Adolescent Dog Training — Vallejo, CA

Teenager to Trail Dog

A five-week board-and-train built for adolescent dogs between 4 and 12 months old — the ones testing every boundary they can find.

Your dog arrives reactive, unfocused, and a little too much to handle. He leaves with real obedience, solid impulse control, and the skills to go anywhere with you. Whether you're ready to commit to the full journey or want to start with the first step and see how it goes, there's a way in.

Book a Discovery Call See how it works
Bay Area adolescent dog specialist · Training since 2020
Start here

See if your dog's a fit

Four quick questions — takes under a minute, and tells us both whether this is the right program for your dog.

No obligation — I'll follow up within 24 hours either way.
What's actually going on

If this sounds familiar, you're not imagining it.

You can do everything "right" with a puppy, and adolescence still hits hard. Adolescent dogs struggle with impulsiveness, and social situations can overwhelm them quickly. Without guidance on what to do instead, that overstimulation can turn into habits that make daily life genuinely hard.

01Recall that worked at twelve weeks has quietly stopped working at six months.
02Walks turn into a wrestling match the second another dog shows up.
03Destructive chewing on furniture, shoes, and anything else left within reach.
04Your dog can't settle — not at home, not in the car, not anywhere with real distraction.
05Impulse control disappears the moment a squirrel, skateboard, or dog enters the picture.
06The puppy who used to check in constantly now seems to forget you're on the other end of the leash.
The program

Teenager to Trail Dog

A five-week, on-site board-and-train in two stages — because adolescent dogs need to learn how to learn before they can refine what they know. You're not dropping off and hoping for the best: private sessions at each stage mean you learn the handling that makes it hold once your dog's home.

01
Discovery Call

We talk it through

Your dog's story, and whether this program fits — no commitment yet.

02
Meet & Greet

A short session at my place

I meet your dog at my place, so they can get familiar with the space before their stay, and we schedule the stay.

03
Stage 1 — 2 Weeks

The Foundational Stay

Focus, impulse control, settling, and loose leash and recall basics.

04
Stage 2 — 3 Weeks

The Obedience Stay

Refined obedience, e-collar recall, and real-world distraction work on trail.

What you're actually working toward

A dog who can go anywhere with you.

Not a dog who's obedient in a quiet room and falls apart on a trail. A dog who checks in around distraction and can be off-leash on a ridgeline without you holding your breath.

In their words

Owners who've been through it

Magnolia holding her favorite toy
"

Magnolia came home as "Magnolia 2.0" — the puppy I had always hoped she could be. Her biting has nearly disappeared, she walks beautifully and responds to cues in ways I never thought possible, and she is noticeably calmer and more confident. The progress Kate achieved in just two weeks exceeded every expectation we had.

Magnolia's Family
Magnolia, 4-month-old Golden Retriever · Foundational Stay
Thunder relaxing on a dock by the lake
"

Kate has improved both mine and my dog’s confidence and competence in training. Thunder’s reactivity was intense and difficult to handle— but since his board and train, he’s been much easier to handle. Our work with Kate has given us the tools and foundations to be much happier and safer together!

Sarah
Thunder, 1-year-old Malinois/German Shepherd mix
On the trail

A few days on the job

Two dogs settled in the back of the van, one up on the platform and one steady on the ground Puppy on a leash, ears at full attention Dogs on a sunset trail hike Dogs overlooking the Bay Area hills A client dog resting on a cot outdoors Two dogs on a wooded trail Dogs at the bay waterfront Dogs on a desert overlook Dogs on driftwood at the beach A dog on a desert trail A dog trained through the program, out on a Bay Area trail Puppy in training rig, ready for a field day
Is this the right fit

Who this program is for — and who it isn't

This is for you if

  • Your dog is roughly 4–12 months old
  • You're seeing new reactivity, blown recalls, or inability to calm down that wasn't there before
  • You want a dog you can trust off leash, not just "good enough" on leash
  • You're willing to reinforce structure at home between and after stays
  • You'd rather invest once, properly, than patch the same issue repeatedly

This isn't for you if

  • Your dog is over 12 months — ask about the dedicated adult dog program instead
  • You're looking for boarding only, with no training component
  • You want a quick fix with no follow-through on your end
  • Your dog has a bite history requiring specialized behavioral rehabilitation
  • You're not able to commit to the board and train format

Not sure if this is the right fit for your dog?

That's exactly what the discovery call is for. No pressure, no pitch you didn't ask for — just a real conversation about your dog.

Book a Discovery Call
30 minutes · by phone
Questions

Before you book a call

Adolescent dogs between roughly 4 and 12 months old — retrievers, shepherds, doodles, and other breeds and mixes. If your dog is over 12 months, ask about the dedicated adult dog program instead.
Totally fine — start with the Foundational Stay on its own. Complete both stages within 6 months and you still get the full year of follow-up support.
Yes. A high-quality electronic collar is introduced to most dogs during the Obedience Stay, most specifically for recall. It's one of several tools used within a balanced approach — not a first resort or a substitute for real relationship and structure.
All training equipment is included — bed, leashes, and (for the Obedience Stage) e-collar and prong collar — along with the private sessions and follow-up support listed for whichever option you choose.
Graduates of the full package (or anyone completing both stages within 6 months) get a full year of monthly group follow-up, access to the training video library, and complimentary video/phone check-ins with me.
Both — it's a combination of on-site board and train stays based at my home in Vallejo, California, with private lessons as follow-up sessions (locations will vary). Your dog lives and trains with me for the designated length of each part of the program; it isn't daycare or boarding-only.
Every day is a little different, but the routine generally looks like this: early mornings off-site practicing off-leash skills, midday at home working on calm structure and rest (place, crate, home skills), and afternoons back out practicing on-leash skills around busier environments.
Book a discovery call. We'll talk through your dog, I'll answer your questions, and if it's a fit, we'll schedule a short meet-and-greet at my place before booking your stay — so you can see the space and your dog can get familiar with it first.
Get started

Let's talk about your dog

I take a limited number of dogs at a time — the individual attention required doesn't scale.

01

Discovery call

A real conversation about your dog and whether this is the right fit.

02

Meet & greet

A short session at my place, so you can see the space before your dog's stay.

03

Begin training

Dates confirmed, deposit secured, and your dog's stay begins.

Book a Discovery Call
No obligation on the call — just a conversation.