Puppy Class

Our puppy program provides a safe, enjoyable learning environment that will help set the foundation for a wonderful life ahead for you and your new puppy. Our instructors specialize in how pups learn, and how best to teach them. Throughout this 6 week course, which meets once per week for 90 minutes, we'll teach you how to overcome all the common puppyhood challenges you're facing (or bound to face!), and do our best to see to it that you and your pup have a safe, and successful learning experience together!

Companion Special Class Package:  Purchase your Puppy Class and Intermediate class together and enjoy a $20.00 savings! 

An Ounce of Prevention is Worth a Pound of Cure

We asked past graduates what they liked most about the class
(Click here for additional testimonials!):

• "My puppy is very STRONG and they always helped me to get in the door and into our space as my pup is a big puller and was ALWAYS so excited and happy to come to class.   Everyday I am using what I learned to show my dog what behaviors I want and what will be rewarded. I was given ideas for "games" to play with my pup to help her to use her mind and reduce boredom. Any questions or concerns I had were always given prompt attention and individualized for my dog either during class or after."

~Beverly Morton with Lexa Rose

"Penny is doing great sitting and laying down. We’ve made huge progress with loose leash walking and she can even high five!"

~Darlene Clawson with Penny

"Trudy was terrified of the other puppies at first and because Sue and her staff were so kind, patient and didn't push, by week 4 Trudy decided that puppies weren't scary at all, but are great play buddies! The information and tips provided during class were very helpful and informative. I would highly recommend this class to anyone who has a puppy and who wants to give their puppy the best possible start they can."

~Jenny Doetsch with Trudy


"No more puppy nipping at our hands and ankles (which was very persistent and painful in the beginning).  Pokey pays attention to us and doesn't seem as distracted by loud noises / other dogs / people."

~Elyse Guilfoyle with Pokey
 

"I just want to say a big THANK YOU for all that you do!! I happened to be at one of the large pet supply chain stores today while a puppy class was in session, oh my heavens, it was insane. Everyone was in one smallish area, puppies were climbing on each other, the instructor threw a bunch of treats out and started yelling “leave it” in his microphone. I was a little afraid to touch the cat toy I was reaching for :) He then sent the puppies and their people out with instructions to walk around the store. The puppies were barking at each other and the other dogs in the store, it was chaos. All I could think of was how happy I am that I brought Asriel to you and not them!"
Thank you so much!!
Happy Holidays,
Karen Cencer and Asriel

 

"Asriel has almost completely stopped trying to bite my feet and ankles when she is playing outside!! She is very good at sit and touch. She is learning "here" and we are working on loose leash walking."

~Karen Cencer with Asriel
 

"Bane is more social, he looks directly at us when he hears his name, and is quickly grasping placement training. The instructors were great, very patient and helpful."

~Lauren Buckley with Bane

"This class is so helpful to owners, teaching us how to interact with our pups, considering their instincts and natural behaviors.  Tucker's mouthing has greatly reduced, and his on leash walking has greatly improved. Sitting, Recall, Socialization and other behaviors have improved also."

~Sheryl VanGorder with Tucker

"My China is an excitable little shar pei. I never felt that she was an annoyance or that she was a problem. Most of the other pups were a bit more settled, but she loved her interactions with the other dogs and the humans."

~Phillis Ostroff with China

"Everyone was great. The class was amazing."

~Matthew  Weigang with Trixie

 "Good trainer/puppy ratio. There was always help when desired. Plus it was clear that Winnie had fun in class. She loves training and learning new things!  This class was a great guide into helping our Winnie to be a good family friend for years to come!  We loved the weekly emails." 

~Paul Depetris with Winnie

"Love you and the staff. Love the small sized class. Love the way each dog was separated. Not like the usual pet store type class. Well worth the money"

~ Jill Calvin with Stella

 "Improved recalls, greetings, loose leash walking, Millie has begun to attend daycare weekly and enjoys being around other people and dogs."

~ Jennifer Trombly with Millie

"Great class content. Great explanations. Thank you Sue and helpers!!!!"

~Michael Gratopp with Milo

"We enjoyed the small class size, the helpful staff and Sue's training & personalized attention to our specific pup problems. The training has been a great jump into establishing a productive communicating rapport with our puppy Annie. She seems to have gotten as much from the technique as we have. As everything in life is an ongoing project- yet we have already developed a very strong bond with our Annie and feel the positive c/t training techniques we learned at Woofology have help us in that development. There are numerous things (Annie has improved on), such as, potty training, coming when called,laying down and relaxing, parlor tricks, retrieving,loose leash walking(not perfect,but practicing). Puppy manners are improving daily! We are pleased with Annie's attentiveness! Thank you so very much!"

~Dave and Sherry Vickery with Annie 

"I really liked the instructor and the helpers. The techniques and exercises were extremely useful."

~Liza Jenuwine with Arthur

"Lots of crucial improvements! He no longer growls and snaps at people and has made great improvements with barking. He also has begun to understand "come" which has been hugely helpful."

~Rosemary O'Connor with Louie

"Sue was an EXCELLENT instructor, laid back, made you feel comfortable learning something new, even though I was uncoordinated in my dog handling."

~Vicky McGill with Raygen

"I thought that Sue our trainer and the other women who helped were very kind and helpful, they were very encouraging throughout the class. I had Claire in another puppy class before this one and this one was so much more professional, helpful and exactly what we were hoping for. I really appreciated their willingness to help after class also."

~Gina Cotter with Claire

"The trainers made everything seem so easy and common sense.  For someone who has never had a dog, this training experience was eye opening.  We made many mistakes along the way, but the trainer was always there for us with recommendations for improvement, never making me feel bad for not getting it quickly."

~Karen Gard with Rex

~Sheri Daniels with Zorro

"Hi!

We left yesterday, with Alice, for an adventure to Puerto Rico.

Since we left yesterday to now, there have been so many firsts for our puppy...2 commercial airline flights (staying calmly in her 'den' under the seat in front of me), a flight on an 8 person jet (this she did not enjoy...but was a real trooper) and lunch at an open aired restaurant, where she laid next to my chair until released....even the stray dog on the street didn't distract her.

Alice has been a star....and much of it due to the motivation we learned by taking your class!  We've all seen those well behaved dogs walking nicely on city streets, laying next to their people at open aired restaurants, greeting strangers calmly, etc.  I never dreamed it would be our Alice!!

We have so much work to do....but, the work we've done so far and the training that you've taught us has made this trip possible.

Warm Regards, 

"The puppy class was excellent, everybody was very helpful and patient. I think it's a very good program, very organized and positive. That's why I decided to enroll Boomer in the coming intermediate class."

~ Celeste Marzan with Boomer

"The improvements in our behaviour: giving Daisy more respect, understanding how to "get our way" without getting mad (turning a negative into a positive), awareness of child safety issues, discarding the "dominance" theory, understanding that Daisy enjoys challenges and is very good at learning when the right approach is used, recognizing when we're reinforcing behaviorthat we'd rather curb, etc... Thanks for a great class and for all your extra help, Sue!"

~ Randi Paananen with Daisy

"As first time dog/puppy owners my husband and I learned quickly the lack of knowledge we had about raising a happy, healthy and well-trained dog. This class made us feel confident and in control of being dog-owners. The instructor as well as the volunteers thoroughly answered all and any of our question, be they in class or calling on the phone. Their enthusiasm and knowledge surrounding the dog world was incredible. We can't wait for intermediate class!"

~ Justin & Laura Lyons with Kiley

"It helped Winnie and I build a bond that otherwise would not have happened. Love the positivity (is that a word?) of the class. Even when I started feeling frustrated, the positive reinforcement helped me!! Keep up the good work, we are looking forward to the Intermediate Class."

~ Ellen Marshall with Winnie

"My experience in the puppy class was fun. Both Kilty and I were excited to attend each week. Sue was above and beyond helpful to me. I asked a lot of questions and advice. She was more than happy to help with my problems. The coaches were also eager to answer my questions when Sue was helping others. The whole staff was willing to stay after class was finished to help with specific problems. Thank you. I can't wait until the intermediate class."

~ Angela Stringfield with Kilty

"The small class size, the positive attitude of Devene and the volunteers, the inidividual attention that everyone received, and the written material we received."

~ Chad & Ashley Blake with Arlo

"I liked that the trainers were understanding of the issues we have with puppies, they gave real examples of things, they gave us time to practice things, they answered all questions, and it was fun for the puppies. This {class} was very helpful to me and my family. We have had other dogs in our lives and Bear was doing things and having more energy then we knew what to do with, this class helped us to understand how to teach him what we expected of him without punishment. Thank You!!"

~ Sharon Kroll with Bear

"The one-on-one attention given to both the puppies and their owners. THANK YOU!!!! You saved us from having to split up our two pups because of socialization issues!"

~ Rachel Stark with Koji

"We loved puppy class at Trainers Academy. We brought Dr. Watson home just one week before we started puppy class. It was a great way to start out with a new puppy. After just 6 weeks we have a pup that is house trained, knows his basic commands and even knows a couple of cute tricks! The instructors really care about the dogs (and owners) in class. We were given great training information. We feel more confident that we will be able to train Watson into a great dog. A BIG THANK YOU to all the wonderful instructors and staff at Trainers Academy!"

~ Shelly & Dan Kinney with Dr. Watson

"All the interaction from the other dogs and owners. Even though they are learning too, it helps to see it more and gives you more confidence and assurance that you are doing a good job. This puppy class was wonderful. Our dog Grendel was so excited to go each week and see the other dogs, owners and instructors. The instructors were so helpful, and had great ideas for the little tricks we needed to make Grendels training go especially smooth. We are constantly getting compliments from people on how well behaved our dog is, and how friendly and fun she is. She is a better behaved dog because of this class! Thanks again!"

~ Pamela and Damien Buchkowski with Grendel

"Positive training methods that get results! Fun and experienced instructor! Devene has the knack of drawing in her clients with her fun personality and making the class feel like a bonded and cohesive little family. Everyone is sad when her class sessions comes to an end."

~ Kristi Nickel with Jordie

"It has been one of the best things that ever happened for our family in terms of owning a dog; I truly believe that so much heartache in the past could possibly have been avoided had we gotten involved w/ Trainer's Academy years ago.  Thank You So much!!!!!"

~ Ruth Tilton with Sophie

"That it was small and I felt like they really understood the behaviors of each dog, not just my own, and that kind of attention was awesome.  I've been to a class that had around 40 people and their puppies- that was complete mayhem and not much fun.  I really enjoyed coming to class each night.  The handouts teach you so much more than you think you know and they have good readings that help you actually understand exactly where your dog is coming from.  It makes the training process a lot smoother."                                                                                                               
 ~ Andrew Cherney with Bernie

"Emphasis on learning to communicate/understand with my dog.  Puppy play interaction to communicate proper bite inhibition."                                                                        

~ Kimberly Kirkland with Chauncey

"I liked having specific goals to work towards each week with Mo.  Even though we had already started to work on some items before starting your classes, it was really beneficial to have a progressive program which set specific goals on a weekly basis.  It helps to keep both Mo and myself focused."

~ Marlea Kobylarek with Molson

"Everything that was taught was very "User friendly"  and important information was always shared each evening.  Also, being with other puppy owners and interacting and sharing common "Puppy issues".  It made us feel like we were not the only ones with a problem."                       

~ Marilynn Roche with Duggan

"I really loved the positive spirit of the trainer and the volunteers as well as the time to allow the puppies to play. Additionally, everyone was so willing to help answer questions- even those that didn't apply to the whole class (like how to stop constant barking!)"                                        

~ Kaitlin O'Riordan with Sophie

"I liked the small class size and that the instructors had a tip or strategy for any situation that was presented. All the suggestions were sensible and easy to implement but are not things I would have thought of on my own. You sure know your dogs! I loved the rewards-based focus and the use of words only once the dog had mastered the behavior—much better than the dog having to learn by trial and error what all of our dog commands mean!"                                                                           

~ Amy Smalley with Atticus

"The instructors did a great job explaining all of the behavioral principles without making them too complicated for others to understand.  I also like how we each got a chance to ask questions. The emails were great and I plan to keep those for future reference!"

~ Veronica McAtee with Huntly

"This was a wonderful experience for us! While we both grew up in families with dogs, neither of us has ever had the responsibility of raising a puppy on our own. So, the class definitely helped us to get over our "new-parent-jitters"! The trainers were so very helpful and patient with us. We thought that training would be a lot of work, and didn't expect it to be so much fun for us and our puppy. As a result, we are really looking forward to taking our next class."

~ Philip and Katie Newman with Wellington

Thank You From a Future Puppy Student

Dear Lisa,

I recently signed up my puppy, Libby, for the puppy training class. We start  next week, but we''ve been having some issues with mouthing during playtime and pulling on the leash when I take her for walks.

I've read numerous books and magazines, but today I was browsing the Trainers  Academy's website and found the Tips link. I read a lot of the tips, but the two that made a HUGE impact on me were about walking on a leash and your philosophy about mouthing.

I've decided to stop our long walks until after puppy training classes.

Every article I've read about mouthing has said that I should stop her. That canine teeth should never touch human skin.  These people must have never actually owned a dog because it's almost impossible to keep an 11 week old puppy from mouthing.  Your philosophy about jaw pressure made total and complete sense
to me and struck such a cord of relief. I know now that this is normal and natural puppy behavior and that my job is to teach Libby how much is too much.  THAT I can do!

Thank you so much for your words of wisdom.  I was looking forward to starting our classes next week, but now I'm genuinely excited! 

Your Future Student and Libby's Mom,
Teri Woolley