One day they were eager to learn, happy to check in with you, and seemed to hang on your every word. Then suddenly they’re ignoring cues, pulling on the leash, chewing everything in sight, and acting like they’ve never heard their name before.

In this Part 2 of our Dog Development series here on The Recall Room, we explore the fascinating world of canine adolescence. You’ll learn what’s happening inside your dog’s developing brain, why behavior often seems to fall apart during the teenage months, and how normal developmental changes can influence everything from recall and impulse control to fear, independence, and curiosity.

This episode is sure to help you see your dog through a new lens—and remind you that the challenging teenage months are just one chapter in the journey toward adulthood.

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Any questions or topics you’d like to see in a future episode ?

Let us know - your voice belongs in the room, too!

Website:

www.therecallroom.com

Email:

hello@therecallroom.com

Voicemail:

https://www.therecallroom.com/voicemail

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Resources & References

This episode was informed by research and the work of leading experts in canine behavior, cognition, welfare, and learning, including:

• Dr. Patricia McConnell — The Other End of the Leash; For the Love of a Dog

• Dr. Alexandra Horowitz — Inside of a Dog; Being a Dog

• Dr. Zazie Todd — Wag: The Science of Making Your Dog Happy

• Dr. Karen Overall — Clinical Behavioral Medicine for Small Animals

• Dr. Ian Dunbar — Puppy development and adolescent behavior resources

• Dr. Kathy Sdao — Learning theory and positive reinforcement

• Jean Donaldson — The Culture Clash

• Dr. Daniel Mills — Canine behavior and welfare research

• Dr. Clive Wynne — Dog Is Love

• Dr. Brian Hare — The Genius of Dogs

In Part 1 of The Recall Room’s Dog Development series, we’re discussing puppies. In future episodes, we’ll learn about adolescence, adulthood, senior dogs, and grief.

Puppies are adorable, chaotic, exhausting - and developing faster than we sometimes realize.

In this episode of The Recall Room, we’re kicking taking a closer look at what’s actually happening during puppyhood. From critical socialization periods and rapidly developing brains to biting, chewing, fear, and those seemingly endless bursts of energy. We’ll explore the science behind some of the behaviors that can make raising a puppy both fascinating and overwhelming.

We’ll also talk about what puppies really need from us during this stage, why socialization is about much more than meeting lots of people and dogs, and how the experiences we create now can influence the adults they become.

Whether you’re currently surviving the puppy stage, preparing to bring one home, or simply want to better understand how dogs develop, this episode is a reminder that puppy behavior isn’t just something to “get through” - it’s communication from a brain that’s still figuring out the world.

Because when we understand what’s happening underneath the behavior, we can respond with a little more patience, a little more intention, and a lot more curiosity.

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Any questions or topics you’d like to see in a future episode ?

Let us know - your voice belongs in the room, too!

Website:

www.therecallroom.com

Email:

hello@therecallroom.com

Voicemail:

https://www.therecallroom.com/voicemail

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Resources, References & Further Reading

This episode was informed by current research and the work of leading experts in puppy development, canine behavior, learning, and socialization, including:

• Dr. Patricia McConnell – The Puppy Primer, The Other End of the Leash, and For the Love of a Dog

• Dr. Ian Dunbar – Early puppy development, bite inhibition, and socialization

• Dr. Sophia Yin – Resources on puppy socialization, canine body language, and low-stress handling

• Dr. Karen Pryor – Don’t Shoot the Dog! and foundational work in learning theory and positive reinforcement

• Dr. Bonnie V. Beaver – Canine Behavior: Insights and Answers

• Dr. James Serpell – The Domestic Dog: Its Evolution, Behavior and Interactions with People

• The American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior (AVSAB), including the Position Statement on Puppy Socialization

• The American College of Veterinary Behaviorists (ACVB)

• Fear Free® – Educational resources on reducing fear, anxiety, and stress during early puppy development

The Recall Room is an educational podcast designed to help dog owners better understand canine behavior through current behavioral science and positive, evidence-based practices. The information shared in this episode is intended for educational purposes and is not a substitute for individualized veterinary or behavioral advice.

Have you ever wondered why one dog trainer tells you to reward a behavior, while another recommends correcting it? Why do training philosophies seem to conflict so dramatically?

The answer lies in history.

In this episode of The Recall Room, we’re taking a journey through more than a century of dog training—from early military and working dog methods to the scientific discoveries of Ivan Pavlov and B.F. Skinner, the rise of the Koehler Method, clicker training, force-free training, balanced training, LIMA, and today’s evidence-based approaches.

Rather than debating which method is “right,” we’ll explore how each philosophy developed, the people who shaped them, and how our understanding of dogs has evolved over time.

By the end of this episode, you’ll have a better understanding of why trainers sometimes disagree, how modern training philosophies came to be, and how to thoughtfully evaluate the advice you encounter as a dog owner.

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Any questions or topics you’d like to see in a future episode?

Let us know - your voice belongs in the room, too!

Website:

www.therecallroom.com

Email:

hello@therecallroom.com

Voicemail:

https://www.therecallroom.com/voicemail

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Resources, References & Further Reading

• Konrad Most. Training Dogs: A Manual (originally published in German in 1910; English translation, 1954)
• Ivan P. Pavlov. Conditioned Reflexes (1927)
• B. F. Skinner. The Behavior of Organisms (1938)
• William R. Koehler. The Koehler Method of Dog Training (1962)
• Karen Pryor. Don’t Shoot the Dog!: The New Art of Teaching and Training (1984)
• Ian Dunbar. Before & After Getting Your Puppy (multiple editions)
• Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers (CCPDT) – LIMA position statements and ethics
• American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior (AVSAB) – Position statements on training and socialization

Note: This episode examines the historical development of dog training philosophies. Discussing a training method or historical figure should not be interpreted as an endorsement of any particular approach.