Puppy Training and Socialization

Start Your New Best Friend Off On The Right Foot

Maybe you chose a puppy because you wanted to start with a blank slate. But now that slate is a little too blank and if you see one more yellow puddle on the carpet this week, you may lose it.

Maybe you chose a puppy because you love that cute little face. (And seriously, who could blame you?) But now that same cute little face is armed with a lot of not-so-cute little teeth and a piranha-like drive to sink those 28 razor-sharp mouth-needles into absolutely everything in sight. Relentlessly. For hours.

Maybe your puppy only has two modes:
1. Precious Sleepy Cuddly Angel Baby
2. Highly-Caffeinated Velociraptor

And maybe you were prepared for all of that, but you still want to have peace of mind that you are building the best dog possible. You’re the responsible type and you’d rather teach your puppy to be civilized from day one instead of waiting for bad habits to develop — and you know the socialization clock is already ticking from the minute puppy comes home.

No matter what: You want the best for your new best friend. That means taking care of their growing mind as well as their growing body.

And that’s why you’re reaching out to a professional.

Good Behavior Starts Early

There is a lot of “hurry up” in the puppy training stage, both for you and for your dog.

On the human end of the leash, you’re probably counting down the minutes until this puppy has a full-sized bladder, the capacity to sleep through the night and something resembling common sense about what to put in their mouth and what will kill them. You know it’s all part of the process, but some days, it’s a lot to manage.

But the urgency on the puppy end of the leash is more subtle and, in the long run, more important. Their socialization window is rapidly closing.

You know that socialization is important, but did you know that the primary socialization period ends at just twelve to sixteen weeks old? That means raising a well-adjusted dog gets harder the longer you wait to begin training. And socialization is a lot more nuanced than just letting a bunch of people pet the puppy. That is the itty-bittiest tip of the socialization iceberg.

Early training and socialization are the difference between a dog who can roll with the punches in life and a dog who needs to be managed:
— Crated when your guests come to the door…
— Boarded when you have company over for the holidays…
— Left at home when you have lunch at that restaurant with the pet-friendly patio because the jumping is just embarrassing…
— And so on.

That’s not the life you’re dreaming of for your puppy.

Training classes can solve two problems at once: You get a puppy with manners ASAP and your dog gets a solid start in life with well-structured early socialization. Win/win!

Fixer Upper Package

The Fixer Upper package is exactly what it says on the label: a just-enough tune-up class for puppies who know most of the basics and just need to polish up that one problem behavior that has been driving you nuts. No bells, no whistles — just quick and effective solutions to garden-variety nuisance behaviors like potty training, nipping, inappropriate chewing or crying in the crate.

Because this three-lesson package is smaller than our full obedience programs and does not include a full curriculum, it is better suited to addressing one or two specific behaviors.

$300

Basic Obedience

Basic Obedience is our just-enough introductory program for the average pup. This is a standardized curriculum with only our most requested lesson plans included.

In five weekly classes, we’ll teach your puppy basic manners such as Attention, Sit, Down, Come, Leave It, Go To Place and Stay. You’ll learn one or two new skills each week and have homework to practice with your dog in between lessons.

You’ll also learn easy solutions for common nuisance behaviors such as nipping, chewing, pulling on the leash, jumping on guests, stealing food and pottying in the house.

And you’ll get a primer on what socialization really is, why it matters so much, how to do it right the first time and how to dodge the most common (and most damaging) mistakes people make with the best of intentions.

$500

Real World Ready

Real World Ready is by far our most popular training class. Your puppy can be as polite at the park or on the restaurant patio as they are in your living room.

This eight-week program takes a hybrid approach. It’s a mix of in-home lessons so your dogs can learn the skills, plus field trip lessons in pet-friendly public places.

In six weekly in-home classes, we’ll set the foundations for good manners and address your puppy’s behavioral challenges at home. For the the final two lessons, we’ll take our show on the road with two “field trip” lessons to dog-friendly public places to take your puppy’s skills to the next level.

And in this program, we don’t just tell you how to do puppy socialization correctly — we show you how to accomplish it in new public environments, hands-on and in real time so you can ask questions about the process.

$750

A black and tan german shepherd puppy with lopsided ears smiles in front of green grass.

Natalie is incredibly patient and knowledgeable. She has helped us with a myriad of obedience and behavioral issues with our pups and was able to help us correct one who we could not house break ourselves. Our dog is always very excited for our lessons and Natalie provides so much helpful advice!

Emily and Alex W.

Parents of Valkyrie and Thor, Boston Terriers

Frequently Asked Questions

You’ve got questions? We’ve got answers!

Who are Level Up’s private puppy training classes for?

Level Up’s puppy training classes are ideal for families with puppies under the age of six months — and you’ll get the most benefit when your puppy is still under sixteen weeks. (Have an older puppy? You’re looking for our regular dog training classes!)

How do in-home puppy training lessons work?

We’ll meet once a week for about an hour. You’ll learn a new training game or two, practice the skills you’ll be teaching your puppy each week and get solutions to common puppy training woes like potty training, nipping, jumping, stealing food and so on.

Where is Level Up Dog Training located?

No need to find extra time to travel to a facility — the trainer comes to your home or meets with you in a pet-friendly public place in the community. If you are within 20 miles of Yadkinville, North Carolina, you’re in our service area.

How does lesson scheduling work?

For best results, we recommend scheduling a puppy training lesson once a week. We use a self-scheduling program so that you are in charge of the calendar. You can flexibly book appointments to fit your busy schedule — no need to be locked into the same class times every week like you would with a group class.

What type of homework should I expect?

You’ll have a few homework exercises each week, which should take 5 to 15 minutes per day to complete. (Overachievers, you’re welcome to do twice a day.) How quickly your puppy levels up partially depends on how often you practice, so you’ll get better results if you can commit to frequent small practice sessions. We may also suggest one-time (and usually temporary) lifestyle changes to support your training goals, such as putting up a baby gate to keep the puppy out of some areas of the house when they’re too young to make good decisions on their own, for example.

Can you just train the puppy for me?

If the idea of adding another task to your already-too-full schedule is exhausting, I also offer Puppy Day School where I do most of the training homework for you. It’s often a better option for very-busy families who want the best for their dogs but just don’t have enough hours in the day.

What if my puppy needs more serious help?

In a perfect world, puppies would truly be blank slates and enough love could cure everything — but that’s not the world we live in. Sometimes even the best of parents can end up with a behaviorally-special-needs puppy.

Obedience and socialization can go a long way, but they work better as a preventative than a cure. There’s a difference between a puppy who needs a teacher and a puppy who needs a therapist (or occasionally an exorcist; I don’t judge). These puppy obedience classes are for the ones who need a teacher, and they aren’t suitable for resolving complex behavior issues.

If your puppy is showing signs of fearfulness, guarding or aggression, you would see more improvement from Behavior Modification, which we also offer.

Your Puppy Is Going To Grow Up

Let’s give them the best possible start in life.

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