It’s hard enough making sense of this dog-eat-dog world as a human, let alone as a four-legged floof. So whether you’ve just become a parent to a brand new pupper, have adopted a furry friend with a murky past, or have noticed your doggo has a bit of challenging behaviour brewing, training (for you and pup together) might just do the trick.
Daunted? That’s totally normal. Luckily, there’s a slew of experienced professionals ready in the wings to help guide you and your mutt towards the good life. Here are the best dog training programmes for you and your pooch.
Good Dog Training
Dairy Flat & Online
Image credit: Good Dog Training | Facebook
Translating the way your dog sees and navigates the world is at the heart of Good Dog Training. Through 1-on-1 (in-person or online), puppy-specific training or guided group sessions, the crew will teach you how to understand your pup and how to communicate effectively so they understand you in return.
Group sessions are an hour long, take place at Victor Eaves Park in Orewa, and are best suited for dogs at least 5.5 months old. Focus areas include leash fundamentals, down stay and focus, distraction and distance, confidence building, and recall.
Fairfield Pet Lodge
Clevedon
Ex-Police Dog Handler, Anton, creates training programmes tailored to your goals and your dog’s personality. Having worked with dobermans, German shepherds, jack russells, schnauzers, airedale terriers, malinios Belgian shepherds, and crossbreeds at police force level, you can expect top-tier training here. Anton is based at Fairfield Pet Lodge which doubles as kennels (and a cattery) and provides day care in addition to dog training for a two in one sitch.
Animates Vetcare Puppy Preschool
Ponsonby, Glenfield, Silverdale, Manukau, Westgate
For a comprehensive puppy training programme—five one-hour sessions to be exact—look no further than Animates Vetcare Puppy School. Suitable for puppies as young as eight weeks old, the course covers toilet training, calmness, settling into a new home, sleep rituals, health and safety essentials, basic handling cues, family life, canine communication fundamentals, and workshopping less-than-ideal behaviours.
Urban Dogs Puppy Social Club
Albany & Silverdale
Image credit: Urban Dogs Puppy Social Club | Facebook
New parents have antenatal groups, pup-parents deserve just as much support. Enter: Urban Dogs Puppy Social Club, a friendly, welcoming crew that’ll make sure your puppy-parenting game is strong from the get go.
Each programme is made up of two 45-minute sessions on Saturday mornings. Supported by the Urban Dogs Squad, you’ll learn how to school your pup in dog training basics in a social environment. Plus, it’ll be very, very cute.
See Spot Learn
Auckland
Training your dog to obey you is one thing but creating strong, clear communication channels between you and your canine that nurture puppy (and owner) confidence set the foundation for a strong, sustainable relationship, and that’s what See Spot Learn is all about. Created and run by Accredited Canine Behaviour Consultant, Emily Dustan, training options span puppy training classes, private dog training, and life skills group classes.
Mush Dog Training
Central Auckland
Jaimee, the powerhouse behind Mush Dog Training, knows a thing or two about empowering hounds especially when it comes to soothing past trauma—her background is in rehabilitation and rehoming of racing greyhounds. Jaimee runs private home-based sessions including puppy training, one-off sessions for specific issues, subscription-based comprehensive training, and bespoke plans.
K9 Services
West Auckland, Hibiscus Coast & online
Image credit: K9 Services | Facebook
Certified Professional Dog Trainer, Liz Clough, is at the helm of K9 Services. She uses positive, science based training methods (rather than physical corrections, fear, or intimidation) to build or enhance your relationship with your doggo.
And if in-person training is proving too tricky to sort, this crew offers an online training academy covering basic obedience through to advanced tricks and behaviour modification which you can work through at your own pace, whenever it suits you.
Clever Canines
Wairau Valley
Life is so much better with friends and at Clever Canines your pup will get schooled in essential life skills while making an adorably motley crew of mates in the process. The dog calming code, a method for instilling positive behaviours in your dog, long-term, is woven throughout all learning services including puppy and dog training, as well as behavioural problem-solving.
Looking for more pooch business? Check out:
- Auckland’s Best Dog-Friendly Eateries For Puppy School Grads
- Stunning Dog-Friendly Beaches For Off-Leash Play
- Get Your Pooch A Makeover With Tāmaki's Best Groomers
Main image credit: Good Dog Training | Facebook
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