Instinct Expertise | Adolescent Dogs | Professional Dog Behavior Training

Behavior Support

for Adolescent Dogs ages 6-24 months

Adolescence brings big changes for dogs as they grow, especially in their sociability, responsiveness, and ability to handle conflicts. This stage can feel tricky, but you don’t have to navigate it alone. Our Nature-Driven Nurture™ approach helps you and your dog build skills and confidence together, setting the stage for a happy, well-mannered adult dog.

Help for Canine Teenagers

We help you provide your adolescent dog with the experiences and education they need to stay safe, happy, and responsive through their “teenage” years:

Social Skills. Sociability toward dogs and people can change as your dog moves from puppyhood into adolescence. We help you adjust and adapt your dog’s play routines to ensure they still receive positive, age-appropriate experiences with others.

Responsiveness & Manners. It is natural for adolescent dogs to want to broaden their horizons, exercise their independence, and experiment with new behaviors. We help you with adolescent training and management strategies that focus on fun, engagement, cooperation and trust.

Conflict Resolution Strategies. Sometimes, adolescent dogs can begin to experiment with solving problems in a more “adult” manner – through behaviors like barking, snapping, growling, etc. We help you understand what’s a normal part of development, and what may benefit from behavior therapy interventions.

“During canine adolescence, the area of the brain that influences cognition, social behavior and decision making isn’t yet fully developed, and the part of the brain that influences arousal and reward-seeking behavior shows increased activity. Because of this, adolescent dogs may display behaviors similar to what we would expect to see in human teenagers – increased impulsivity, higher likelihood of risk-taking, difficulty regulating feelings, changes in social behavior, and more. Surviving adolescence means being aware of this stage of development, then being proactive about management and training to help our dogs navigate through it safely and successfully.”

Dr. Chris Pachel, DACVB
Owner, Animal Behavior Clinic of Portland

Nature-Driven Nurture™

for a Happy Adolescent Dog

As part of every Instinct program, we help you provide your dog with optimized, Nature-Driven environments, relationship dynamics, wellness routines, and learning experiences. When we meet our dogs’ needs as a species, a breed, and an individual, we set the stage for more effective learning, and for happier, more fulfilled, more responsive companions.

Success Stories

Cooper
Adolescent Dog Support, Behavior Therapy, Dogs + Kids, Fear + Anxiety, Instinct Hudson Valley, Private Coaching, Veterinary Behavior Collaboration

Cooper was exhibiting some behaviors that made his new family feel uncomfortable: nipping and herding the kids (ages 11 and 13 yrs), pulling strenuously on walks and being unresponsive to cues. Our goal was to help Cooper co-exist peacefully with, and be responsive to, his family, so they could enjoy their lives together.

Jacky

Behavior TherapyFear + AnxietyInstinct East HarlemPrivate CoachingSenior Dog SupportVeterinary Behavior Collaboration


Jacky displayed significant fear-based behaviors in a variety of situations, from cowering and baring his teeth if someone reached too quickly to pet him, to freezing in place and urinating in response to simple obedience cues. He also struggled with impulsivity and separation anxiety. Our goal was to help Jacky regain his confidence as he aged.

Ready to get started?

The first step is booking a kickoff consultation to start working toward your goals for your adolescent dog!

Locations

Instinct is a national team of experienced dog behavior professionals. Learn more about everything your locally owned Instinct location has to offer.

Find Locations

Our Services

Our flexible, custom programs are individually designed to help you achieve your goals, while meeting your dog’s unique behavioral health needs.

Learn More About Our Services

Our Areas of Expertise

Behavior change science is a process. It can be applied to all breeds, ages, and behavior issues to create positive, life-changing outcomes for humans and their dogs.

View Our Expertise

Let's Connect!

  • Hidden
  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.