11/24/2025
Adolescence, where you realize puppyhood was a breeze. Hang in there, stay your course. It passes.
✨ Adolescent Dogs & Competition: AKA “Welcome to the Chaos Zone” ✨
Let’s talk about adolescence — that magical phase where your sweet, talented young sports dog wakes up one morning, looks at you as if for the very first time, and says:
“Sorry… have we met?”
Because if you’ve ever raised an adolescent dog, you know exactly what I’m talking about.
This is the era where your dog’s brain is doing the emotional equivalent of juggling flaming torches while riding a unicycle. And during this delightful stage, you may notice behaviours such as:
• Dramatic episodes of “I can’t possibly do heelwork, a butterfly sneezed.”
• Sudden fear of the thing they’ve lived with since birth.
• New thrill-seeking behaviour that suggests they’re auditioning for an action film.
• Forgetting their own name (and sometimes yours).
• Inability to perform simple, previously bombproof behaviours.
Adolescence is messy. It’s unpredictable. And it’s the breeding ground for many future behavioural problems if we’re not mindful.
Which brings me to a very important point:
🔥 Taking your adolescent dog into competitive environments too early is like handing a toddler a chainsaw. Technically possible… but should you? Absolutely not. 🔥
I get it. You’re excited. You want to move up the ladder. You want your young dog to shine.
But adolescence is where experiences STICK — for better or worse.
Imagine this:
Your agility hopeful attends a seminar. Another dog kicks off. There’s an altercation. Suddenly your previously confident youngster looks like they’ve seen the ghost of an angry spaniel. Anxiety sets in. Reactivity grows. And you, the handler, begin carrying emotional baggage heavier than your trial-day kit bag.
From that moment, everything changes:
• You avoid certain dogs.
• Someone else queues for you.
• Your warm-up becomes a risk assessment.
• And your focus shifts away from performance and onto managing fallout.
All because adolescence handed you a plot twist you weren’t expecting.
Here’s the truth:
When you’re raising a sports dog, you’re raising TWO dogs:
1️⃣ The one you live with
2️⃣ The one you compete with
And guess what?
They’re the same dog, wearing different hats — which means what happens outside the ring shapes everything inside it.
So invest in:
• Life skills
• Confidence around other dogs
• Calm crating at the sidelines
• Focus and engagement
• Trickling distractions in sensibly
• Emotional resilience
• Comfort with noise, chaos, and the unpredictable energised atmosphere of competition
This is what shapes a future champion. Not the ribbons. Not the sequences. Not the fancy skills.
Here’s the uplifting part:
You have the power to make adolescence a launchpad, not a setback.
You can protect your dog’s confidence.
You can make thoughtful choices.
You can guide them gently into a sport that will one day be their happy place.
So if you’re raising an adolescent dog right now, take a breath. Slow down. Look at the world from their slightly feral, slightly confused, slightly dramatic point of view.
Play the long game.
Your future self will thank you.
Your dog will thank you.
And one day, when they’re standing on a podium with bright eyes and a wagging tail, you’ll know:
You didn’t just create a competitor.
You nurtured a confident, resilient, extraordinary athlete — one thoughtful choice at a time.
I’d LOVE to hear from you — what’s been your biggest dose of adolescent angst with your dog?
Let’s share, laugh, cry, and support each other through the chaos!
