Puppy School and Dog Training in Cremorne Point

We run puppy school about five minutes from Cremorne Point on Military Road in Neutral Bay, and we train older dogs one to one in your own home across Cremorne, Neutral Bay and Mosman.

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No pain. No fear. No force. Training in your own home · Free meet and greet, no obligation
No pain. No fear. No force. Training in your own home · Free meet and greet, no obligation

Puppy school and dog training in Cremorne Point, the quick version

Quick Facts

Where We Work: In your own home, across Cremorne Point, Cremorne, Neutral Bay and Mosman

What We Offer

Council Area

North Sydney

Nearest Puppy School Location

DoggieLove, 71 Military Road, Neutral Bay NSW 2089

Distance

About 1.5 km, roughly five minutes by car and walkable from most of the point

What We Cover

Puppies from eight weeks, teenage dogs, and adult behaviour

Who Does The Training?

Luke Buchanan. Dog Trainer Academy accredited, Red Cross pet first aid, AFP background checked

Puppy school and puppy preschool near Cremorne Point

Venue Name

Venue Name

DoggieLove, Neutral Bay

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Venue Address

Venue Address

71 Military Road, Neutral Bay NSW 2089

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Days & Times

Days & Times

Four weeks, one hour a week. Rolling start, no fixed intake dates

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About The School

About The School

Puppy school, puppy preschool and puppy kindergarten all mean the same thing. Vets tend to say preschool, we say puppy school, and it is the same four weeks either way.

Your nearest one is DoggieLove on Military Road in Neutral Bay, about 1.5 km up the hill. It is a professional dog facility rather than a hired hall, fully enclosed and properly cleaned, which matters when puppies are meeting each other for the first time.

It matters more here than in most places, because Cremorne Reserve is on lead at all times, so a Cremorne Point puppy has nowhere local to meet other dogs off lead.

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Where we work around Cremorne Point

What it is like owning a dog in Cremorne Point

What It Is like

There is one fact about Cremorne Point that shapes everything else, and it is not the one people expect. Cremorne Reserve, the foreshore that wraps the whole peninsula, is a named exception to North Sydney's off lead rule. Dogs are welcome there, and they must be on a lead at all times.

So the beautiful walk that everybody moves here for is an on lead walk, start to finish. If you want your dog off lead, you are going up the hill to Neutral Bay or across to Mosman.

The reserve loop is also narrow, with steps, a descent to the lighthouse, and water on both sides. Every approach from a Cremorne Point address is downhill and comes back up, which matters a lot for an older dog.

Popular Landmarks
  • Cremorne Reserve
  • MacCallum Pool
  • Milson Road
  • Robertsons Point lighthouse
  • Cremorne Point Wharf
  • Bogota Avenue
  • Hodgson Avenue
Main Housing Style

A mix of apartment blocks and houses on a narrow peninsula, with steep streets and steps. Little useful private outdoor space.

The puppy and dog problems we get called about in Cremorne Point

Local Challenges

  • No off lead space in the suburb at all. Cremorne Reserve is a named exception to the council rule and is on lead at all times
  • Lead work matters more here than almost anywhere, because every single walk is a lead walk
  • A narrow reserve loop with steps, water on both sides and passing walkers, so there is often no room to give another dog space
  • Separation anxiety in the apartment blocks, where neighbours are close on every side
  • Steep approaches. Every route from a Cremorne Point address goes down and comes back up
  • Ten metre playground rule applies at Cremorne Reserve, and the playground sits right on the main path

Common Breeds

  • Cavoodle
  • Cavalier King Charles Spaniel
  • Labrador
  • Groodle
  • Miniature Schnauzer

Off Lead Spots

  • Anderson Park, Neutral Bay, off lead, but not on the sports fields during organised sport
  • Forsyth Park, Neutral Bay, off lead, on lead in the bushland areas
  • Kurraba Reserve, Neutral Bay, off lead, ten metres clear of the playground
  • Cremorne Reserve is on lead at all times. It is a named exception to the council off lead rule

Busy Streets

  • Military Road
  • Murdoch Street
  • Milson Road
  • Spofforth Street

What we get called about in Cremorne Point, by age

Puppies up to 16 weeks in Cremorne Point

Lead work from day one, because there is no alternative

In most suburbs a puppy gets some off lead time locally and the lead work can lag behind. Here the reserve is on lead at all times, so every walk your puppy ever takes in their own suburb is a lead walk.

That is actually an advantage if you use it. We start the lead work properly at nine weeks rather than letting it slide.

Nowhere local to meet other dogs

With no off lead space in the suburb, a Cremorne Point puppy meets other dogs on a narrow path, on a lead, at a metre. That is the hardest version of dog to dog contact and it is the only one on offer.

Puppy school in Neutral Bay is five minutes away and it is where the controlled version happens. It matters more here than in most suburbs.

Steps and a growing puppy

The reserve loop has steps and a descent to the lighthouse, and every address here is on a slope. Puppies are still growing and repeated steps are not the harmless thing they look like.

We set out what a sensible amount actually is at each age, which is usually a lot less than owners expect.

Teenage dogs, 17 to 32 weeks, in Cremorne Point

Lunging on a path with nowhere to go

The Cremorne Point one. The reserve loop is narrow with water on both sides and a steady stream of walkers, so an adolescent who is only just coping cannot be given room. There is often nowhere to step aside at all.

We work on your route, your timing and your handling first, then close the distance deliberately once they can cope with it.

Frustration at never being off lead

An adolescent who never gets to run is a harder adolescent to live with, and Cremorne Point does not give you a local option. That frustration usually comes out on the lead.

We build a routine that gets your dog off lead somewhere legal several times a week, and give them proper mental work at home so the walk is not carrying everything.

Pulling uphill

Every route home from the reserve is a climb. A dog who pulls on the flat is a nuisance. A dog who pulls up Milson Road is a genuine physical problem.

We fix the lead work on your actual hill, because it is a different skill from lead work on flat ground.

Dogs 32 weeks and older in Cremorne Point

A dog who cannot do the reserve walk

It is the walk everyone here does, and when a dog cannot manage it on a narrow lead path the owner's options in this suburb run out fast.

We work out what your dog is actually saying before changing anything, because a frightened dog and a frustrated dog need opposite handling and look almost identical on a lead.

Barking when you leave

Apartment blocks on a narrow peninsula means sound carries. Owners have almost always tried a camera, a longer walk and the radio before they ring.

We start inside the flat rather than at the front door, because being left is only unbearable when being together was never neutral.

An older dog and the climb home

Everything here is downhill out and uphill back, with steps. As a dog ages that walk stops being kind, and owners usually respond by walking less rather than differently.

We rebuild the routine around what an older dog actually needs, which is usually more mental work and fewer steps.

A man crouching in a studio while holding a Dalmatian puppy. The man is wearing a dark navy polo shirt and blue jeans, and the puppy is white with black spots.

A Cremorne Point call out, start to finish

A composite of the calls we take here. Details changed, the pattern is real.

The call

A fourteen month old Cavoodle in a flat off Milson Road. Screaming at every dog on the reserve loop. The owners had started walking her at six in the morning to avoid people, which had worked and had also shrunk her life to one dark lap a day.

What we found

Frustration rather than fear. She had never been off lead anywhere, because the reserve is on lead at all times and nobody had taken her up the hill. Every dog she had ever seen had been at a metre, on a tight lead, on a path with no room. She was not coping badly, she was being asked to do the hardest thing constantly and nothing else.

What changed

We got her off lead legally, at Anderson Park in Neutral Bay, three times a week, so she had somewhere to actually be a dog. Then we rebuilt the lead work on the reserve at a quieter hour. About six weeks before they were doing a normal afternoon lap, and the six in the morning walks stopped.

What owners say, at every age

Absolutely fantastic, we had a 10 week old demanding Labrador puppy, 3 days later he barely lets out a yelp. It seemed expensive to get 1 on 1 help at first, but having him here meant we could remove any doubt about whether we were on the right track. Plus his online course and ongoing support have been a god send.

Mattice, 10 week old Labrador

I'm in Bellevue Hill and I'm struggling with recall and defiance with my 9 month old puppy. He thinks he's the boss. Luke at Toe Beans showed me a series of easy corrections and behavioural skills that my pup responded to almost immediately. He filled in my missing knowledge.

Lesley, 9 month old puppy, Bellevue Hill

I couldn't believe anyone could really have a big impact on a 7-year-old pet but within just one session, I could see a big difference in both of my dogs. They were calmer, more responsive, and Rosie was completely de-stressed around strange dogs.

Adrienne, 7 year old Bordoodle, Mosman

How we train

How We Train

How We Train

Force free, all of it. No shouting, no punishment, no pain, and nothing that works by hurting your dog.

We call it Relational Leadership. It is less a set of commands than a way of behaving around your dog, so that you become the obvious thing to look at when they do not know what to do. A dog that complies because it is worried about what comes next has not calmed down, it has gone quiet, and that comes back later somewhere less convenient.

Luke's Credentials

Luke Buchanan is the owner of The Toe Beans Co and Sydney's Puppy Trainer. He works as a dog trainer and a dog behaviourist, which in practice means the puppy obedience side and the behaviourism side are handled by the same person rather than referred on. He is accredited through the Dog Trainer Academy, Red Cross certified in pet first aid, and AFP background checked. Every session is run by Luke.

Force Free & Ethical. Always.

No pain. No fear. No force. No aggression. That is the whole philosophy in plain terms, and it does not bend for a difficult week or a stubborn dog.

Guarantee

Puppy school in Cremorne Point, and the lead work that follows

Puppy school matters more in Cremorne Point than most places, because there is nowhere local for a puppy to meet other dogs off lead. Classes are five minutes up the hill in Neutral Bay, and the dog training for older dogs is done at home.

One fact shapes everything about owning a dog here, and it is not the one people expect. North Sydney's rule is that all its parks and reserves are off lead, and Cremorne Reserve, the foreshore that wraps the entire peninsula, is one of a small number of named exceptions. Dogs are welcome there and must be on a lead at all times.

So the beautiful walk everybody moves here for is an on lead walk, start to finish. If you want your dog off lead you are going up the hill to Neutral Bay or across to Mosman.

That is a bigger deal than it sounds. A dog who is never off lead is not just missing exercise, they are meeting every other dog in the hardest possible way, at a metre, on a narrow path, with no way to create space. That builds frustration, and frustration on a lead looks almost exactly like aggression. Getting a Cremorne Point dog off lead somewhere legal a few times a week is usually half of any fix we do here.

The reserve loop is also narrow, with steps, a descent to the Robertsons Point lighthouse, and water on both sides. Every approach from a Cremorne Point address is downhill and comes back up.

  • Puppy preschool, which matters more here because there is nowhere local for a puppy to meet dogs off lead.
  • Adolescent training with the lead work done properly, since it is the only kind of walking on offer.
  • Dog behaviourism for adults who cannot manage the reserve loop.

Puppy school is at Neutral Bay, five minutes up the hill. See adolescent training and in-home behaviour training. We also cover Neutral Bay and Mosman.

Frequently Asked Questions

Puppy school and dog training questions we get asked in Cremorne Point

Common questions we get about our puppy program.

Puppy school and dog training questions we get asked in Cremorne Point

What are the main services you offer?

Our dog training runs in three stages and you pick the one that matches your dog's age.

  • 8 to 16 weeks: puppy school, which includes four weeks of group class
  • 17 to 32 weeks: puppy training, for the stage where most owners feel they are losing the dog they had. There is no group class at this age
  • 32 weeks and older: behaviour training, one to one in your own home

Puppy school currently takes bookings at our Paddington venue and at Neutral Bay on the Lower North Shore. Zetland, Alexandria and Marrickville are venues in our network with no dates open right now, so check the puppy school dates page for what is taking bookings. Everything else happens in your own home, across Sydney.

Which areas of Sydney do you work in?

One to one training happens in your home, anywhere in Sydney within roughly a forty five minute drive of the Harbour Bridge. That covers the:

  • Inner City and City Centre
  • Eastern Suburbs
  • Inner West
  • Lower North Shore
  • Upper North Shore
  • Northern Beaches
  • Hills District
  • Western Sydney
  • South Sydney and St George

Group puppy school runs at fixed venues within about eight kilometres of the Harbour Bridge. See the puppy school dates page for which venues are currently taking bookings.

Can you make your dog walk calmly next to you?

As with any form of training, you would be amazed how much your dog can improve. Ultimately, there are a lot of factors that determine how much success you will have.

Will a front clip harness stop the pulling on its own?

No. It makes pulling less rewarding and easier to manage while you teach the actual skill, and the harness alone will not teach your dog to walk calmly beside you.

Should I start loose lead walking on-lead or off-lead?

Off-lead, indoors, first. Build the pattern with zero leash tension in the picture, then transfer it onto the lead once it already exists.

How many sessions does it take to fix lead reactivity?

Most reactive dog cases we see in the Eastern Suburbs improve inside four sessions. That number assumes the home work is done alongside the walk work. Severe or long-standing cases can take longer, but the trajectory should be visible inside the first month.

Are Cavaliers good with children and other dogs?

Yes, typically. They're one of the gentler, more social breeds. They tend to do well in multi-dog households and are usually patient with children. Early socialisation still helps, as it does with any breed.

Does a crate help with separation anxiety?

It can, provided the crate is already somewhere your dog chooses to go. Never introduce a crate as a response to the anxiety, and never use it as the place your dog gets sent when things go wrong. Once the crate is associated with being shut away, you have lost the safe space this work relies on.

Does The Toe Beans Co support continue after puppy school finishes?

Yes. Puppy school includes an online course and ongoing support, so you are not left without guidance once the group classes end. How long your course access and support run for depends on the level you choose.

Should I do group classes or private training for my puppy in Sydney?

Both have value and they serve different purposes. Group classes give the puppy genuine socialisation experience, learning to hold focus with other dogs and people present, which can't be replicated one-to-one. Private training is better for specific behaviour issues, households with particular constraints, or when the puppy needs more individual attention than a group setting allows. Our puppy school combines both: four weeks of group class for the socialisation component, with one-to-one sessions at home included from Silver upwards.

Dog Training In Nearby Suburbs

Not sure where to start with your Cremorne Point dog?

Come and speak with us about puppy school, teen puppy training or adult dog behaviourism. Book a 15 minute call, it's free and no obligation

Book a free meet and greet Pick A Puppy School

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