Program fit
Who Puppy Fundamentals is for
Not every puppy needs a three-week board and train, and not every household is set up to use one. Puppy Fundamentals fits a specific pair: a puppy in its key learning window, and people who want the crate, the leash, the name and the basics taught before bad habits set. Here is the puppy, the household, the honest note on age, and the options for families who want the pup home every night.
Last reviewed October 4, 2026
Puppy and household
The fit is about the household as much as the puppy.
The puppy this program fits is young enough to still be deciding what the world is, and already busy enough to be practising things you would rather it did not: mouthing the leash, crying in the crate, treating its name as background noise. Three weeks of daily one-on-one work cover crate comfort, leash manners, name recognition, sit and stay, down and stay, place, and structured socialization, with new sights and sounds introduced calmly rather than all at once.
The household it fits is one that wants the foundation built properly and is willing to keep it going. That means using the crate the way the handover lesson shows, booking the free follow-up session within 60 days, and walking the pup on the included slip lead and training collar. There is no age number on this page, because puppies vary. Tell us the age and what you are seeing, and the consultation confirms whether the window is still open.
- Crate comfort and leash manners
- Name, sit, down, stay, place
- Calm around new sights and sounds
- Free follow-up within 60 days
Home every night
Two ways to train a puppy who sleeps at home.
Some families cannot picture three weeks without the puppy, and that is fair. Day Training runs Monday to Friday at $650 + GST per week: drop-off between 8 and 10 am, pick-up between 5 and 7 pm, one-on-one training, structured socialization and supervised play through the day, and a one-hour go-home lesson each week so the work transfers to you. The puppy sleeps in its own crate at home, which some households value more than the intensity of a board and train.
Private Training, $150 + GST for a one-hour session, suits the hands-on household: you do the daily work, we troubleshoot and send you off with a written plan for the week. It is a good fit when one adult is home and wants to learn the handling alongside the pup. Which route makes sense is settled at the consultation, where we recommend the program that matches the puppy and the house, and say so if the lighter option covers it.
Asked and answered
The questions people ask us.
How old does a puppy have to be for board and train?
We do not publish an age number, because the right time depends on the individual puppy and what it is already practising. Puppy Fundamentals is built for the key learning window, and the consultation confirms whether your pup is in it.
Is 3 weeks too long to send a puppy away for training?
It is a real question, and the answer depends on the household. During the three weeks the puppy lives a structured routine with daily one-on-one training, enrichment and individual care, and you get updates by phone, email and social media. Families who want the pup home every night can look at Day Training instead.
Does the puppy program include crate training?
Yes. Crate comfort is one of the core items, and the welcome package includes a crate-training guide so the routine continues at home. The handover lesson covers how to keep the crate a calm place rather than a punishment.
What is the difference between puppy board and train and day training?
Puppy Fundamentals is a three-week board and train at $2,775 + GST with a free follow-up within 60 days. Day Training is $650 + GST per week, Monday to Friday, with the puppy home each night and a one-hour go-home lesson every week. The consultation recommends one based on the puppy and your household.
Keep reading
Check the fit for your puppy
Book a consultation and tell us the age, the habits you are seeing, and how your household runs. We will recommend from there.
From real owners
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