🐾 The Problem With “Just Letting Them Grow Out of It”

At Alan’s K9 Academy, we can tell you with confidence: most behavior problems do not disappear with age. They get stronger with repetition.

Time does not fix behavior.
Training does.

🧠 Behavior Rehearsal Builds Habits

Every time a dog practices a behavior, that behavior becomes more automatic.

If a puppy:
• jumps on guests
• pulls on leash
• barks at the door
• ignores recall
• guards toys
• chases moving objects

…and nothing interrupts or redirects it, that behavior is being reinforced through repetition alone.

Dogs do not grow out of habits they are allowed to rehearse.

⚠️ Why Waiting Often Makes Things Worse

When owners wait, behaviors typically:
• increase in intensity
• become more resistant to change
• shift into new contexts
• trigger emotional patterns
• create frustration for the household

What started as cute puppy behavior becomes dangerous adult behavior.

A 15 pound puppy jumping is manageable.
A 75 pound adult doing the same thing is not.

🔄 Adolescence Changes the Picture

Many owners think puppy issues will fade with maturity. Instead, adolescence often amplifies them.

During this stage:
• impulse control drops
• confidence fluctuates
• independence increases
• testing behavior appears

Without early structure, adolescence compounds existing problems instead of resolving them.

🧩 The Difference Between Development and Training

Some behaviors are developmental. Teething, clumsy coordination, short attention spans — these improve naturally.

But behaviors tied to:
• impulse control
• reactivity
• boundaries
• frustration tolerance
• obedience reliability

…require structured teaching.

Maturity supports training.
It does not replace it.

🚫 Common Consequences of Waiting

When training is delayed, owners often experience:
• escalating leash pulling
• worsening reactivity
• decreased recall reliability
• increased anxiety
• conflict between dogs
• safety concerns

By the time help is sought, the behavior has months of rehearsal behind it.

Prevention is easier than correction.

✅ What Early Intervention Looks Like

Addressing behaviors early means:
• setting clear boundaries
• reinforcing calm behavior
• building impulse control
• practicing structured exposure
• creating predictable routines
• preventing rehearsal of unwanted habits

Small corrections early prevent large corrections later.

💛 The Alan’s K9 Academy Perspective

We do not wait for problems to fix themselves.

At Alan’s K9 Academy, we teach owners to build structure from the beginning. Calm behavior, neutrality, and reliability are taught early so they carry into adulthood.

Growing older does not equal growing trained.

🔥 Final Thought

Hope is not a training strategy.

Dogs do not grow out of behaviors they practice daily.

They grow into the patterns they rehearse.

If you want a calm, reliable adult dog, start building that dog today.

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