Private training
Private training for puppies
Some families want to raise the puppy themselves and simply want someone experienced beside them while the early weeks unfold. That is what a private session is for. We work with you and the pup on the habits that tend to set the tone for years, then provide a written weekly plan the whole household can follow between sessions, including the person who keeps sneaking treats under the table.
Last reviewed September 29, 2026
Early priorities
The habits worth coaching while the puppy is still small.
A puppy session is mostly about routines, because a puppy is mostly routines. We look at the toileting schedule and tighten it around meals, naps and the back door. If crate comfort is a worry, we look at how the crate is being used and adjust. Name response is a goal we train toward, one word paired with something good, and we keep expectations realistic for a brain that is weeks old: some pups turn quickly, others need many repetitions first.
Sit and place come next, taught with a marker and a reward. Handling gets its own block: paws, ears, mouth and collar touches, each paired with a treat, aiming for an easier vet visit. The leash is introduced as something that follows the puppy rather than steers it. We sketch a socialization plan for the coming weeks, sights, sounds and surfaces matched to your pup's confidence, and we provide a written weekly plan customized to your home, broken into small daily pieces.
- Toileting built around meals
- Crate comfort, coached not forced
- Name, sit and place
- Handling, leash and socialization plan
Live-in alternative
When three weeks of Puppy Fundamentals suits the family better.
Coaching assumes someone is home enough to practise and hold a routine. If the pup arrived the same month as a new job, a renovation or a newborn, that may honestly not be the case. Puppy Fundamentals is the alternative: a three-week board and train at $2,775 + GST, working on leash manners, name recognition, sit, down, place, crate comfort and structured socialization, with a slip lead and training collar to take home, an owner handover lesson and a follow-up session within 60 days.
Puppy Fundamentals is built for puppies in their key learning window, and the consultation is where that call gets made, on your puppy and your week rather than on which option costs more. Private sessions at $150 + GST, with a plan to run at home, are built for hands-on owners who want to do the training themselves with a professional reading over their shoulder. We recommend the program that fits, and when the smaller one is enough, we say so.
The programs
Programs and prices
W · One-hour session
Private Training
One-on-one coaching with you on the other end of the leash.
Includes a written weekly plan to work from
SW · Weekdays, drop-off 8–10 am · pick-up 5–7 pm
Day Training
Professional training all day, your couch at night.
Includes weekly one-hour go-home lesson, daily structure
NE · 2-week board & train
On-Leash Foundations
If every walk is a wrestling match, pulling, barking, zig-zagging, this two-week program rebuilds the walk from the ground up with foundational on-leash obedience..
Includes handover lesson, follow-up session, lifetime support, slip lead + collar
Asked and answered
The questions people ask us.
Is private puppy training better than a puppy class?
We do not run classes; everything is one-on-one. For a puppy that means the hour goes into your pup's specific sticking points, whether that is the crate, the back door or sleeves, rather than whatever the room needs that night.
What does a puppy trainer cover in private lessons?
Typically a toileting routine, crate comfort, name response, sit, place, handling for the vet and groomer, a first introduction to the leash, and a socialization plan for the weeks ahead. We provide a written weekly plan customized to your home so the rest of the household can run it too.
How old should a puppy be for one on one puppy training?
Sooner tends to be better, because a puppy is practising something every day whether or not anyone is coaching it. If you are unsure whether your pup is ready, ask at the consultation and we will give you a straight answer.
What does private puppy training cost?
One hour is $150 + GST, and we provide the written weekly plan with it. Puppy Fundamentals, the three-week live-in alternative, is $2,775 + GST and includes a handover lesson, the slip lead and collar, and a follow-up session within 60 days.
Keep reading
Raise the puppy yourself, coached
Book a consultation. We will say plainly whether private coaching or three weeks of Puppy Fundamentals suits your pup.
From real owners
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Real Northline dogs