Today's episode is all about the adolescent puppy phase, the stage where so many people feel blindsided because their previously trained puppy suddenly starts ignoring cues, pushing boundaries, and acting, well, completely different.

So let's talk about the six to 18 month teenager period, why regression happens, why it's actually normal development and how to adjust your expectations so

that you can actually enjoy this phase of life with your dog.

Welcome to the puppy training podcast, the show designed to help you raise a confident,

well-behaved puppy using positive practical training methods.

Each week we'll explore real-life training strategies, break down common puppy challenges,

and give you clear step-by-step guidance you can start using right away. Whether you're dealing with potty training, biting, jumping, or just want to build a stronger bond with your pup as their handler, you're in the right place. Welcome back to the show, you guys. I'm glad you're here. Today we're talking teenagers. Some people are scared of that word.

It sounds scary. Sounds hard. But really, honestly, teenagers are some of my most favorite beings.

Whether it's human teenagers or dog teenagers, it's not that bad. So there are a few signs that your dog has entered this phase of life.

If your dog's somewhere between

six to 18 months old and suddenly they're ignoring cues, they lose focus, they're stealing socks,

they're jumping all over guests. I know some of you have had that issue from the beginning,

but maybe this is just a new behavior or they're counter-surfing because they're finally

big enough to reach that table or they're counter-serving because they're finally big enough to reach that

table or they're pulling on leash like crazy and acting like, well, training never really happened.

You are not failing. You are just in a new phase of life with your dog. You're in teenagehood.

And today we're going to talk about what that regression actually is, why it's happening and why so

many people

accidentally make it worse. So let's get into this. Now, one of the biggest misconceptions I think

in puppy training is this idea that training ends around six months, right? We spend all of this

time in the early months working on potty training and crate training and socialization and

basic obedience. Maybe we take a puppy class or two. And then around six months, we think,

...