13/05/2026
🐾 ⬇️ THIS…every single time.
I couldn’t have written this better myself and it’s one of the reasons I now run pay-as you-go general training sessions and guided, supportive “canines, confidence & calm sessions” available on varied days at varied times, week in, week out throughout the year to enable everyone to access training as and when needed. No waiting for a class to be scheduled, finding you can’t make the dates or missing out on a class completely.
Because coming to Puppy School or 1:1’s are just the very beginning of your journey…🧡🐾
FAIL TO PREPARE...PREPARE TO FAIL
Two possible futures in a single picture. A young puppy politely greets an older dog. This is what most people imagine when they bring a puppy home. Friendly walks. Pleasant encounters. A well-mannered adult dog who is at ease in his world.
But there is always another possibility. The same dog, now grown, is unable to cope with a situation he once handled easily.
This is the reality for many dog owners. Puppies do not miraculously grow into well-behaved adult dogs. Behaviour doesn’t remain stable. Just because your pup was friendly at twelve weeks old, without guidance, structure and continued training, his behaviour can change dramatically during adolescence.
Adolescence in dogs is a challenging stage in your pup’s development. Hormonal changes, increasing confidence, and a natural tendency to test boundaries often appear between six months and two years of age, depending on the breed.
During this time, behaviours that seemed well established during puppyhood can begin to deteriorate. His recall may become less reliable. His excitement around other dogs may increase, and frustration and reactivity may develop.
So how does this happen? Once puppy classes end and the basics seem to be in place, training often ends or goes on hold. But this is precisely the time when training should be increasing, not decreasing.
Early social experiences must be reinforced with continued guidance. Your dog needs to practise calm behaviour around other dogs, learn to regulate his excitement, and develop reliable responses to you, even when distractions are present. These are not skills that appear automatically with age. They are learned through repetition, consistency, and application on your part.
A well-trained adult dog is not the product of a few weeks of puppy classes. It is the result of months and years of consistent guidance.
When training stops too early, small issues can quietly grow into serious behavioural problems. What was once playful enthusiasm can develop into over-arousal. What was once curiosity can become frustration. In some cases, friendly puppies can grow into reactive adolescents who struggle around other dogs and, indeed, people.
The good news is that the outcome in the background is almost always avoidable. Most behavioural problems are preventable when owners understand that training is not a short course, but an ongoing process that continues throughout the dog's life.
Puppy training lays the foundation. Training through adolescence strengthens the structure. Continuation training into adulthood maintains the standard.
Fail to prepare your puppy for adolescence, and the future may look very different from what you imagined. But invest in training, guidance and consistency, and the calm, confident adult dog you hoped for becomes far more likely.
Because in dog training, as in many areas of life, the principle remains true. Fail to prepare… prepare to fail.
https://cosforddogtraining.co.uk/
