July 2021 Update
We are continuing to offer a combination of in-person and drop-off puppy training options.
Puppy Kindergarten – In-person Puppy Kindergarten classes (masks are required).
Puppy Socials – In-person Puppy Socials (masks are required).
Private training sessions – In-person at Doggy Business (masks are required).
Puppy Fast Track – Drop-off Puppy Fast Track training – let us do the training for you!
Puppy Skills Series Online Seminars
We are offering single-session seminars about a variety of puppy topics. See the description below for more details.
We’re looking forward to seeing you and your puppy! Please remember to stay home if you have any symptoms of COVID-19.
Raising a puppy is no easy business!
There aren’t many things in this world better than puppies. But they aren’t always easy.
All that cute comes with seemingly endless energy, sharp baby teeth and a penchant for using them on all manner of inappropriate things, and no sense of proper elimination protocols, if you get our drift.
That’s why we offer three ways to get some puppy raising help-all designed to make puppyhood easier now and life with your soon-to-be adult dog a joy.
Enjoy a 1-2-3 training punch from all our puppy training Portland programs:
- Relief from puppy problems like house training accidents, puppy biting, jumping, barking, and chewing.
- Basic manners foundations like sit, down, stay, coming when called, and settling on a mat.
- Socialization for a great adult dog who’s calm and relaxed around other dogs, polite with people, a pleasure to have around the house, and easy to take anywhere.
Why choose us for your puppy training Portland:
We’ve made it our business to be the best in the doggy business. Here’s how:
- Three distinct programs fit training into even the busiest of lifestyles
- Small class sizes for plenty of individualized support
- Certified, knowledgeable trainers help you get the best results in class or private training
- No aversives, ever-we use the most scientifically up-to-date reward-based training
- We combine basic manners + socialization for an easier puppy and a fabulous adult dog
- Super busy? Choose our Puppy Fast Track training program and let us train your puppy for you
Puppy Training Option #1:Puppy Training Classes
Puppy Skills Series Online Seminars
We are offering single-session seminars about a variety of puppy topics.
Tuition: $30
Puppy Comes Home! The First Weeks
The first few weeks at home are the perfect time to create a routine for your puppy that will set everyone up for success. This hour-long class gives you the tools you need to build a routine that works for your daily life, and works for your puppy. We will discuss crate training, keeping your puppy safe and happy when you’re busy (or just need a break!), how to build great housetraining habits, and how to minimize common puppy behaviors like chewing on inappropriate objects.
| Start Date | Day | Time | Instructor |
|---|---|---|---|
| October 19 | Tuesday | 5:30-6:30pm | Alexis DeGregorio, CPDT-KA |
Kids & Pups: Establishing Harmony
Raising a puppy alongside children is a big job! This hour-long seminar will discuss how to manage your puppy’s daily routine so it works well for your household’s activities. We’ll cover common issues like puppy biting, nipping, and jumping, and why puppies find kids so exciting! We’ll talk about how to create boundaries for children and puppies that will build a bond, and give each other down time. Training games that safely include kids and pups playing and learning together to establish a common vocabulary are a fun part of this class.
| Start Date | Day | Time | Instructor |
|---|---|---|---|
| October 26 | Tuesday | 5:30-6:30pm | Alexis DeGregorio, CPDT-KA |
Puppy Care: Grooming and Veterinary Prep
Teaching your puppy to be comfortable with routine husbandry and veterinary care provides life-long benefits. In this one-hour seminar, we will discuss how to build foundation skills that make nose-to-tail care a chance for bonding and enjoyment rather than a struggle. Join us in learning about aspects of canine physical care such as bathing, grooming, ear care, dental health, and nail trims, as well as building calm behaviors during vet exams. A puppy that can willingly participate in husbandry is on the right track to a life of health and wellness.
| Start Date | Day | Time | Instructor |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coming Soon | Tuesday | 5:30-6:30pm | Alexis DeGregorio, CPDT-KA |
Puppy Kindergarten Group Training Class
THE MOST IMPORTANT CLASS YOU’LL EVER TAKE WITH YOUR DOG
A fun, interactive way to get off on a good paw with your new best friend! We begin with a human-only first session to start tackling common puppy behaviors like house training, biting, and chewing. Then join fellow puppy owners and one of our certified professional instructors for six laughter-filled sessions on basic behaviors like sit, down, stay, and come. All this while we provide essential socialization lessons that help your puppy grow up to be an easy-going, friendly, polite adult dog. Along the way you’ll be introduced to easy-to-use, effective, dog-friendly training techniques like clicker training, capturing, and targeting. It’s a blast!
For: Puppies aged 9 to 16 weeks at the start of class.
You Should Know: Puppies must have at least one round of puppy vaccines that include distemper/parvo and must have been in your home for at least 7 days prior to their first class. Puppies need to be free of any illness – no coughing, sneezing, diarrhea, vomiting, etc. The first class will be an humans-only orientation, so no puppies for that first day.
Class Length: 7 weeks.
Tuition: $210.
| Start Date | Day | Time | Instructor |
|---|---|---|---|
| October 19 | Tuesday | 6:30-7:30pm | Meredith Wilson, MA, CPDT-KA & Maddy May (CPDT-KA pending) |
To start the enrollment process, please click on the link below to set up an account in our online scheduling software (Gingr). From there you can request the Puppy Kindergarten and all of our other services!
Puppy Socials
HANDS-DOWN THE BEST HOUR OF YOUR WEEK, WE PROMISE!
We are offering Puppy Socials through a new drop-off format. To make sure everyone is able to maintain the required 6-foot social distance, we will have some specific guidelines for how to drop your puppy off and pick your puppy up. We will get those guidelines to you in a confirmation email 1-2 days before each Social. We will have a maximum of 8 puppies for these socials & require prior registration. PLEASE DO NOT COME IF YOU ARE NOT FEELING WELL. We will be shifting back to in-person Puppy Socials in August.
Just imagine it: A room full of puppies playing. Can you think of a better way to spend an hour? Yeah, neither can we. Supervised by a certified professional dog trainer, your puppy will learn appropriate greeting and play behavior with fellow canines and with humans, too. We’ll also shake things up with a variety of socialization exercises to help your puppy learn to ignore life’s distractions and surprises. A kid whizzing by on a skateboard? Ho hum, says your puppy. The vacuum cleaner? Boring. Loud, sudden noises? I didn’t even notice. Our puppy social’s motto: A well-socialized puppy is an easy-going dog—and that’s exactly what our puppy socials aim to provide.
For: Puppies aged 9 to 20 weeks (5 months) old at the start of class, and the groups are split by age.
- Saturdays 10-11am – For puppies 9-13 weeks old or less than 10 pounds
- Saturdays 11:30am-12:30pm – For puppies 14-20 weeks old
You Should Know: Puppies must have at least one round of vaccines and must have been in your home for at last 7 days prior to their first social. Puppies need to be free of any illness – no coughing, sneezing, diarrhea, vomiting, etc. Please bring a copy of your puppies shot records to the social.
Tuition: $30 per session (beginning Oct 1). Package of 3 for $85, package of 5 for $135. Payment and shot records due at registration.
To start the enrollment process, please click on the link below to set up an account in our online scheduling software (Gingr). From there you can request the Puppy Social. If you aren’t able to request a Social, then it has booked up. If you’d like to be on the waiting list please DROP US AN EMAIL.
Keep It Going Puppy!
ADDRESSING ADOLESCENCE
So you and your puppy just finished Puppy Kindergarten. Excellent! That’s exactly what your puppy needed – active work on socialization and bite inhibition. Well, what’s next? ADOLESCENCE! It may be a scary word, but don’t worry, we’ve got the class for you. Keep It Going Puppy is a fun way to continue the learning as your puppy enters a new developmental stage. They’re continuing to grow, develop, and learn and often their attention is focused on their environment, and no longer on you!
This class is tailored to help get their attention back on you, while continuing their structured socialization with new things. Adolescence is the time to add more “cushion” to your dog’s comfort level with new, startling, or even scary things, so that they can shrug off that loud sound or snippy dog. We continue to work on handleability for the vet or groomer, attention when you need it, a solid stay, coming when called, and polite walking. We also address how to prevent problem behaviors from arising, and how to manage them when they do.
Prerequisite: Puppy Kindergarten
For: Dogs aged 5 to 12 months old who are comfortable hanging out around other dogs and new people. This class is not for dogs who bark and lunge at other dogs.
You Should Know: First class is a human-only orientation (leave your pups at home for this one).
Class Length: 7 weeks
Tuition: $210
| Start Date | Day | Time | Instructor |
|---|---|---|---|
| July 12 | Monday | 5:00-6:00pm | Meredith Wilson, MA, CPDT-KA |
To start the enrollment process, please click on the link below to set up an account in our online scheduling software (Gingr). From there you can request Keep It Going Puppy and all of our other services!
Puppy Training Option #2: Private Puppy Training
A CUSTOMIZED APPROACH TO PUPPY RAISING HELP
Need a more personalized puppy training solution? Let our trainers bring you puppy raising relief. From basic manners to problem puppy behaviors to socialization to ensure the adult dog of your dreams, we will personalize a training program and give you a unique written training plan designed to reach your goals and fit into your daily routine. We are currently offering online private puppy training through Zoom or in-person at Doggy Business.
For: Puppies of any age
You Should Know: Private training begins with a one-hour initial training session to discuss your goals, devise a training plan, and bring some initial relief. From there we can follow up with one-hour or 30-minute sessions as needed.
Program Length: Your training program will be customized to your goals. Just need a little housetraining help? A session or two will do. Looking for basic manners? We generally recommend 3 to 5 sessions depending on goals. Struggling with larger issues? We’ll tailor a plan to meet your needs.
Training Fees: $110 per hour; discounted package rates available when you commit to 5 or more sessions
To schedule your Initial Consult, reach out by email or give us a call at 503.327.8877.
Puppy Training Option #3: Puppy Fast Track Program
THE PERFECT OPTION FOR SUPER BUSY PUPPY PARENTS
The perfect option for the harried puppy owner! Need some regular time to yourself to run errands or make that conference call? You can drop your puppy off for an hour-long training session with one of our team of puppy trainers. Your pup works on learning to keep her teeth to herself, on walking with poise, and polite sits to greet family, friends, and strangers. She learns basic manners like sit, down, settle on her mat, come when called, and not pulling on leash. We know you also want a puppy who can be comfortable hanging out on her own, so separation practice (in a crate or xpen area) is an important part of the training. And all that exercise and learning translates to a significantly calmer puppy at the end of the day—phew!
In short, if you’d like a PDX puppy (and eventually grown dog) who knows how to handle herself at home as well as about town—but you don’t have the time to train—this is the puppy program for you.
How it Works
We currently require a minimum of 10 sessions (with at least 2 sessions per week) for this service. If you’re interested in just 1-2 training sessions, check out our Private Training option above.
- The Puppy Fast Track program was developed to support and train puppies throughout their critical socialization period.
- Drop off your puppy at Doggy Business so they can work one-of-one with their trainer.
- We currently offer this service Tuesday through Saturday in the afternoons.
- We’ll ask you to provide 1 of their favorite toys, and their bed, blanket, or a towel for them to practice settle. The trainer will have a leash and front-clip harness to use during the sessions, and we will provide “Happy Howie” dog treats. If your puppy has a sensitive tummy, we’ll ask you to bring in 2-3 types of high value treats for each session.
- Once your puppy has had 3 rounds of their puppy shots, the sessions will include an outdoor socialization adventure in the Doggy Business neighborhood. As appropriate (following social distancing and other coronavirus guidelines) the socialization trips may include visits to busy neighborhoods or retail areas along Fremont Ave or Alberta Ave. Puppies need to be crate trained so they can travel safely in the car.
- At the end of each session, the trainer will send a digital report card with details about the exercises your puppy worked on and their socialization outing. We’ll also send videos of the training sessions at the end of each week.
- The trainer will also schedule regular transfer sessions with you so that we can make sure your puppy gives you the same sharp skills that they learn from their trainer.
For: Puppies 9 weeks to 5 months old
You Should Know: Puppies must have at least one round of puppy shots to join Puppy Fast Track. They need to be free of any illness – no coughing, sneezing, diarrhea, vomiting, etc. – and must have been in your home for at least 7 days prior to their first Puppy Fast Track outing
Program Length: One hour day training
Training Fees: We require a minimum of 10 sessions (at least 2 sessions per week) to join the Puppy Fast Track program.
- 10-session package – $1,045 (5% discount). Includes follow up support, handouts, and regular transfer sessions. Payment can be made in up to 5 installments.
- 20-session package – $1,980 (10% discount). Includes follow up support, handouts, and regular transfer sessions. Payment can be made in up to 10 installments.
Puppy Fast Track begins with a free 30 minute Meet & Greet at Doggy Business. To schedule yours, reach out by email or give us a call at 503.327.8877.
A message from Doggy Business owners Doug Duncan & Meredith Wilson
WHY ALL THE FOCUS ON SOCIALIZATION? We know you’re probably here because your puppy is peeing all over everything or puncturing skin and clothing with those baby canines. Also because you’d like that little bundle of cute to come when you call and sit when you ask. We understand, and all of our puppy training Portland programs are designed to tackle these issues and get your puppy started on her basic manners.
But while we’re at it, we also want to make sure your pup is properly socialized so you get to enjoy a super chill, laid back adult dog who’s great with other dogs, kids, and strangers-a dog who can go anywhere with you, handle any situation.
It can be hard to prioritize socialization when you’ve got a wriggly, friendly puppy on your hands. But too often friendly puppies break their peoples’ hearts by turning into fearful adults, and fear easily morphs into aggressive behavior like barking, growling, and lunging to make scary thing move away. Puppy socialization-systematic, positive exposure to all we want pups to be cool about as adults-is key to avoiding this heatbreak as your puppy reaches sexual maturity.
The good news is that socializing puppies is easy and fun and can be done while your puppy is learning her basic manners. In fact, the two go hand-in-hand perfectly. So let’s get training and socializing your fabulous new family member together!
Want to know more about us first?
Read here about our credentials and puppy training team
-Doug & Meredith
Think our puppy training classes, private training, or Fast Track Puppy program might be the right fit for you and your puppy?
Set up your free Meet & Greet today →
Schedule your Private Training, Initial Consult or Puppy Fast Track Meet & Greet by email or phone: 503.327.8877
4905 NE 42nd Avenue Portland, Oregon
503.327.8877
Dog daycare, group dog training classes and private dog training.
