A Confident Start for You and Your Puppy

Puppy Kindergarten Classes in North Port, FL



Force-Free Training

Positive Reinforcement

All Breeds. All Ages.

The first few months of your puppy’s life are an important time for building confidence, communication, social skills, and a strong relationship. Puppy Kindergarten helps give you and your puppy a foundation for the training and experiences that come next.

Can You Get My Puppy Off to a Better Start?

Building confidence? Meeting new people and objects safely? Better communication, impulse control, and leash skills?

Yes. And you start with knowledge, trust, and mutual respect.

Building a Foundation With Your Puppy

These individual classes or groups are typically for puppies 8 to 16 weeks old. However, based on certain circumstances, special accommodations can be made for older puppies.

The primary goal is to get to know your puppy and build a relationship with him or her, as this is the foundation for all the training going forward. We want to build a relationship based on mutual trust and respect.

Every dog has something to teach us, and we have something to teach every dog.

Puppy Kindergarten focuses on safely introducing your puppy to novel objects and people, understanding your dog’s communication and motivations, teaching impulse control, and understanding emotional responses to distractions. Loose-leash walking and relaxation are also introduced.

The program consists of four sessions, once a week.

Session One: Relationship, Confidence & Exploration

  • Building the relationship and confidence using fun games
  • Using the nose to explore surroundings and the environment on a long lead
  • Understanding and using the marker word YES
  • Purpose and technique of body handling

Session Two: Impulse Control & Everyday Skills

  • Relaxation protocol
  • Impulse control
  • Fundamental sit
  • Shaping vs. luring to the desired behavior
  • Loose-leash walking
  • Introducing your puppy to novel objects
  • How to handle uncertainty and apprehension

Session Three: Distance, Distraction & Duration

  • Understanding distance, distraction, and duration and how to use them appropriately
  • Putting everything together in various low-distraction areas

Session Four: Distractions, Emotional Thresholds & Socialization

  • Understanding your puppy’s distance from a distraction and how this affects his or her emotional threshold
  • Introducing various everyday distractions as they relate to life in your home
  • Introduction to socialization with other dogs — and I don't mean DOG PARKS 😊!

Puppy Kindergarten FAQs

What age should my puppy be for Puppy Kindergarten?

These classes are typically designed for puppies between 8 and 16 weeks old. Depending on the circumstances, I may be able to make special accommodations for an older puppy.

What will my puppy learn during the four sessions?

The program focuses on building your relationship, confidence, impulse control, body handling, loose-leash walking, relaxation, exposure to novel objects, and appropriate responses to distractions. Later sessions also introduce socialization with other dogs.

Is Puppy Kindergarten only about teaching commands?

No. Commands and practical skills are part of the program, but the primary goal is to build a relationship with your puppy based on mutual trust and respect while helping your puppy develop confidence and learn how to navigate new experiences.

Every Good Partnership Starts with a Little Understanding

Let's find the right next step for you and your dog.