Southern Cross Vet Puppy School

puppy school near me

If you are searching for a Puppy School in Sydney, we have you covered at Southern Cross Vet! We currently offer schools at our St Peters Vet Clinic in the Inner West, Bellevue Hill Vet Clinic in the Eastern Suburbs and Surry Hills which is centrally located.

New puppies are adorable. They bring lots of love, fun, and play into your life. They also bring holes in your garden, wet patches on the floor, crying and yapping in the middle of the night, warm little piles on your best rug and missing socks becomes normal. And if you aren’t careful, these problems can continue or even get worse over time.

That’s what we want to help you avoid and that’s why we have amazing puppy classes at all of our clinics.

The first years of your puppy’s life are absolutely essential. They determine whether your puppy will grow up to be well-behaved member of your family or a constant headache. At our Puppy Schools all over Sydney, we can teach you the best way to help grow your puppy into a confident, well mannered dog who makes your life better, and your family complete.

We have schools at St Peters Vet Clinic in the Inner West, Bellevue Hill Vet Clinic in the Eastern Suburbs, and a centrally located school in Surry Hills. So, no matter where you live, we have you covered.

Complete Puppy Training & What to expect at our Puppy School

Our training programs are specifically designed to gradually build your puppy’s skills and confidence. Our qualified, fully accredited and experienced trainers will guide you through critical stages of your puppy’s development and the classes include general obedience skills such as:

  • Sit
  • Stay
  • Lay down.
  • Leave it or let go.
  • Listening for a name.
  • Coming when called.
  • Toilet training.

But we can also help with common puppy behaviours like:

  • Nipping and biting hands.
  • Chewing shoes or other items.
  • Jumping up.
  • Hyperactivity
  • Yapping or howling at night or when left alone.
  • Toilet training problems.

Each of our classes combines learning about the theory mixed with training practical skills.

With all of this training, we focus on what to do when your puppy displays the behaviour and on how to prevent further development of the habit.

Better Socialisation

Well socialised dogs are happy, confident, and easy to manage. Dogs who are isolated or don’t know how to interact with strangers or other dogs can display nervous behaviours like barking or even aggression. That’s why we focus on teaching your puppy how to socialise and on teaching you the best ways to expose your pet to new environments, people, and animals.

We have one-to-one sessions with your puppy and another dog of a similar size so they can come out of their shell and play with confidence. This is like pre-school for dogs. Your puppy will get to know other breeds and personalities and how to interact with them. This will help your pet grow into a confident, well balanced dog.

FAQs

What is the puppy age range for the classes?

Our first classes are designed for puppies who are between 8 and 16 weeks old. They must have had at least one vaccination 2 weeks before the first class.

Can older dogs attend if they’re small?

Not usually. These classes are designed for puppies at a specific developmental age and stage. Learning to socialise before a puppy is 16 weeks old is a vital milestone. Older puppies who have already passed this milestone can seriously impact on the development of younger puppies.

However, we will sometimes make an exception if your older puppy hasn’t had any form of socialisation at all and has no bad habits that may impact other puppies. In these cases, smaller and younger pups can be less threatening and help an older pup learn more quickly. If this is the case, we may agree to one session as a trial, but owners need to be aware that it might not work out.

Are there any enrolment requirements?

Your puppy must have had one vaccination at least 2 weeks before the first group class. They must also be up to date on all necessary vaccines, worm and tick prevention, and flea treatments.

How long are the classes?

Each class is 1 hour and 15 minutes, but most of them go longer than that because the people and puppies don’t want to leave!

What if I miss a class?

If you miss a class, you can attend another to make it up.

What if my puppy is sick?

If your puppy is sick, then let them rest at home. You can come anyway, and our trainers will give you advice and homework so you can apply what you learn.

What if my puppy is too shy to play?

Some puppies just can’t be coaxed into participating. If your puppy isn’t ready for the world yet, you can come back to puppy school free of charge and we’ll try again until we can encourage your puppy to relax.

How do you match puppies for play sessions?

We do everything based on the personality and preferences of the puppies. With puppies who are shy or have no confidence, the key is often to find the right match for them. That’s why our skilled trainers will match puppies by their individual esteem. This helps to build their mutual confidence and get the best results from each puppy play session.

Where are your puppy classes?

Our schools are conveniently located no matter where you live.

In the Inner West: St Peters Puppy school is convenient for puppy parents in Wolli Creek, Stanmore, Newtown, Erskineville, Alexandria, Marrickville & Petersham and beyond.

Our Eastern Suburbs Puppy school is located at Bellevue Hill and conveniently located for puppy parents in Bondi Junction, Bondi Beach, Double Bay, Rose Bay and Vaucluse and beyond.

The Central puppy school is located at St Peters, close to Redfern, Moore Park, Redfern, Paddington, Sydney CBD and Central and beyond.

For more information about the puppy classes you would like to attend, including costs, starting dates, how to enrol and any other specific details, please contact the trainer connected with your local vet clinic.

Who are the trainers?

SCVC  at Surry Hills Vet is run by Shelley at Paws And Think Dog Training

SCVC at Bellevue Hill is run by Susie at G & T ESSENTIALS