Puppy Steps Training

Puppy Steps is not only offering a great product and maintains an exceptional staff (who adore these dogs) but the owners of Puppy Steps are running a well thought-out business and committed to over-delivering. Weasley is already an incredibly important member of our family for which this investment in his training made sense for us. I was initially worried about missing out on part of his puppy stage but the reality is puppies are HARD! We were so glad we were able to trust this team with him during what would have been a WILD couple of months for us with him at home. Now we can focus on loves and thriving vs just surviving! They sent photos and videos regularly. Attached are a couple!

We live in Arizona but decided to have our doodle trained at Puppy Steps before bringing him home. Puppy Steps was worth every penny we paid for his training. We received communication throughout Oslo's training and help and support after bringing him home. We are working towards therapy dog certification and are working with a recommended local trainer who is excited to work with a puppy who has such an exceptional foundation. Oslo surprised the trainer when at his first session Oslo found bells hanging on a post at the facility and rang them so I would take him out. Thank you Puppy Steps!

Puppy Steps is a lot of money, but as people who owned a dog previously and trained it on our own, we still feel the work Brad and his crew did for our new dog was worth it. For one, the socialization alone was wonderful. Our dog is generally good around other dogs and people, and Puppy Steps goes out of their way to get in good socialization at this impressionable stage. Although they can't do everything (our dog is not a fan of school buses, men in wheelchairs, skateboarders, or inflatable Santas), they manage to fit more in than most any owner is capable of early on. The training is great, too. Our dog has been home three weeks. In that time, he's only had one accident, which was on his second day. This was entirely our fault, since our 11 year old was left in charge of taking him out while my wife ran a quick errand. By the second night home, he was already sleeping through the night, although this may vary with the dog. He's had almost no problems with the crate either. Puppy Steps takes the time to understand the breed they're working with while holding all their dogs to a standard. They also take the time to understand the personality of the individual dog, and aren't afraid to communicate those nuances to the owners. Don't mistake that for an undersell. We preferred it to sugar coating. Our own breed is eager to please, but also has a stubborn streak. The streak seems to run a little deeper with our particular dog. Although initially tempted to be disappointed, we're actually left wondering where we'd be without the foundation Brad and his crew already gave our good dog, which we're able to build on much more easily and quickly than we could ever do ourselves. There are some things Puppy Steps is not, which they are very upfront about. They just can't be emphasized enough: 1. They are not an excuse for you not to research how a specific breed's instincts might affect your family, or how an individual dog's personality might be somewhat of a gamble, despite careful selection and training. 2. They are not an excuse to avoid your own homework you're given during your puppy's stay with them. 3.They are not an excuse to stop reinforcing and building on the training and socialization your dog already has. 4. They are not an excuse to not have every single member of the family on the same page in consistently using proper commands and social communication with the dog. 5. They are not an excuse to forget that while generally well-trained, your dog is still very immature. Again, Puppy Steps is upfront about this. Keep all this in mind, be a dedicated and conscientious dog owner, and you'll have a great experience. If we ever get a second puppy, we'll be sending it here again.