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P U P P Y P R I M E R
Are you a new puppy owner? Do you want to avoid your new canine companion developing bad habits like biting, jumping, demand barking, and property destruction from the very beginning? Do you want to prioritize socialization so you have a confident dog you can take to a farmer's market or the family barbeque?
By helping you come up with a clear and easy-to-follow plan that prioritizes socialization, potty training, and basic obedience, we can make sure your puppy turns out to be the fearless, confident, well-behaved member of your household and society you envisioned.
In this program, we prevent the four hardest behavioral challenges from popping up in the future:
aggression, reactivity, resource guarding, and separation anxiety.
WHAT PEOPLE SAY
esmerelda & dausha
LILO
"My wife and I have learned so much from her 5-week puppy program and training with Sandra was always fun. We are both happy with the progress Lilo has made thus far and know it’s the best choice we could have made in reaching out for guidance and support from Sandra."
charlotte
WHIZBEE
"I wanted to make sure my puppy would grow into an adult dog that could handle the world well. My family and I are super socially and physically active and we wanted a dog that could keep up with that lifestyle. Sandra gave us a lot of tools to work on potty training, important obedience cues we still use everyday, and so much amazing socialization info - Whiz is close to two now and just about bomb proof and it's fully thanks to Sandra and this program. If you want a solid adult dog, this is the program and trainer for you."
kallik & haily
NANOOK
"Sandra helped us train and socialize our puppy who was a rescue from Greenland. My husband was born and raised there and it was super important to him that Nanook was bilingual as an ode to both their roots. Sandra studied words to use and pronunciation for commands in Greenlandic before our first session. This simple act of kindness shocked us. This trainer went above and beyond for us and our dog and we will forever be grateful for the skills and knowledge she gave us."
At the end of 5 weeks, you'll be able to:
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take your puppy to new places knowing that they will listen to you
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leave your puppy unattended at home for longer stretches of time without coming back to potty accidents
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refine and replace puppy behaviors like inappropriate chewing (ex: destroying shoes), mouthing and nipping, jumping, digging, and demand barking
What's Included?
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5 in-home training sessions: first one is 90 minutes and the following 4 are 60 minutes
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10 pick up/drop off Day Training socialization outings the puppy will take 1:1 with Sandra for safe, all-inclusive exposure to the world
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Puppy Primer socialization handbook and homework tracker
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Puppy Welcome kit: food enrichment toy, treat pouch and clickers, 15 foot long line leash, and sample bag of training treats
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access to our Paws in Park group class after your program is completed
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access to discounted continuation services
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lifelong e-mail and text support from Sandra following the completion of the program
Requirements:
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must be a minimum of 7 weeks old
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cannot be over 12 weeks (3 months) old
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must have a minimum of their first round of DHLPP (distemper, hepatitis, leptospiriosis, parvo, and parainfluenza) or proof of positive titer dated at least one week before program start date
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puppies must wear either a Blue9 Balance Harness or 3-In-1 PetSafe Harness - Alohomora Dog Training can provide a loaner for the duration of the program at no charge if needed
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puppies cannot exhibit signs of reactivity or aggression to qualify for this program - for puppies that struggle with these behaviors, check out the Reactive Rovers program
Puppy Primer FAQs
NO!
According to the American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior, puppies should begin the socialization process to the world a week after their first round of vaccinations.
See the AVSAB's full position statement and cited sources here.
Does my puppy need to be fully vaccinated to start this program?
- socialization
- potty training
- house manners: not jumping on guests, avoiding demand barking, preventing counter surfing
- basic obedience cues: reliably responding to their name, sit, stay, leash walking, leave it, touch, and coming when called
What behaviors will my puppy learn in this program?
Are payment plans available for this program?
Yes!
After a booking retainer of 25%, the remaining balance of the program can be made in up to four installments (for a total of 5 payments).
Yes!
After a booking retainer of 25%, the remaining balance of the program can be made in up to four installments (for a total of 5 payments).
According to the American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior, puppies should begin the socialization process to the world a week after their first round of vaccinations.
We put puppies in puppy carrying bags, puppy strollers, and partake in "Dog Park TV" to keep paws off the ground.
See the AVSAB's full position statement and cited sources here.
How do you socialize my puppy if they aren't fully vaccinated yet?
Extra puppies are no additional cost. However, you may want to opt in for more Day Training sessions. Only one puppy will be taken out at a time so the existing 10 socialization/training outings in the Puppy Primer will be split between both dogs.
It's encouraged that you check out this article on "Littermate Syndrome" if you plan on bringing two puppies home that are both under 6 months old.
Can we train more than one puppy at a time?