Looking For High Quality Puppy Training?

Welcome to Puppy Education.

Wag The Dog's

Puppy Prodigy Program

Educate - Enrich - Engage

Private in-person training in Vancouver, Burnaby, Coquitlam, Port Coquitlam, Port Moody, New Westminster and Pitt Meadows.

Private online training anywhere in the world.

You have big dreams for your little pup.

You want a deep and enduring connection with your dog.

You want to maximize their cognitive and social development.

You want to give your puppy the best puppyhood possible.

...But you also want to to know why your precious bundle morphs into the Tasmanian Devil every night after dinner, and how to put a stop to it.

We totally get it.

Our trainers come from a background of training service dogs. We know what dogs are capable of...

...and it is so much more than the average person thinks!

We also know how critical the first 20 weeks are to neurological and emotional development.

That's why we care so much about giving your puppy the best puppyhood possible, to maximize their problem-solving intelligence, emotional intelligence, and sensory integration.

Educate - Enrich - Engage

Our bond-based teaching approach to canine education is different from the usual sit-and-treat style used by other positive trainers.

Force-Free
Neurodevelopmental Enrichment.
Sensory Integration.
Social Learning.
Modelling Appropriate Behaviour.
Secure Attachment to Caregiver.
Montessori-Style Curriculum.
Enhanced Language Development.
Canine Ethology and Body Language.

Yes, we will help you potty-train and prevent nipping and jumping - just like every other trainer - but our curriculum is as unique as your new puppy is.

If you want an ordinary dog, contact an ordinary trainer.

If you want a dog who can answer simple questions, find your misplaced phone, put their toys away, and carry their own poop bag to the garbage...

...you want to call Wag The Dog.

Training sessions are private and take into consideration the unique needs and circumstances of your household.

By adulthood your dog can...

Know how to walk on a leash.

Regulate their emotions

Have good manners

Behave appropriately in human spaces

Know their own name and the names of family members.

Understand their role in the family

Listen to you and answer yes/no and choice-based questions

Communicate clearly

Return to you voluntarily when off the leash.

Do useful tasks like finding your phone and putting away laundry

Don't Wait!

Puppyhood is not only one of the most challenging times in your dog's life, it is also a time of crucial brain development.

Your puppy is learning how to behave around humans, how to feel about them, and how to live with them.

80% of your puppy's brain is fully developed by 20 weeks of age.

In just a few short months, dogs go from mewling, blind newborns to the developmental equivalent of a ten year old child.

Every week of your puppy's life between 8 and 20 weeks is developmentally equivalent to a year for a child.

The experiences your puppy has - or doesn't have - during those early months will create a lasting impact on your dog's behavior and personality.

Our puppy education curriculum is modelled on the best practices of service dog schools for their puppies in training.

Our curriculum is designed to maximize your puppy's brain development with enriching training activities that build your bond and ensure your puppy reaches full potential.

Whether you are hoping to raise a service dog, a fantastic family member, a nose-work champion or an agility competitor, our curriculum will give your puppy the groundwork they need.

Invest in your pup now, and reap the rewards for years to come.

FAQ

What are your rates?

Our program is $1200 for two months, or $650 per month with a minimum two month commitment. You will meet with your trainer once a week, sometimes at home and other times on "field trips" to parks and pet friendly stores.

Your trainer is available for text advice, so communicate freely! We love getting updates from our clients. We also have regular online office hours if you want to sign in and chat.

Can I do the program online?

Yes, you can do our program online. In that case, though we usually recommend booking two video or phone appointments a week instead of one in-person meet up.

Where are Sit, Down, Stay and Come??

Think of the dogs you've known who knew those words. Can you even think of any who didn't know those words? And yet, did they actually obey them? Were the words actually useful?

Our goal is help your dog be responsive to you, listen to you, and work with you. Can you then dictate body positions? Sure, if you want, but we find things like "wait here", "put your toys away, please," and "follow me!" to be more useful in day-to-day life.

Plus, your dog will learn to read the room and match their mood to the mood of the humans around them. No more crazy excited dogs ruining a family wake!

Can you teach my puppy to use talking buttons?

Yes! We are passionate about communicating with dogs and giving them the opportunity to communicate back. Talking buttons are a fun addition, though they certainly shouldn't be the ONLY way your dog has to talk to you. We also want to teach ways that don't require communication boards or batteries.

Can you help me train my puppy to be a service dog?

Service dog training starts at birth in most accredited service dog charities. If you are hoping that your dog will become a service dog some day, it's crucial to start the day puppy comes home.

We can help you raise your puppy like a future service dog, to give you the best possible chance of success.

Isn't this a load of nonsense? Dogs aren't children. They're dogs.

Young dogs are children. Much of the neural structure of the canine brain are nearly identical to humans. We have discovered through MRIs that they process words in the same part of their brain that we do. We have learned that they process vision in the same place that we do. When a dog sees their owner, their brain responds the same as a human's does when they see a loved one.

Dogs have the cognitive capacity of a human three year old, which is quite smart, really. You'd be astounded at what they can learn to do.

Bet you can't teach puppies to read, though!

Bet you we can.

Not Tolstoy or anything, but dogs are capable of recognizing and responding to written words on flash cards and signs.

Video Tips

We work on land which was taken from the nations who had lived here for thousands of years. They are still here and they are still waiting patiently for us to stop being jerks about it.