Adolescent Dog Training in Chicago
Adolescent Dog Training
6 months- 18 months
when your sweet puppy turns into a chaos gremlin- we’ve got you
Adolescent dog training in Chicago focused on real-world reliability — so walks feel peaceful again, your shoulders relax, and your dog remembers how to use the good part of their brain.
why adolescent training matters
Between 6 and 18 months, dogs go through a major neurological and developmental shift. Their bodies are growing quickly, their environment is suddenly very interesting, and their impulse control is still catching up.
This stage often looks like:
Difficulty focusing, especially outside
Pulling or reacting on busy sidewalks
Jumping, mouthing, or attention-seeking behavior
Trouble settling at home
Big feelings around new dogs, people, or city life
None of this means your dog is “being difficult” or that you’ve done anything wrong.
It’s normal.
They’re not giving you a hard time — they’re having a hard time.
With clear communication, predictable routines, and structured real-world practice, adolescent dogs learn:
How to regulate excitement and frustration
How to listen even when there are distractions
How to relax their bodies and settle their minds
How to stay connected to you in the environment
This is where everyday life becomes easier — and your relationship becomes stronger.
how it works
Every adolescent dog — and every family — has different needs.
That’s why we offer three proven training formats, all built on clear communication, structure, and real-world practice.
Whether you want immersive results, consistent weekly support, or a guided small-group experience, each program helps your dog develop focus, manners, and confidence in everyday Chicago life.
Real Life Training
Where It Actually Matters
Your dog doesn’t live inside a training room — they live out in Chicago.
So we train where real life happens.
We practice engagement, leash manners, and calm behavior on neighborhood walks, in parks, dog-friendly stores, patio spaces, and everyday city environments.
This helps your dog learn how to stay connected to you, manage excitement, and make thoughtful choices even when the world is interesting.
If it’s part of your life, we practice it — so the skills your dog learns are the skills they actually use.
🥇Board & Train 🥇
Immersive Real-World Foundations
The most supportive way to help your dog reset, regulate, and learn how to be calm and connected in real life.
Adolescence is a stage where the world gets big, exciting, and sometimes overwhelming.
Our Board & Train program gives your dog a structured, low-pressure environment where they can learn how to focus, settle, and stay connected to their person — even when there’s a lot happening around them.
Your dog lives with us in our trainer-owned facility, with a full home environment upstairs and training/structured play spaces on the first floor.
This means your dog practices real life, not just rehearsed sessions:
Walking calmly past distractions
Relaxing in shared spaces
Settling when guests come over
Listening even when the world is interesting
We work on engagement, leash manners, recall, environmental neutrality, and emotional self-regulation — not just performance in a quiet room.
You’ll receive photos, videos, and ongoing updates, plus transfer lessons so you understand exactly how to maintain and build on the progress at home.
Best for:
High-energy adolescents
High-energy adolescents
Families wanting a reliable reset and lasting change
Includes:
Daily real-world practice
Personalized training plan
Two transfer sessions
Lifetime trainer support
🥈Day School🥈
Reliable progress through repetition, routine, and guided support — without overnight stays.
If your dog does great with guidance but struggles to stay consistent from day to day, Day School gives them predictable structure and frequent practice in short, well-timed training intervals.
You’ll drop your dog off several days a week for focused sessions that build:
Calm leash manners
Polite greetings
Engagement around distractions
The ability to settle in stimulating environments
Because your dog practices with trainers who understand this developmental stage, they learn how to think through excitement, not just follow instructions.
At pickup, we review what your dog worked on that day.
Each week, you’ll also get a practice plan so you know exactly how to keep everything consistent at home — without overwhelm.
Best for:
Families who want structured support
Dogs who benefit from repetition and predictable routine
Owners who want regular coaching but prefer their dog sleep at home
Includes:
Consistent skill-building sessions
Weekly recap and homework plan
Lifetime trainer support
🥉Group Class🥉
Supportive practice with guidance, community, and shared learning.
Adolescent dogs don’t just need skills — they need safe chances to practice those skills around other dogs and distractions.
Our group class provides a supportive environment where owners and dogs learn together — without pressure, judgment, or comparison.
We’ll focus on:
Engagement and focus around other dogs
Polite leash manners in shared space
Handling excitement and frustration
Relaxing the body + mind during activity
You’ll learn how to train in public spaces, not just at home — with plenty of space for questions, troubleshooting, and celebrating progress.
Best for:
Social or friendly adolescents
First-time dog owners
Families who want learning with encouragement
Includes:
Trainer guidance and individual feedback
Weekly homework plan
Supportive community
not sure which option fits best?
Contact us and we’ll help you choose the perfect starting point based on your dogs needs, age, and learning style
program options and pricing
We get it—life with a teenage dog can feel like living with a furry roommate who suddenly forgot the rules.
That’s why our programs focus on clear communication, consistency, and calm, so your dog learns how to think before reacting and you can finally stop watching their every move.
Board & Train and Day School both include lifetime trainer support, so help is always just a message away.
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Format: Residential Immersion Program
Duration: 3-6 weeks
Starting Price:
What’s Included:
Immersive daily training & enrichment
Neighborhood walks, field trips, & real world engagement practice
Extra practice in our trainers’ home
Photo and video updates
Video homework & skill review
Personalized coaching sessions
In home transfer lessons
Lifetime trainer support
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Duration: 4-8 weeks
Format: Drop Off Training program, 5 days per week
Starting Price:
What’s Included:
Trainer led daily sessions
Neighborhood walks, field trips, & real world engagement practice
Video homework & skill review
Weekly recap & personalized coaching sessions
Lifetime trainer support
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Duration: 6 weeks
Format: Weekly, max 6 students
Price:
What’s Included:
Small group class size
Trainer led weekly sessions
Homework plan for ongoing progress
Practice around other dogs and real life distractions
Personalized in class coaching
Plenty of time for Q&A and troubleshooting
frequently asked questions
about adolescent dog training
when should I start adolescent dog training?
As soon as you notice your dog’s “teenage brain” showing up — usually around 6–9 months.
This is when focus gets harder, energy spikes, and impulse control takes a vacation. Starting now prevents frustration later and helps your dog learn calm, reliable behavior while it’s still easy to shape.
Do you work with reactive or overstimulated adolescent dogs?
Yes! Most adolescent dogs who bark, lunge, or “lose it” on walks aren’t being defiant — they’re just over threshold and don’t know how to regulate themselves yet.
We teach dogs how to think through excitement and practice calm behavior in real Chicago environments (sidewalks, patios, parks) instead of avoiding them forever.
What’s the difference between Board & Train, Day School, and Group Class?
Board & Train: A full reset — your dog stays with us for immersive daily training and structured social exposure
Day School: Drop off, train, repeat. Consistent sessions that build reliability through repetition and predictable routine.
Group Class: Weekly small group practice with trainer feedback and an encouraging vibe.
All three focus on real-world reliability — calm manners, leash skills, and focus around distractions.
Do you use e-collars or training tools?
We use modern, ethical training tools to create clarity and communication — not fear or punishment.
If tools are introduced, you’ll understand exactly how and why we use them, and you’ll get hands-on coaching to feel confident using them safely and fairly.
Our goal is simple: clear communication, not control.
Can my dog do training if they’ve already been to puppy class?
Absolutely.
Adolescent training is where your dog learns to apply what they know when things get exciting or distracting.
We build on those early foundations and help your dog stay focused even when life gets interesting (because life in Chicago is interesting).
Will my dog forget me during Board & Train?
No — and you’ll get updates along the way to prove it.
Dogs remember their people, and they thrive when they have clear, structured experiences.
We’ll show you how to re-engage your dog’s new skills during your transfer sessions, so they come home calm, confident, and still very much your dog (just with better manners).
What if I’ve already tried training before and it didn’t “stick”?
That’s super common, and it usually means your dog learned the skills in one environment but didn’t know how to apply them in real life.
Our training happens in the neighborhood, on sidewalks, and in dog-friendly stores — exactly where your dog needs those skills most.
We teach reliability, not just obedience.
Do you train around other dogs and distractions?
Yes, safely and intentionally.
We work around other dogs, sounds, and people in controlled setups so your dog learns to stay calm and responsive, not reactive or overwhelmed.
This is one of the biggest ways we help adolescent dogs feel confident and focused in busy city life.
Where are you located?
We’re located in Chicago, serving the Chicagoland area.
Our unique trainer-owned facility includes a full home environment upstairs, where one of our founders lives on-site — so your dog practices calm behavior in both structured and real-world settings.
Do I get support after training ends?
Yes — Board & Train and Day School both include lifetime trainer support.
If you need guidance, refreshers, or troubleshooting, we’re just an email or call away.
We want your dog’s training to stick — not fade when life gets busy.
What People Are Saying
Winter’s family had tried everything for leash pulling — multiple trainers, new tools, endless patience — but walks were still a battle.
After a two-week Board & Train, she came home the same happy, affectionate dog… just calmer, lighter, and walkable. Now her family says walks are peaceful instead of painful — and everyone’s shoulders are thanking them.
— Winter from Lincoln Park
Hailey came to us unsure of new people and nervous about other dogs. After four weeks in Day School, she found her stride. Now she greets guests politely, enjoys runs with her humans, and loves every person on the Canine Sports team. Her family says she’s happier, calmer, and finally confident enough to enjoy the life they always imagined for her.
—Hailey from Oak Park
Potato’s parents had tried group classes elsewhere, but nothing stuck. During our Day School program, he learned how to focus, walk politely, and handle new dogs with grace. His family says the best part isn’t just the training — it’s having lifetime support so they always know what to do next. Potato’s living proof that even “overwhelmed” can turn into “refined gentleman.”
— Potato from Avondale
Coral, a rescue with reactivity and confidence challenges, joined our three-week immersion program. She learned how to trust, stay calm around new people, and move through the world without fear. Her mom calls her “the best version of herself” — and they still come to polishing classes to keep her skills strong.
— Coral from River North