My assistance dog in training, Oscar, has just come home from a 4 week residential training stay with adolescent dogs! His trainer is absolutely amazing she, kept me updated all the way with pictures, videos and email updates, she even made sure he got his Easter egg on Easter Sunday! She is also there to support me now that Oscar has come home, which is great! Oscar has come along so much during his stay, he is now much more responsive to his name and to the cues that I give him. Walking Oscar is now a much more pleasurable experience as he is not trying to pull towards every dog and person that we pass! Oscar has done really well with learning and progressing tasks to mitigate my disability which will really help me with every day life and Oscar enjoys the tasks and completes them with a wagging tail! Thank you so much to adolescent dogs and to Oscar’s trainer!

Was there an angel in our house or was it adolescent dogs? We knew everything would go smoothly when we met our adolescent dogs house sitter before our trip, and received many happy doggy snaps while away. We returned to a spotless house and a happy dog performing new skills (putting his toys in a box!!), a descaled kettle and many other thoughtful gestures. Our dog looked around for our sitter for a while after they left and he had clearly been cared for, enjoyed and loved. Thank you.

Thank you for recommending the lovely lady and her husband who came to stay to look after our two young and lively dogs. It certainly made for a relaxing holiday for us and we enjoyed getting regular WhatsApp messages and photos of them out and about as well as a video of some of the training they did with them to assist with better lead walking. The dogs were relaxed and happy when we got back and the house was immaculate. As an added bonus the taps in the bathroom had been repaired which was a lovely surprise.

We sent our 3 month old puppy for 2 weeks, he was a keen learner but as a very busy household we struggled with time. She took Dexter and fine tuned what he already knew and taught him so much more! He had lead issues and wouldn't stay calm if we had visitors. I can't thank her and her family any more for what they do. He cane back and my kids were so happy, they can enjoy him more without the nipping! We drove 3.5 hours for the help and was worth it! Thank you again.

Our dog can be a bit reactive with other dogs and I wanted someone to look after him (and our cat) in our home while we were away. I managed to book up the member of the team at Adolescent Dogs - a professional dog handler and sitter. I knew Lucky would be in the best of hands with her and so he was. He had a better time than we did (and our holiday had been excellent - partly because I felt so relaxed that he was ok). She took him to the beach (he loves water) and sent us photos and worked with him on some focus areas of his training, and also gave us some brilliant tips when we got back. We not only came back to a calm and happy dog but also a beautifully clean and tidy home. Our lovely dog sitter and her husband even cleared and swept our huge driveway of weeds - it looks beautiful. We had to book early to secure these wonderful people and I am so glad we did.

We were going abroad over the summer and wanted to put Cooper somewhere where he could have intensive training to just tweak various issues which we thought he needed. I’ve been following Adolescent Dogs (AD) online for numerous years and had various external trainers teaching us, but they weren’t quite teaching us exactly what I wanted, and I liked how AD carried out the training of the dogs as I felt that even though they were being trained, they really enjoyed it! I was very anxious about sending Cooper as it was for 4 ½ weeks and I was worried that he might not remember or hate us for sending him away which I wrote in various emails and received lovely responses which really put my mind at rest. We decided to go with the lady as she lived closest to us, and we had the added bonus as her partner was also a trainer which I felt was great as Cooper would be trained by a male and a female. They were fantastic!She updated us regularly with pictures and videos of Cooper. We also received WhatsApp messages and weekly updates on training. She was quick to answer our questions…and yes, we had many questions! As Cooper is the first dog that I have really owned, I always found training him quite daunting and did find all the information that was being sent over quite overwhelming, but she was great as she answered all my questions and explained the reasoning behind everything she suggested. When we went to pick Cooper up, we were all worried in case he wasn’t happy to see us but thankfully he was which was fantastic, especially for our children. Both were there for our initial family training, and it was great fun, they were so patient and thorough ensuring that we had all the tools to carry on their hard work at home. The main thing that I would like to say about them is that they are real doggy people - I hope you don't mind me saying -, and we knew that Cooper was loved and nurtured whilst staying with them. I would say the best thing about having them look after Cooper is that they really got to know and understand him. They are so knowledgeable and insightful about dogs and because of them, our whole relationship with Cooper has improved immensely. Cooper is a Golden Retriever crossed with Poodle and Collie and they picked up pretty much immediately that he was physically stimulated but not mentally hence why he would pace the room at night amongst other issues. We would walk Cooper 2-3 miles and thought that was enough, they explained to us that wasn’t necessary but that he really needed mental stimulation more so as he had a clever and active mind. Since having Cooper home our whole relationship with Cooper has totally changed, I train him every day in the park or in the garden with tug, fetch, find it and other training games that she taught us and things I see on the AD website. We only use specific training toys that he doesn’t get access to so as soon as I bring the bag out of the utility room, he knows it’s our time together and he is extremely excited even before we start! The bond between us is so much stronger and instead of feeling that he is indifferent towards us, there is now a connection which is wonderful. Thank you so much.

Wow, I really don't want to do this because if I do, too many people will want the service and I may not get booked in again. I have a reactive dog so going away has not been a possibility for us since my father-in-law was unable to come and look after them at home. I spend all my time avoiding him being reactive and so he has to be left in the right hands. Well, I won't be looking anywhere else in the future. I heard about Adolescent dogs through scent work connections and stumbled across the pet-sitting service whilst looking at the website. The service was great from beginning to end. A Pre-visit to ensure both parties were happy. This really made a huge difference. Then all communication up to the day was good. My old dog took poorly a few days prior to our holiday and the compassion shown was amazing. Sadly I had to have her PTS before going but I knew she knew what I was going through and understood that it would have an effect on my other two dogs. Whilst we were away a few issues cropped up with the house and they were all dealt with which was a relief especially one being a water leak! Lots of updates with photos and videos during our holiday to help give me peace of mind. The dogs looked happy and settled all the time. The house was immaculate on our return and even the lawn was cut for us. Bins put out and the dogs were very happy when we got back. Hopefully to see us but I also think they had been chilled while we were away. I was relaxed during the holiday as I was confident that they were in good hands. I would definitely recommend and we will definitely be booking again in the future. Thanks is just not enough.

I came to Adolescent dogs in search of support in training my assistance dog prospect. My border collie pup was 10 weeks old when we got started at first on the online training programme with interactive videos. As we continued with owner trained training I started to consider other training options through Adolescent dogs and due to being a full time wheelchair user with a progressive conditions and mobility limitations this became a much needed option for us. I can not recommend Adolescent dogs enough, their residential training stays are well worth it, they always keep in contact with plenty of photos and daily updates. The trainers are genuine dog lovers and care for your dog as if their own, they are safe, loved and cared for in the trainers homes as part of the family while getting to train each day and learn new things. The trainers listen intently to what you are perhaps struggling with or would like to implement, their advice, creativity and problem solving alongside you as the handler is brilliant and well welcomed when you need to get creative with problem solving especially when you have limitations in mobility, fatigue etc. The team are always supportive and on hand to help in-between sessions/residential stays and 121s. I have found the level of care and support to have exceeded all expectations. You feel like one of the family, a team. My dog has really enjoyed being part of the Adolescent dogs team and he will continue to do so no doubt. He is so excited and happy to see them, which says everything really. His training has been such a help and he has come on leaps and bounds, even though we are currently going through his Adolescent stage at the moment, which is a difficult period to say the least! Adolescent dogs are there to help you along and troubleshoot as you go. Always thinking what is best for your dog and never working out of what they can handle. The use of enrichment exercises and learning through play and gentle exposure techniques and exploration is carefully assessed and tailored each time. I really appreciate everything the onwers,trainers and the company as a whole has done and continues to do for us. I'm so glad I found them when I did.

Signed my dog up to the owner trained assistance dog. Great source of help and information . Communication is prompt and always helpful

Adolescent Dogs has been invaluable for Pumpkin and I. As someone who lives with C-PTSD the idea of having an Assistance Dog was non existent when we picked up Pumpkin. I was familiar with certain techniques that can be used like Deep Pressure Therapy, but found a lot of places for teaching that technique and other helpful tasks were behind charities or large paywalls. It wasn’t until I came across someone with an Adolescent Dogs vest that I looked into who they were and saw other owners had the same condition I did. At that time I was working with Pumpkin to begin training her as a Therapy Dog for personal use (with a lovely local trainer!) The more I investigated the more I saw that this might be a good fit for us both as they utilize Games Based training, which is what we were already used to. It’s a fun style of training for both the dog and the trainer, so I looked forward to training each day, as did she. The online academy itself is wonderful. For myself I’ve had a traumatic brain injury (TBI) so remembering things is difficult on the best of days, but the way the information is laid out is simple, clear and I can watch it back over and over again if I get stuck, or don’t quite comprehend the first time around what has been said. The academy is much cheaper than -other- dog academies out there by larger companies and I feel the quality is better without the constant waffling on about things that aren’t related to the task, however the quality of the content is absolutely invaluable. When you have a question it is not the community answering your questions, but the trainers themselves - and they host a Live Q&A weekly by both Zoom and Facebook. (The after party on Zoom is quite fun to be apart of!) Agent says there is never a silly question, so I’ve asked all sorts of things that I’ve been curious about with dog ownership. The best part is there is a separate section for Assistance Dog Training within the Academy. I had to get a letter from my GP stating my diagnosis and then was able to send that off before being accepted into the Assistance Program. I quite liked that, where some may find it too personal, however it means the dogs that go into the program are for people who actually would benefit from them, not just to obtain a vest to gain an ”all access pass” with fake assistance dogs or those who are actively training. The funds that the online academy makes goes back into the Assistance Program as they occasionally offer residencies and will work with a dog from the start to gift to someone in need. It doesn’t feel like the program is a money gram, they genuinely want to help as many people as they can. You also have access to booking your dog into their residency program where your dog goes into board and train. While that sounded terrifying to me, the quality that Adolescent Dogs offers with their trainers is second to none. Pumpkin has been in residency for 4 weeks to help me get through some of my issues with training - my CPTSD means it is incredibly difficult to go into public spaces without constantly scanning a crowd, but trying to focus on Pumpkin and keep an eye on our surroundings has made it difficult without an assistant with me. Residency has meant she has had a lot of interaction in various environments and has been working on disengagement which is a massive area we needed to address. While residency levels of success vary by the dog, we are very happy with how she has handled herself and the amount of love that has been poured into her. I know that she has been loved as much as she is while at home, so my worries quickly left as she settled in incredibly quickly. We have learned so much in our adventure with Adolescent Dogs and the best part is it’s been such an enjoyable experience. Joining them is one of the best choices we’ve made, and knowing that they now have a partnership with PTSD UK is even better.

I recently joined Adolescent Dogs online Academy to train my dog as an assistance dog. I searched for a long time before finding the trainers that suited my dog and I perfectly. The videos are fab! They are so easy to follow and make me feel like we're really accomplishing something. Couldn't recommend them higher! Absolutely perfect.

Currently using Adolescent to train my puppy to be a super star. Every video so far has been really helpful. We like the challanges set out and the results are showing with our 15 week puppy :) looking forward to progressing and further training in the future with Adolescent dogs.

I have been following Adolescent Dogs for many years. In December I signed up for their Elf on the shelf online challenge. It was so much fun and a bonus that I won lots of goodies at the end of the challenge too. I then signed up to the Calm canine challenge in January which was beneficial to my dog. Now I’m hooked and have signed up to the academy and can’t wait for the Scent challenge in March. I’m a dog trainer myself and I still got so much out of their training, i highly recommend adolescent dogs. I hope to do an in person workshop in the future too.

We're members of the online academy and would really recommend it. Access to lots of videos for any training help, tricks, etc you might need. The monthly challenges are really fun to join in with. There is also a lovely community to be part of. Representatives are quick to answer questions you may have, even when you message them in a panic!!

Adolescent dogs have been a guiding light in the minefield of dog training! They have been amazing in helping me work through all the ups and downs of a new puppy with advice, reassurance, guidance and support. Their videos are informative, the groups are engaging and the knowledge you're given access to is just incredible. I couldn't reccomended Adolescent dogs enough and we wouldn't be where we are with training now if it wasn't for these guys! I'm excited to see where our journey takes us!

I adopted an ex police dog last year that had served nearly 5 years in the force, he had never lived in a home environment before and walking him became impossible due to having no recall, he also started to develop some dig excitement/reactivity. I decided to book him in for a 4 week stay after taking a scent class with Adolescent Dogs (also a great class too!) The process was simple and booking was really easy. Our trainer sent us photos every day (per request) with videos and updates daily on his progress. I was then handed over all the amazing work the trainer had done, with my dog and it was amazing!! I'm pleased to say that walking is no longer impossible, he recalls 9/10 perfectly and is developing his confidence around unknown dogs, all thanks to the great work of our trainer. They also gave us recommendations on products or different food to enhance our dogs well-being. Without the support of Adolescent Dogs, I would of had to rehome my dog. I'm so proud of us and our journey with support from our trainer and the company.

Me and my puppy started to train on the assistance dog program. This program has so far changed our lives for the better. I have autism and really struggle to leave the house and communicate in public. I am going to start university in September, which wouldn't have been without star. I would have had to wait for at least 5 years to receive a charity or privately owned assistance dog. But because of these people's brilliant idea of opening the assistance dog academy, now means I will be able to join my peers and gain the education I truly want. So thank you very much to you guys are amazing. I will deffintly recommend this course to you, they always quickly respond to any of my messages and are always wiling to help with there Saturday evening q and as and training plan Tuesdays.

I knew that an assistance dog would make a huge difference to my life but sadly had ruled it out due to the extremely long waiting lists for many assistance dog organisations. Then, I found Adolescent Dogs who have truly transformed my life. I’ve been able to owner train my puppy as an assistance dog with the support of Adolescent Dogs. They have an online training academy with so many videos which you can access anywhere, not only learning the foundations to train a well behaved dog (like lead walking, settling and boundaries) but the tasks needed for many disabilities, like interrupting anxiety attacks and fetching objects. You can also request specific videos and they have a weekly live Q&A where the trainers answer your questions. On top of this, my puppy had a residential stay with the most amazing trainer, Bekki. I thought I’d find it very hard being away from my puppy but I felt completely reassured by Bekki. Bekki sent me lots of updates and videos throughout the residential stay, and I couldn’t believe all that they achieved in just two weeks. After the residential stay, we’ve had 1-2-1 lessons with Bekki to help me transfer all of the training learnt on the residential stay and work on areas I struggle with on my own. With my disability, it can feel exhausting at times doing the training on my own but I don’t feel alone with the support of Bekki and Adolescent Dogs. It’s evident that Adolescent Dogs run their assistance dog programme truly to help people, rather than focusing on making profit and taking advantage, and I feel forever grateful to them!

We adopted our puppy when he was 11 weeks old, full of enthusiasm and previous experience. However, we quickly realised that Obi was a handful, and making life quite stressful, so much so that we were contemplating rehoming him (especially as I had been very ill) Thank God for Adolescent Dogs! At 12 months old, Obi spent three weeks with trainer and her family. Daily contact, with photos and short video clips reassured us daily that he was happy and well looked after. More importantly, he is a changed dog. Still happy, and full of personality, but with boundaries and a clear understanding of commands and expected behaviour, all through positive reinforcement. On subsequent visits to see her, Obi has been delighted to see her! We are absolutely thrilled and Obi definitely has a ‘forever home’. There is no doubt that it was very expensive, but as we all love Obi so much, being able to keep him means the world to us.