Set Your Puppy Up For Success

For pups 3 to 9 months of age

Is life with your puppy not quite what you imagined? Dreaming of a well-behaved companion, but can’t get past the out-of-control puppy biting, jumping, chewing on everything (and everyone!), and messy potty accidents? Want to get your puppy started right, but feel overwhelmed by all the conflicting advice?

Relief is on the way! During Puppy College, held in Blackwood, you’ll not only learn the “why” behind your puppy’s behaviour but also the keys to raising a happy, well-mannered companion. Over five engaging small-group lessons you'll build your bond through fun training games, gain essential training knowledge and skills, and lay the groundwork for a lifelong friendship with your furry friend.

These lessons focus on positive socialisation, addressing common puppy and adolescent challenging behaviours, and preventing future problems — setting your puppy up for success at every stage of life. Plus, you’ll be supported throughout the whole journey, helping you achieve the puppy you’ve always wanted!

Private Session Add-on: Want a head start or need extra support? Add a one-hour session with Lisa to use before, during, or after Puppy College — perfect for tackling early challenges and getting personalised advice tailored to your pup!

Puppy College

Key Skills Your Puppy Will Learn:

  • Walking nicely on a lead

  • Coming when called

  • No jumping on family or visitors

  • Settling on a mat

  • Sit, drop, and stay cues

  • Leaving things that don’t belong to them

  • Dropping items that are not theirs

  • Focusing on owner in distracting environments

But that’s not all—Puppy College addresses more than just basic cues!

Comprehensive Puppy Education for Owners
At Puppy College, we don’t just train dogs—we educate owners. You'll gain essential knowledge on:

  • Barking management

  • Resource guarding prevention

  • Puppy nipping management

  • Toilet training

  • Separation anxiety solutions

  • Reactivity prevention

  • Appropriate socialisation

  • Puppy nutrition tips and more.

Small Class Sizes for Personalized Training
We limit our classes to 6 participants, ensuring each puppy receives individualised attention. This intimate class size allows us to address your dog's specific behaviour challenges while providing personalised coaching. Our spacious, indoor venue ensures a controlled environment with minimal distractions, enabling focused learning regardless of weather conditions.

Invest in Your Puppy’s Future
By enrolling in Puppy College, you're investing in your dog’s long-term success. Your puppy will not only master essential skills but also build positive associations with training—setting the stage for a happy, well-adjusted life.

Ready to Start?
Don’t wait! Enroll your puppy in Puppy College today and watch them grow into a confident, well-mannered canine companion.

Puppy School Graduates

Upcoming Course Dates 

Saturday 19 July at 9am - 1 Spot Left

Saturday 19 July at 10.30am
Please note: If you are booking the 10:30am course, the first session on 19 July will be held online at 9:00am. This session will be recorded if you can’t attend live. Weeks 2–5 will run in person at 10:30am at Blackwood Uniting Church.

Wednesday 6 August at 6pm

Wednesday 10 September at 6pm

Wednesday 22 October at 6pm

Puppy being trained during a class.

  1. Comprehensive Training Notes: After each lesson, you'll receive detailed training notes to help you continue your pup's progress at home.

  2. Bandana and Adaptil: Each puppy gets a bandana, and Adaptil is available for use if needed to help ease any anxiety.

  3. Ongoing Support: Receive support throughout the weeks as needed to ensure you and your pup are on the right track.

  4. Enrichment Tools: Access to chews, toys, lickimats, and snufflemats during class to help keep your pup settled and focused.

  5. Graduation Package: Celebrate your pup's achievements with a graduation bag, a photo, and a certificate.

  6. Optional Pre-Course Private Session:
    Add a one-hour private session with Lisa for personalised support to overcome early challenges and give your puppy the best start.

What’s included?

Group of dogs with their owners at puppy school

Course Details

Duration: Puppy College is a five-week program held in Blackwood, Adelaide, with one-hour lessons each week. The first lesson is an online theory class where we discuss important topics such as body language, how dogs learn, setting your puppy up for success, toilet training, puppy nipping, and so much more!

Location:
Week 1: Online at home. You will receive a link when you book.
Week 2-5: In person at Blackwood Uniting Church

Requirements:
1. Dogs must be between 3 and 9 months old in Week 1.
2. You must show proof of up-to-date vaccinations.
3. All dogs must be friendly towards dogs and people.

Tuition: $225 for the five one hour lessons made up of one online theory lesson plus four practical lessons.

Optional Add-On:
Want a head start or extra one-on-one support alongside the course? Add a private one-hour session with Lisa when you book. Priced at $130, it includes customised training documents and a detailed email summary. It’s the perfect way to tackle early challenges and boost your confidence before class.

Please note: Dogs must be dog- and people-friendly to attend classes. If your dog is uncomfortable around unfamiliar dogs or strangers, private training will provide a more suitable and effective platform for training success.

Terms and Conditions

What Dog Owners are Saying.

  • "Our little pup just graduated from Puppy College and we would recommend Paws and Reward to everyone. Lena (trainer) was so accommodating and patient with all the pups and covered off everything we needed to know. We were also provided with a lot of resources, and weekly class notes, so we can easily continue training into the future. Thanks Lena, Annie is already missing your treats 😄"

    -David Burgan

  • "Lena was an awesome trainer! We initially tried puppy training with another local company that lacked personalised attention to ours and our puppies needs. Lena addressed all the concerns we had and more with some very realistic training methods that appear to have worked. Thanks Lena."

    -James Knight

  • "Lena is fantastic. She knows her stuff when it comes to puppy training and is a great instructor. Her follow up and care for her class members is tremendous - love the emailed handouts. We brought our two pups (at the same) to her classes in Blackwood and have no issues recommending her as a trainer at all. One of our pups had 'additional challenges' and Lena absolutely took this in her stride. We now have the understanding and skills to move forward easily, and the pups loved her style. She covered all the essential behaviours in her class and a lot more besides. Five stars for Lena (twice over). Thank you."

    -Rachel Francis

  • "We've really enjoyed the classes and found them extremely beneficial, giving us the tools and insight we need to understand our puppy and his needs. Lena teaches with great understanding and compassion, couldn't recommend her highly enough!"

    -Jeremy Kool

  • "I have just finished Lena's puppy college with my 6 month old pup Nina. Lena's advice and training was incredibly helpful. She was organised, patient and kind, answering all of our questions and still managing to get through a wealth of information. Each session we were provided with extensive notes that I have used to keep my husband up-to-date with the training, and can go back to to remind myself of the tips & tricks. Lena's positive training approach worked so well that even my 15-year-old reactive terrier has benefitted. Nina is now walking with a loose lead, has awesome recall at the park, and doesn't jump up on guests when they arrive (all things I wanted to improve on before I started the course). I have no hesitation in recommending Lena with five stars. Thank you so much."

    -Lara

  • "When you think about it, a puppy school is more for teaching you how to communicate with your puppy so that you can teach it the things you want. I had no idea how to tell our groodle Remy not to jump, not to pull, not steal food if I didn't approve it, and the list goes on. No more. Thanks to Lena, the training process is significantly less stressful for both the dog and us. I feel she definitely set us up for success over the few sessions we spent with her. Thank you!"

    -Jan Klan

  • "We loved training with Lena. She is patient, kind and her lessons are well structured and explicit. She communicates clearly and explains the reasons behind dog behaviour, making it easy to understand. We gained a lot from her wealth of knowledge and experience. We would highly recommend."

    -Sarah Pendrey

  • "Lena was great! The class that she provided was filled with high quality information, and she was quick to respond out of hours to any questions regarding the notes. Perfect introduction to my pup for training! 5/5"

    -Harrison Inglis

  • "I loved this class. It is very informative and useful. I got some very helpful tips on training our dogs. The teacher is very knowledgeable and engaging. Highly recommend!"

    -Nynke van der Burg

  • "A big shoutout to Lena for the fun, practical and educational puppy training course we attended in Blackwood. We benefited hugely from it . She is a great teacher. Kevin Lindsey and Ollie"

    -Kevin Morgan

  • "We have just completed the 5 week training with our 13 week old bichon frise. I can't speak highly enough of Lena. Every lesson was well prepared, based on science and her extensive and intuitive experience. She covered all the important basics for training in logical simple way with opportunities to practise each new skill. With each new skill she she enabled us to vividly experience the world through the eyes of the dog. She managed each of the dogs (and us) and our individual needs, answered questions and showed us how much fun we can have with our dog. The follow up email with the transcript of each session is invaluable. I used it to remind myself after each lesson and will continue each day to practise with Maisy. I would have had no hope of remembering everything without these notes. Thanks Lena."

    -Ruth Murray and Maisy

  • "Amazing trainer and training supported the dogs and owners with great tips, professional attitude and a sense of care. Thanks Lena"

    -Angela Hunt

  • We've just completed puppy college and loved it. We learnt so much, our puppy is learning quickly. Lena's approach is gentle yet effective, she is very clear in her communication and always willing to answer questions and offer support. So glad we did it and will do more courses with Paws and Rewards.

    -Mathew Hamilton

  • It has been a wonderful learning experience at Paw’s and reward. Our 4 month old Cavoodle Coco loved trainer Lena. She patiently listened to our concerns and questions (sometimes even stupid ones), and guided us to address them - including nipping behaviour, leash walking and dealing with over-enthusiastic moments. We are continuing with Lena’s advice with visible positive behaviour from Coco…he has started to walk on a loose leash. Lena’s polite manner, quick response and detailed digital notes after the class is like a cherry on the cake.

    -Rashmi Mishahi