Adolescent Dog Training: From Maddening to Maturity AND

Dealing with a High Energy Dog

Suzanne Clothier - Adolescent Dog Training: From Maddening to Maturity

 Do you wonder where your once wonderful puppy went? And why has he turned into a sometimes maddening, unpredictable, maybe even out of control adolescent? Relax — you’re not alone. Trainer Suzanne Clothier can help you understand the amazing changes in that teenage dog brain.

For many dog owners, the 18-24 month period of adolescence is challenging. Even with a great start in puppyhood, many dogs hit adolescence and become frustrating, unruly, and simply maddening in some ways. While puzzling to many owners, this is an exciting but poorly understood stage of development.

You’re not surviving canine adolescence – you’re raising adult dogs. Learn how to effectively guide your teenage dog to maturity with an understanding of how self control, arousal, distractions and more contribute to your dog’s behavior now and in the future. ·

What’s Going On In There? Find out why adolescence is an extraordinary period of brain growth, and how it affects your teenage dog’s behavior ·

The Think & Learn Zone – why it’s important to keep your teenage dog in the TLZ, how to recognize “sticky” and choices ·

The Good, the Bad and the “Um, did I even teach him that?” – How to avoid blaming adolescence with a clear assessment of what your dog does and doesn’t know.

Suzanne’s practical and humorous approach to life with teenage dogs comes from a lifetime of raising adolescent canines. Armed with the humane principles that underlie her Relationship Centered Training approach, you can relax into enjoying your youngster and settle into the work and joys of helping them grow into a wonderful adult dog. End goal? The kind of adult dog that makes people say, “Oh, I wish I had a dog just like that!” while you smile and wonder if they knew him as a teenager."

Chelsey Protulipac - Dealing With A High Energy Dog

In this presentation we are going to explore what it means to have a high energy dog. Typically we associate high energy with a lot of movement and energy but how does that relate to arousal and anxiety? When is it abnormal or unhealthy versus what a normal high energy dog might look like. High energy dogs can be challenging to live with and can tend towards showing problematic behaviors including being destructive or simply obnoxious. We dig into the root of the issue and identify where the dog’s needs might not be met and how to step up to the plate for your high energy dog. It is so much more than finding ways to tire out your dog! We explore different types of dog activities and how they might impact your dog’s needs being met. We will talk about how we can be more efficient in offering layers of enrichment to satisfy your dog’s needs while maintaining your own sanity and adding things to your life that are sustainable.

We will take a look at what it looks like when exercise becomes mindless and look at ways to make the activity more likely to engage all of the dog’s senses and satisfy their need for mental enrichment. We will talk about the importance of teaching high energy dogs to sniff on their walks with you and how to make this happen if they are too busy to do so. We will look at a few really cool training tips that make teaching your high energy dog easier and unlock their ability to focus on the task at hand! We will also talk about things to look out for when your high energy dog is making friends with other dogs and how to use dog play dates in a way that helps manage their expectations about seeing other dogs and to ensure that problems don’t develop. Our ultimate goal is to help you appreciate your high energy dog for who they are instead of squeezing them into a box of what they are not, to understand their needs and how to meet them in a way that easily fits into your weekly schedule.

Watch the Video Trailer with Sample Clips from Both Presentations: