The Hachi Way

Help with ยท ANCHOR and balance

Teenage dog stopped listening? Why, and what to do

The training that worked on your puppy stopped working. Your dog did not regress. They grew up.

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A young dog running across a field

Adolescence is when a dog who only ever learned to wait for commands starts testing what happens when they do not. If the good behaviour was always built on cues and rewards, this is the stage where it gets thin.

The way through is not more obedience. It is teaching the dog to make good decisions on their own, which is the heart of ANCHOR, and checking that all four modes are in balance across the week. A teenager short on real play or genuine rest will show it as defiance.

This stage is the methodology at its most useful. A dog who can think with you, rather than wait to be told, comes out the other side of adolescence steadier than one who was only ever commanded.

Try this week. Walk through a typical week for your dog and tally roughly how much PLAY, ANCHOR, CALM and EXPLORE they actually get. The mode that is missing is usually the one driving the behaviour you are fighting.

Part of the full guide: Adolescent dogs: the full guide

Keep reading: Read about the four modes .

New puppy? The Good Puppy Blueprint is the online program for puppies under twelve weeks. For a dog over twelve weeks, private training works it through one-on-one.

Questions

Frequently asked

Will my adolescent dog grow out of this?

They grow through it, not out of it. What they come out as depends on what you build now. Dogs taught to make their own good decisions settle into steady adults.

In their words

Owners who came in with the same problem

Real reviews of Diona's work. Not the nice-trainer ones, the ones that describe the shift: owners who learned to read their dog, and dogs who got calmer once their needs were met.

  • Bonding over obedience

    Diona's care and understanding of dog behaviour took us from being pulled down the road, with Peanut crying and shrieking at any dog he saw, to walking beside us and choosing us over other dogs. She helped us with bonding and trust, transforming our relationship.

    Lily C. · 2025

  • The household, not just the dog

    Diona was my third trainer I resorted to for my over reactive dog. Diona quickly realised there was much more going on at home than I had truthfully opened up about. Now I have a dog that is absolutely a pleasure to have inside the home. Walks have become more fun and less stressful, reactivity has diminished.

    Ozlem G. · 2023

  • The why behind the method

    Her patience, deep knowledge, and structured approach made all the difference in training our puppy, Bagel. Diona explained everything in detail, ensuring we understood not just the how but also the why behind dog training. Her guidance gave us the confidence to understand our puppy's needs.

    Shelton L. · 2025

235+ five-star reviews of Diona's practice as Diona The Trainer. Read more reviews

Work it through

This is fixable, with the right read.

The free assessment names where to begin. A Hachi Way trainer works it through with you, in your home where the behaviour happens, or online anywhere in the world.

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