 Puppies
| New Dogs
Puppies (7 weeks to 5 months old)
It can be very exciting, as well as quite overwhelming, to have
a new puppy. We can help you put your puppy on the path to being
a happy, responsive, well-behaved member of your family and community.
The key is to start early and with the right methods. Enjoy your
puppy starting today by gently and effectively teaching the rules
of:
- Housetraining
- Socialization with other dogs & people
- Puppy biting
- Come when called
- Walking nicely on leash
- Authorized chewing
- Listening to you
- Correct play with your puppy
- Appropriate & fun child-dog interactions
- Addressing vocalization in the crate (whining or barking)
- Introducing your pup correctly to new things & experiences
- Learning to ride well in the car
- Learning to be relaxed about handling, grooming, and veterinary
visits (Merely touching and “messing with” the dog’s
paws or food dish may actually create problems. Come learn the
correct way to do this.)
- And much more…
 We
will help you prioritize your training goals and devise a customized
plan to help you meet them. We begin by observing and interacting
with your dog and you. Then we offer hands-on demonstrations and
a chance to practice new skills together. You will receive written
homework and handouts as appropriate. The entire appointment and
all recommendations are highly tailored to your individual needs. We also offer group puppy class.
To make an appointment call 493-4560.
"We took our puppy, Butterscotch, to Top Notch Dog to
be sure that we got started out with good habits and techniques.
After the first visit, Butterscotch was sitting nicely and enjoyed
playing the games that Barbara taught us. Barbara worked carefully
with us being sure that we each had a chance to work with Butterscotch.
She also paid attention to our individual needs and the unique
qualities of our particular dog. The whole experience was both
fun and incredibly useful in giving us the tools we need to help
our puppy become a happy, well-behaved dog." G.L.
from Carrboro (mixed breed dog)
“I’ve been super impressed with your approach
to dealing with my puppy. Your prompt and detailed responses to
my emails have become an indispensable resource for helping a
first time owner deal with an admittedly difficult breed. I would
recommend this class to any dog owner, new or old. Please feel
free to quote me on that.” M.V. from Durham
(Siberian Husky)
Puppy resources:
 New
Dog Help (6 months and older) | Back
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It is a thrill to have a new dog. Get your relationship off to
a good start and prevent future problems by successfully addressing:
- Housetraining
- Teaching your dog a new name
- Come when called
- Walking nicely on leash
- Destructive chewing
- Jumping up on family and friends
- Out of control or hyperactive behavior
- How to teach a dog to play who doesn’t know how
- Teaching your new dog to listen to you
- Learning to be relaxed about handling, grooming, and veterinary
visits
- Transitioning your new dog into your household (stairs, vacuum
cleaner, where the dog should sleep, how to bond with your dog,
how to feed your dog)
- And much more…
We will help you prioritize your training goals and devise a
customized plan to help you meet them. We begin by observing and
interacting with your dog and you. Then we offer hands-on demonstrations
and a chance to practice new skills together. You will receive
written homework and handouts as appropriate. The entire appointment
and all recommendations are highly tailored to your individual
needs.
Call 493-4560 to schedule an appointment.
“I got more out of my two private sessions at Top Notch
Dog than I did in a whole 8 week course I took [elsewhere]!”
D.S. from Hillsborough (Lab/Aussie mix)
 "This
training works. Barbara uses a completely nonviolent training
method. The methods have worked for us both on our puppy and our
6 year old dog (who was quite recalcitrant). I especially appreciated
that Barbara listened to what I wanted to teach the dog to do,
and then introduced skills so I could accomplish that. Barbara
did a great job of ensuring that all the kids who came to each
lesson totally participated in the training and learned the techniques.
She gives great constructive criticism and is generous, but honest
with praise." C.C. from Durham (Golden Retriever,
Great Dane)
"Our dog's behavior has really changed. He definitely
listens and responds better. He is calmer around our kids and
in public. I feel much more relaxed and bonded with him."
J.H. from Durham (Beagle)
Dog training resources: | Back
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"Daily living with Max is much better. He used to jump
all the time, now he sits (spontaneously!). Our daughter is now
much more comfortable with him. I would recommend Top Notch Dog
because it works, it gives you ways of handling any dog problem,
and it's fun." C.B. from Durham (Springer Spaniel)
“I just wanted to let you know - one of your graduates
is an award winning dog! This weekend I took Molly to the Wellspring
Dog Wash to support the APS. There was a contest for Best Trick,
Molly "got shot," played dead and miraculously came
back to life only to win first place (another dog even did the
same trick). She won a plaque and a bunch of doggie goodies!”
B.E. from Durham (Labrador retriever mix)
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