by hormonal changes, growing independence, and boundary-testing that would make any parent of a human teenager nod in recognition.
The good news? This is completely normal. The even better news? It’s very workable with consistent, science-based training. Our adolescent programs are designed specifically for this phase, meeting your dog where they are developmentally and building skills through trust, patience, and positive reinforcement.
Adult Dogs Are Wonderful Students
The old saying about old dogs and new tricks? It’s simply not true. Adult dogs are often excellent learners because they have longer attention spans and more emotional maturity than puppies. Whether your dog needs to start from scratch, brush up on skills, or work through specific challenges, our programs can help.
We work with adult dogs for all kinds of reasons:
- Rescue dogs adjusting to a new home and routine
- Dogs who never had formal training
- Dogs whose owners want to deepen skills or explore new activities
- Dogs working through leash reactivity, jumping, pulling, or other common issues
Our Approach
Like everything we do at Trusted Tails, our adolescent and adult programs are built on science-based, positive reinforcement methods. We don’t use punishment, intimidation, or dominance-based techniques. These approaches are outdated and less effective than what modern behavioral science tells us works: building trust and rewarding the behaviors you want to see.
Becca and our training team take time to understand each dog’s personality, learning style, and individual needs. A reactive dog gets a different approach than a dog who needs a manners refresher. A nervous rescue gets different handling than a confident but unruly Lab. That personalized attention is at the heart of what we do.
It’s Never Too Late
Whether your dog is 8 months or 8 years old, training strengthens your relationship, reduces stress for both of you, and opens up possibilities. A well-trained dog can go more places, meet more people, and enjoy more of life alongside you. That’s what we’re here for: helping dogs and their families thrive, one tail at a time.