Teenage dogs.

Teenage dogs.

The phase hardly anyone talks about enough… and the phase that challenges us—oftentimes flattening us—the most.

We joke about it— the “raptor stage,” the chaos, the attitude.

But underneath it? Hormones. Boundary testing. Nervous system development. Drive coming online—full force.

This is, by far, the most challenging stage of a dog’s life.

It's where they push. Resist. Test. And try.

And this is also where they need us the most.

Not just love, patience, and all the soft stuff… but the pieces we tend to struggle with most:

Structure. Rules. Boundaries. Consistency. Need-meeting. Committing to our commitments.

There’s a yin and yang to this. A balance of everything.

Supporting parts. And requirements that vary from dog to dog.

Too much freedom without structure and guidance? Chaos.

Too much control without understanding? Shutdown.

Too much access and privilege without earning? Entitlement.

Too little clarity? Confusion.

Too little follow-through? Inconsistency. Lack of respect.

Too much of the soft stuff without order? Instability. Lack of direction.

Too much emotional energy without regulation and direction? Frustration. Insecurity. Unstable energy in the home. And a dog who doesn’t know how to regulate—or feel safe.

And then there’s need-meeting— good ol’ fashioned, honest need-meeting.

Essential needs. Individual needs. Breed-specific needs.

Especially with drivey dogs.

Because unchanneled drive— especially in herding and working breeds—doesn’t just disappear. It builds and builds... until it leaks out.... somewhere.

If we don’t direct drive, it'll express itself in ways we won’t like.

Destruction. Reactivity. Obsessive or neurotic behaviors. Aggression. Restlessness.

Behavior is information. Always.

It’s a type of expression. Feedback. Response. A reflection of what’s in excess, what’s lacking (or completely missing), and what’s also what's just right.

The truth is... the teenage phase is when dogs are most often given up on.

Surrendered. Rehomed. Dumped. Medicated. Even euthanized.

Not because they’re “bad dogs.” But because they’ve become inconvenient… are misunderstood… and it's all become overwhelming.

EVERYTHING is amplified during this stage.

And most people don’t start learning until something goes sideways.

But in fairness—to the dog, and to the relationship— the work is meant to happen before that.

Proactively. Intentionally. With education, awareness, and follow-through.

Because when we don’t show up with understanding… the dogs are the ones who pay the price. Every time.

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If you want to better understand what’s actually driving your dog’s behavior—and how to meet it with clarity, structure, and intention—this is exactly what I walk through in my latest book, "The Human End of the Leash: Dog Training’s Missing Link."

Because dog training is never just about the dog.

In fact, 90% of it is about teaching and equipping the human(s) responsible for raising them!

There are two ends of the leash. One informs the other.

Let that information come from a knowledgeable place.

Because learning what we need to understand, and also do — so we can raise them well— should happen long before things get tough.