Our Puppy Manners Program offers a structured, one-on-one approach at your home or our training facility in Chicago, to help build foundational skills such as loose leash walking, polite greetings, impulse control, and focus. This will help create a great relationship with your puppy that will serve you well for years to come. We implement positive, science-based training methods, and each session is customized to your puppy's age, breed, and temperament to ensure steady, thoughtful progress. Whether you are addressing common puppy challenges or building reliable habits from the start, this program provides the groundwork for long-term confidence and good behavior.
Program Description
In our Puppy Manners Program, we work on teaching foundational skills to your puppy:
- Intro to loose leash walking
- Dropping items
- Leaving items alone
- Recall (having your puppy reliably come back to you)
- Not jumping on other dogs or people
- General impulse control
- Intro to crate training (you will need this for going to the vet, groomer, daycare, or boarding, but this is optional)
Want other skills?
If you want to substitute another foundational manners skill, that is likely possible. We can also extend the program and add other skills. Just ask!
Price
- $835 for the 6-session program
- $10 per session if our trainer comes to your home
- Any parking fees we may incur by coming to your home
- Puppy Starter upgrade can be added for $405 (plus any housecall and parking fees if we come to your home). With this upgrade, we can add potty training, more detailed crate training, play biting, and socialization. You will also receive a free puppy social.
What is included:
- 6 one-hour sessions at your home or our training facility in the West Loop. We offer training seven days per week, including weeknights.
- Access to TrainTrack™, our proprietary software platform for accessing videos of the exercises, plus handouts and other helpful information
- A treat pouch and optional clicker
- A graduation certificate
Please note:
- Many puppies can learn the behaviors in this program very well with 6 sessions, but your success depends on various factors. These include whether you do your homework throughout each week, and whether your puppy's progress is impeded by challenges such as anxiety.
- If you are not able to finish in six sessions and need to add more, that is no problem - we can add as many as you need. Your trainer would discuss this, and the additional price, with you as you go.
- If your puppy is struggling with challenges such as separation anxiety, barking, fears, leash reactivity, low confidence, and so forth, this program will not address those behaviors. We can still provide the program and add more training for those additional behaviors. Just talk with us, and we will identify a plan for helping you.
- The Puppy Manners Program is non-refundable, and sessions cannot be booked until we receive payment.
Our Travel Radius
One of our trainers can home to your home if you live within our travel radius. We routinely go all throughout Chicago each day, including to Lakeview, Lincoln Park, Bucktown, Wrigleyville, Gold Coast, River North, downtown, East Loop, West Loop, South Loop, and all neighborhoods in between.
These boundaries go north to Irving Park Road, east to the lake, south to Roosevelt, and west to Western Avenue.
If you live a few streets beyond these boundaries we can likely still come to your home.
Otherwise, you would need to come to our training facility.
Our Trainers Travel All Over Chicago
Positive Reinforcement Methods
Tucker Pup's only uses positive reinforcement methods. We do not use prong collars, choke chains, shock collars, poking, yelling, leash popping, or other aversive methods. Dominance can easily cause your dog to distrust you, and to only comply in order to avoid a negative outcome. This isn't truly learning, and can cause your dog's behaviors to become much worse.
Positive reinforcement is much more effective for creating long-term learning and a stronger relationship with your dog. Dogs love training when this style is being used, are much more responsive to their owners, and are much happier in general. In short, positive reinforcement gives you the best chance of success, and can be the fastest way to get results. If you are hesitant, please trust us on this one and feel free to ask us questions.
Positive reinforcement combines an encouraging tone of voice, clear instruction, relaxed body language, the use of rewards (e.g., treats, favorite toy), patience, and empathy.
If you are concerned about giving treats, keep in mind that they work very well for most dogs, you can phase them out at your discretion, and it is possible to use something else that your dog values, such as a favorite toy.
FAQs
Where do the sessions take place?
If you live in our travel radius, we are happy to come to your home. Otherwise, we can work at our training facility.
Do most puppies truly finish the program in 6 sessions?
Yes, most puppies can finish the program in 6 sessions, although this is not a guarantee since there are factors out of our control, not the least of which is that you do your homework each week. But if you need to add more sessions, that is no problem.
What if I want to add or change behaviors?
This is not a problem, within reason. The program can be customized, and we can certainly add sessions and tackle additional behaviors. Having said that, if a behavior is likely too challenging until others are learned, we will discuss that with you. Just talk with us about your goals and we will help achieve them.
Why does it say "Intro to Leash Walking"? I want my puppy to go everywhere with me
The program teaches leash walking foundational mechanics, but there is a lot to learn that is outside of the scope of a 6-session program focusing on numerous skills. Having said that, after going through this program, your puppy can advance to the next level and start learning to go everywhere with you, plus much more such as lying down calmly at a cafe with you. Just ask if you want to tackle that next.
What if my puppy is not finished with all rounds of vaccinations?
If we are coming to your home, that is not a problem. If you are coming to our training facility, it is not a problem as long as your vet believes your puppy is on track and you have completed at least two of the three rounds. Rabies is not required for puppies.
What if my puppy is shy or lacks confidence?
This is very common, and could make leash training go more slowly. We are happy to add more sessions, plus add in confidence-building games and exercises. We would also recommend our Confidence Builder puppy social, which can work wonders.
What can we do after earning this certificate?
After graduating from the Puppy Manners Program, you can start to take any number of paths, including our Out and About Program (focusing more on outdoor walking and sitting at cafes), Intermediate Manners training (in class or with private lessons), and even start preparing for Canine Good Citizen (CGC) certification.
What if my puppy doesn't graduate? Do I still get a certificate?
There is not really a formal "test", and it is OK if your puppy can't perform all of the behahviors by the end of the six sessions. Most importantly, we will have shown you what to do, and you must practice.
