Puppy Preschool
What is "Puppy Preschool"?
When families bring home a new puppy, one of the first questions is often, “When should we start training?”
The answer is simple: now!
Puppies begin learning from day one, and our TCD Puppy Preschool program helps them develop the right skills before unwanted behaviors take hold.
Puppy Preschool is a modified and heavily discounted version of our Golden Standard program for puppies under 8 months old. The program focuses on building confidence, safely exploring their world, learning to be handled for grooming and vet visits, and becoming a well-mannered member of both the household and community.
Puppy Blues
Having a puppy is fun, but it can also come with challenges—accidents in the house, chewed shoes, tipped trash cans, and more. These struggles can lead to stress and the “puppy blues” if the foundation for a well-mannered, well-adjusted dog isn’t properly set.
Our Puppy Preschool program is loosely based on the AKC S.T.A.R. Puppy requirements but goes beyond the standard syllabus. Puppies in our program get a head start on becoming confident, well-rounded members of their families and communities.
How Does it Work?
Just like The Golden Standard program, Puppy Preschool is a three-week immersive program designed for lasting results. During the week, your little one will live and train with us Monday through Friday, then return home on the weekends to spend time with your family while practicing the skills learned throughout the week.
Each Friday afternoon, your puppy will be chauffeured home by their trainer who will then provide a private lesson covering the week’s progress and clear expectations for weekend practice. On Sunday evening, your puppy returns to TCD to continue training—repeating this structure each week to ensure consistency, clarity, and real-world reliability.
Early Exposure
Many families misunderstand the term “socialization” when it comes to puppies. A more accurate word is exposure. Rather than overwhelming a puppy with too many new people, dogs, or environments at once—which can increase fear or reactivity later—we focus on safe, gradual exposure to everyday sights, sounds, and experiences.
Our team provides puppies with the tools they need to remain calm, confident, and attentive in novel settings, helping them grow into well-adjusted, engaged companions for life - just like Lucy here with Kali learning to have her nails trimmed.
Pricing
Our Puppy Preschool program is for puppies 8 months and under and is priced at $1,850. The program includes three weeks of training, all boarding expenses, transportation as needed, and four private in-home lessons.
Training covers a wide range of foundational skills, including:
Potty Training • Crate Training • Marker/Clicker Training • Handler Focus • Separation Anxiety Prevention • Impulse Control / Leave It • Introduction to Place • Leash Walking • Basic Obedience • Safe Grooming & Handling • Socialization • and much more!
Remember, all graduates of our training programs receive 10% off standard boarding for life.
MORE QUESTIONS OR CONCERNS?
Visit the FAQ PAGE to see if they've already been answered, or CONTACT US for more information!
As a bonus, dogs that have completed one of our training programs get 10% off of general boarding for the rest of their lives!