Welcome To Good Dog's Puppy Training Program

Raising a puppy is the equivalent of homeschooling a child, except in this case, you are the teacher and your puppy is your student — one who doesn’t speak your language. Luckily, Good Dog's Puppy Training Program was created to help you translate.

The only way your pup knows what is “right” or “wrong” is through your responses and signals. For example, if your pup gets on the dining room table to steal some food and you grab your phone to take a photo, you have just told the puppy that jumping on the dining room table is fine to do. Instead, if you were to unceremoniously remove the pup from the table, the puppy will learn that jumping on tables is not a good thing to do.

To teach a pup well, you will need to know what you want to teach, have an idea of how dogs learn, understand the specifics of how to teach certain behaviors, and then put it all together to teach your pup step by step. As with all teaching, not everything will go according to plan, so you'll also need to be able to adjust to your pup’s (and family’s) needs.

Pups will also go through many phases until they finally become adults. However, it's possible to learn how those changes might manifest themselves so you'll be ready to respond appropriately, re-teach if needed, or troubleshoot the challenges.

What Do You Get In Good Dog's Puppy Training Program?

The thoughtfully crafted courses within Good Dog's Puppy Training Program were designed to enable puppy parents to become great teachers, and help you navigate through the situations mentioned above. Plus, our hands-on coaching is readily available to troubleshoot any issues that arise as your pup grows, and is always tailored to your specific challenge.

Here's what you get from Good Dog's Puppy Training Program:

1. Online, self-paced classes on specific puppy-raising topics, such as house-training and socialization, that will guide you in raising your puppy over the next year
2. Weekly live coaching calls where you can get your questions answered by dog-training experts
3. Weekly email office hours where you can get written guidance on solving your pup’s challenges
4. Private Facebook Group where you can join other puppy owners and dog trainers
5. Access to a growing resource library with quick info on specific issues

What Sets Good Dog's Puppy Training Program Apart?

First, our coaches are dog experts. Together, they have nearly 60 years of experience training and raising puppies of all breeds and types. We’ve trained thousands of puppy owners to bring up lovely pups to be everything they want in a dog. And you get direct access to the coaching team, online or on live calls.

Next, the Puppy Training Program grows with your pup. Depending upon the breed, your pup may not be an adult for a year or two. Knowing what to do through each phase of puppyhood, from those early weeks through the teenage months will give you more confidence and skill. And having a team of coaches to turn to for answers to questions about young and older pups is a lifesaver.

You also get a supportive community of other puppy owners, trainers, and breeders to turn to for your pup’s unique challenges or other questions you have. Where to find the best chews? How can you make delicious treats? Should you spay or neuter your pup? And lots more.

Finally, you get a program that is evolving as our community grows. More resources and classes will be added as you tell us what you need.

Get The Most Out Of The Puppy Training Program

Since puppies are figuring out their new world every minute of every day, what they will learn first is what they learn best. Because of the way dogs' brains develop, what puppies learn between ages 3 to 16 weeks will stay with them forever, unless and until someone makes them unlearn it. And in dogs, like people, unlearning later in life is a lot harder than learning right the first time. Regardless, our training program is here to support you, and help you make the most of your experience.

Here are four steps to getting the most out of the Puppy Training Program:

1. Take The Online Classes

The program begins with six self-paced, online courses to get you started. You can take them one at a time or dig into an area where you and your pup need the most work. If you just got your puppy, we recommend you go through the courses in this order, and finish each lesson before moving on to the next.

1. House and Crate Training: House and crate training are critical first steps in incorporating your puppy into your home and family.
2. Socialization and Trust Building: Next, go through the socialization courses to learn what you need to know about the so-important socialization of your pup. Do not introduce your pup to other dogs until you've watched this class!
3. Exercise and Fitness: Learn how to exercise your pup while keeping them tired and safe. Just a hint: long walks aren’t the answer to puppy exercise.
4. Biting, Chewing, Jumping Solutions: Teach your pup to be sweet, polite, and fun.
5. Nutrition: Now, what to feed your puppy? Go through the Feeding And Supplementing Your Dog classes to learn how to design a healthy diet for your puppy.
6. Adventure Walks: If your pup is still less than 16 weeks old, Adventure Walks are a great way to teach your puppy to follow you when off leash. These walks also develop your pup’s body and problem-solving skills, and are tons of fun!

2. Get Coaching

Learn how to get coaching through our weekly group Facebook Live calls, email office hours, and our private Facebook group. We're excited to see you in one of our sessions soon!

3. Train Every Day

Here is the good news and the bad — puppies learn very quickly. This means they learn the good stuff quickly, but they also learn bad habits and behaviors equally as fast. To ensure your pup learns the right stuff, train for short periods of time every day.

4. Participate in Our Community

We'd love for you to participate in the Puppy Training Facebook community to post videos, ask for suggestions, or get additional help should you need it. It's a great place to meet other pet parents and connect with Good Dog experts in real time.

We're excited to officially welcome you to Good Dog's Puppy Training Program — let's get started!