Training notes
Adolescent dogs and the March meltdown
Every March the same phone calls start. The puppy who aced everything in December is now eight months old, deaf to his name, and dragging someone toward a melting snowbank full of smells. Nothing is broken. Adolescence and early spring simply arrived in the same week, and the training that was good enough for winter is not good enough for this.
Last reviewed August 26, 2026
Why March
Hormones meet the thaw.
Adolescence usually lands somewhere between six and twelve months, and it is not a training failure, it is biology. The brain rewires, hormones surge, and behaviours you thought were finished get retested. A recall that held all winter suddenly costs more than it pays. Thresholds drop, arousal climbs, and the dog who once checked in with you constantly now treats you like furniture. This is normal. It is also the single most common moment for owners to give up on training, which is exactly backwards.
Now add a Calgary March. Chinooks strip the snow and months of frozen scent thaw out in an afternoon. Days get longer, sidewalks fill up, and every dog in the neighbourhood is suddenly out at the same time after a quiet winter. For an adolescent nose, one block of spring boulevard holds more information than a whole January. Your dog is not ignoring you to be difficult. You are competing against the most interesting week of his year with the same rewards you used in December.
- Long line before freedom
- Pay recall every time
- Shorter outings, more wins
- One calm exit beats ten chaotic minutes
The comeback plan
Freedom gets earned back on a long line.
Treat March like a rebuild, not a punishment. Clip on a long line and pay every recall like it matters, because right now it does. Shrink the walks: ten structured minutes with real engagement beat an hour of being towed between smells. Keep place and crate routines running at home so the day has an anchor. And skip the dog park for a few weeks; an adolescent practising ignoring you around twelve loose dogs is rehearsing exactly the habit you are trying to break.
If the wheels have fully come off, structure is the fastest route back. Day Training runs Monday to Friday at $650 per week plus GST, with drop-off between 8 and 10 am, pick-up between 5 and 7 pm, and a one-hour go-home lesson each week, which suits adolescents who need daily reps more than new information. For recall specifically, our Functional Off-Leash program, a three-week board and train at $3,030 plus GST, rebuilds a reliable recall around exactly the distractions March throws at you.
The programs
If this note hit home.
The programs below are how we turn a seasonal problem into a solved one.
SW · Weekdays, drop-off 8–10 am · pick-up 5–7 pm
Day Training
Professional training all day, your couch at night.
Includes weekly one-hour go-home lesson, daily structure
E · 3-week board & train
Functional Off-Leash
Everything in the on-leash program, then the next level: reliable off-leash recall even around distractions.
Includes handover lesson, follow-ups, Educator remote collar
Asked and answered
The questions people ask us.
Why is my 8 month old dog suddenly ignoring me?
Because adolescence has arrived and the world got more interesting than you. Hormonal changes make smells, dogs and distance far more rewarding, so behaviours that were solid get retested. Go back to a long line, raise your rewards, and treat known commands as if they were brand new.
Do dogs get worse before they get better?
Adolescent dogs often do, typically somewhere between six and twelve months. It is a normal developmental stage, not proof the training failed. Dogs whose owners hold structure through this window generally come out the other side stronger than before.
How long does dog adolescence last?
It varies by dog and breed, but most owners feel it from around six months until somewhere in the second year. The intensity fades gradually rather than ending on a date. Structure, exercise and clear rules make the middle part much shorter to live through.
Should I stop taking my adolescent dog to the dog park?
For a few weeks in a rough patch, yes. Every visit where your dog ignores your recall is a rehearsal of ignoring your recall. Trade the park for long-line sessions where you can pay the behaviour you actually want.
Keep reading
March does not win
Tell us what your adolescent is doing and we will map an honest route back. Book a consultation.
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