Puppy Manners has specialized training programs. We have a ten-day program called “Jump Start” and the more traditional thirty-day and forty-five-day programs. But the way we train and handle the dogs that come here is anything but “traditional”! 
Becky has always believed in teaching in a quiet environment then build up to a more stressful environment (if you can call going to Starbucks stressful!).
When your dog first arrives at Puppy Manners, there is a transition period during which your dog is socialized, allowed to play with other dogs and interact with our trainers and family members. This usually lasts for a couple of days. Once the dog has had a time to adjust to his changed surroundings and is more relaxed, we go to work.
Training Begins: Your dog is given the chance to learn new behaviors in a quiet environment without distractions—just to learn what is expected of him. We want your dog to succeed and we give him every opportunity to do so. The first week, all training is done here on the ranch and our goal is to get a solid foundation in the basics: Sit, Down, Wait, Stay, and loose leash manners.
Let the fun begin: Week two we begin our field trips. Your dog will wear a bandana or a training vest while out in public identifying him as a “dog-in-training.” Wearing his uniform really helps because most people will ask, “May I pet your dog?” when they see the vest or bandana. This allows us to set the dog up for a successful “meet–and–greet.”
Obedience is Tested: After a week of field trips, if the dog is ready to move on, we begin to press him on his obedience in more distracted locations such as Redmond Town Center Mall. We try to do things that we think a family would enjoy doing with their dog—including shopping at the Eddie Bauer store! (At least that’s what Becky likes!) Many times the location is a mall or very busy store. Some of the businesses we frequent include Home Depot, Eddie Bauer Store, PetsMart, Starbucks and various banks.
We hope that the following pictures will give you an idea of what goes on at Puppy Manners with our clients’ dogs. It’s important to you that your dog behave—and it is important to us too! Your dog wears a vest that says “Puppy Manners” and we want him to represent us well when we are out in public. When we go to the mall, it’s “Game Day!” When he passes this test, he is well on his way to being the well–mannered dog you’ve always dreamed of having.
If you are considering the Board & Train option for your dog, we hope you will consider letting Becky and her family help you and your dog achieve your training goals. We love dogs and we get great pleasure from seeing dogs and their families succeed together. Once your dog is trained, it will be your responsibility to maintain the training and that’s when Becky changes hats from “Dog Trainer” to “your Coach”. She will work with you and your family on how to maintain your dog’s good manners. The training never ends but it’s such a “kick” to have such a well-trained dog that it doesn’t seem like training—it’s fun! Your dog is going to live with you for many years. Wouldn’t it be nice to have a well–mannered dog you can be proud to have by your side in a public place?
