The first year comes with many challenges as you take on the task of raising your puppy into a confident and well-socialized adult dog. You might feel like you are dealing with a baby shark; a backyard excavator; or a Tasmanian devil on-leash. Or you may find that your puppy is a bit overwhelmed by the big world and is tentative to play the urban game. The first few months in particular are a period of discovery, both in what your puppy needs and what knowledge you need to provide for your new companion.

In so many ways, who knew puppies could be this complex?

The good news is, you can turn that chaos and uncertainty into baby dog perfection through learning essential life skills and receiving coaching that will support the both of you in that first critical year.

Vancouver Puppy Training Classes

This is where we step in! Through our extensive list of private and group puppy training classes, you will gain perspective and reassurance with a training plan that evolves alongside your puppy – so you both can enjoy this magical time together.

You need your puppy to understand you – and this starts with YOU understanding your puppy!

Consider early puppy training as an investment in your future adult dog: what puppies learn first they learn best, and often for life. Through our Vancouver Puppy Class line-up, we will give you support from the age of 8 weeks through to 12 months with our variety of puppy development group classes, as well as private course options. Many of our Vancouver puppy clients like to do a combination of both, getting their individual needs met at home AND also learning in a group environment.

Zen Dog Canine Training offers a broad range of Puppy Training Classes both in the form of private coaching and also in a group class format. Regardless of your needs, experience, time and travel restraints, we have something to offer everyone – and every puppy. Whether you come to us, or we come to you, help is available!

Zen Dog Puppy Socialization Classes

Our Puppy Socialization Classes are in the form of a seven-lesson Puppy Kindergarten Class, spanning six weeks with two zoom sessions and five in-store group classes. We will cover the puppy-related topics that will help you navigate all of your puppy’s basic needs and early education in a concise and fun format. We discuss marker training, early socialization, health and wellness, biting, crate issues, chewing, potty training, toy play, equipment and other puppy essentials, body awareness, grooming, early training exercises – and how to get a good night’s sleep!

When your puppy socialization period has ended (generally around 16 weeks of age), we are there to guide you though the next stages – especially the important adolescent milestone and all the challenges (and sometimes frustrations) it poses. This is where we move to the outdoors! Our Zen Puppy Grade One and Zen Puppy Grade Two pick up where Kindergarten leaves off and we transition into senior puppy education that will build both confidence and essential skills useful in the real world.

Continued Early Puppy Development Classes

Puppy Grade One focuses on early leash skills, coping with distractions in the outside world, socially savvy street greetings, that all-essential recall for a lifetime of off leash fun (down the road), impulse control (for those pesky squirrels, and sandwiches left on picnic tables) and relationship building tools so that you are your puppy’s #1. This puppy course targets puppies just before they go into adolescence.

Puppy Grade Two specifically targets the adolescent puppy with a fast paced and highly game-based approach to your relationship. We get more into choice-based training (as this is what the teenage puppy needs) and discuss strategies to survive the transition period that arrives around the 6 to 8 month mark, depending on the breed. We focus more on play and attention games, getting your puppy to work further away from you and enjoy some safely constructed independence.

In-home Private Puppy Training Classes

For Vancouver clients who want a private format in their home, our Zen Puppy Jump Start is a condensed version of our Vancouver Puppy Kindergarten Class. Through Jump Start we focus on the core exercises needed to develop great social, leash and off-leash skills, as well as discussions on all the relevant puppy topics that need consideration in daily life.

If you are looking for Vancouver puppy training services, we’ve got you covered! We work with your schedule and learning style, and are with you for the long haul. With more than two decades of baby dog experience behind us, we can’t wait to share our knowledge with you!