Puppy School and Dog Training in Edgecliff

Our puppy school is in Edgecliff itself, at Dogs in Town on Glenmore Road, and we train older dogs one to one in your own home across Edgecliff, Darling Point and Rushcutters Bay.

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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 Edgecliff, the short version

Quick Facts

Where We Work: In your own home, across Edgecliff, Darling Point, Rushcutters Bay and Woollahra

What We Offer

Council Area

Woollahra

Nearest Puppy School Location

Dogs in Town, 500 Glenmore Road, Edgecliff NSW 2027

Distance

In the suburb. Our Edgecliff puppy school is on Glenmore Road itself

What We Cover

Puppies from eight weeks, teenage dogs, and adult behaviour

Who Does The Training?

Luke Buchanan. Red Cross pet first aid, AFP background checked

Puppy school and puppy preschool in Edgecliff

Venue Name

Venue Name

Dogs in Town, Edgecliff

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Venue Address

Venue Address

500 Glenmore Road, Edgecliff NSW 2027

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Days & Times

Days & Times

Saturday and Sunday afternoons. 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.

This one is in Edgecliff itself, on Glenmore Road, so for most of the suburb it is a walk rather than a drive. It is a purpose built dog facility rather than a hired hall, fully enclosed and properly cleaned, which matters when puppies are meeting each other for the first time.

Classes run on Saturday and Sunday afternoons, which suits people who cannot make a weeknight. They are capped at ten puppies and matched by size, so your puppy is never learning next to a dog four times their weight.

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Where we work around Edgecliff

Where Edgecliff sits

What It Is like

Edgecliff is a transport suburb before it is anything else. The station is a major interchange, New South Head Road runs straight through the middle of it, and a great many people here walk their dog past a bus stand and a set of lights before they get anywhere green.

That shapes the training. A puppy raised in Edgecliff is exposed to traffic noise, crowds and hard surfaces from day one, which is genuinely useful if it is introduced properly and genuinely harmful if it is not. The difference is whether your puppy is meeting all of that under threshold or being dragged through it.

The other thing about Edgecliff is that the good open space is close but not immediate. Rushcutters Bay Park is a short walk down the hill and Trumper Park sits on the Paddington side, so most dogs here get a road walk before they get a run. Both of those legs need to work, and owners usually only think about the second one.

Popular Landmarks
  • Edgecliff station and interchange
  • Edgecliff Centre
  • New South Head Road
  • Rushcutters Bay Park
  • Trumper Park
  • Glenmore Road
Main Housing Style

Mostly apartments and unit blocks, with larger houses on the Darling Point and Woollahra edges. Very few private yards.

What we get called about in Edgecliff

Local Challenges

  • Barking in apartment blocks, and the neighbour conversation that follows
  • Lift and stairwell nerves, where there is no room to move away
  • Toilet training with no yard and a lift between you and the grass
  • Lead reactivity built on narrow footpaths along New South Head Road
  • Recall that has never been tested anywhere unfenced
  • Settling on their own when the flat is small and you are always in sight

Common Breeds

  • Cavoodle
  • French Bulldog
  • Cavalier King Charles Spaniel
  • Miniature Dachshund
  • Groodle
  • Labrador

Off Lead Spots

  • Rushcutters Bay Park, off lead area
  • Trumper Park, Paddington side

Busy Streets

  • New South Head Road
  • Ocean Street
  • Glenmore Road
  • Edgecliff Road

What we work on, by age

Puppies, 8 to 16 weeks

Toilet training without a yard, which is a different job and takes longer. Crate and sleep routine in a flat where every room is close to every other room. Introducing the lift, the stairwell and the front door properly rather than hoping. And the socialisation list, which in Edgecliff is easier than most places because the traffic, the crowds and the hard surfaces are all on your doorstep.

Teenagers, 17 to 32 weeks

Lead work on narrow footpaths, where you cannot create distance from an oncoming dog and your dog knows it. Recall on a long line before anyone trusts an unfenced park. And the settling work, because an adolescent dog that cannot switch off in a small flat is the thing that ends up as a barking complaint.

Adults, 32 weeks and over

Barking when left, which is the single most common reason Edgecliff owners ring us, usually because a neighbour has said something. Lead reactivity that has been rehearsed on the same route for a year. Guarding the front door in a block where people pass it all day. All of it worked one to one in your own flat, because that is where it happens.

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 typical Edgecliff case

A composite of the cases we see in this area rather than one client.

A Cavoodle, ten months old, second floor flat off New South Head Road. Both owners work, the dog is alone from about eight until five, and a note has appeared under the door about barking.

The owners had read it as separation anxiety and were doing what the internet suggested, which was more exercise. A longer walk in the morning, a walk at lunch when they could manage it, and the barking had not shifted.

What was actually happening was simpler. The dog had never once been taught to settle while somebody was home. It followed one of them room to room all evening, was never asked to do nothing, and being alone all day was the first time it had ever had to cope by itself. That is a different problem from separation anxiety and it needs different work, though from the hallway the two sound identical.

So the work started in the evenings, in the flat, while they were there. Settling on a mat while the television was on. Doors closed between them and the dog for thirty seconds, then a minute, with no fuss on either side of it. Departures and returns made completely boring.

That is the shape of most Edgecliff cases. The fix is rarely a longer walk. It is usually the twenty three hours that are not the walk.

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 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

Frequently Asked Questions

Edgecliff questions

Common questions we get about our puppy program.

Edgecliff questions

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.

What is the Independence Foundation Protocol?

The Independence Foundation Protocol is the six-step method used at The Toe Beans Co for separation anxiety. It begins with shifting the relational signals in the household before any absence work begins. It then decouples departure cues, introduces micro-absences with a strict return protocol, uses indoor separation to build a daily independence baseline, and only extends duration once that foundation is solid. The protocol addresses the relational cause of the anxiety rather than managing the symptom.

My dog destroyed things while I was out. Should I punish them when I get home?

No. We never punish, and in this case it would not work either. A dog that has destroyed something in distress does not connect a consequence on your return to what it did while you were out. It only adds fear to a dog that is already frightened, and it usually makes separation anxiety worse. Address the cause through the relational protocol, not the symptom.

Are Poodles easy to train?

Very. Poodles are widely considered one of the most intelligent dog breeds. They learn quickly, remember commands well, and enjoy training. They were originally working dogs, and that drive to engage and problem-solve is still very much there. The challenge is usually keeping them stimulated, not getting them to learn.

How long does it take to toilet train a puppy?

Most puppies reach reliable daytime control between 14 and 16 weeks when the schedule runs consistently from week eight. Full night-time reliability typically arrives by five to six months. Consistency in the first few weeks compresses the timeline significantly.

How long does reactivity training take?

It depends on how long the dog has been reactive and how intense the triggers are. Most people see clear progress within 8 to 12 weeks of regular work. Some dogs take longer, and that is normal.

Can sighthounds be let off the lead?

Only in fully enclosed areas. Sighthounds have a strong chase instinct and can reach speeds that make recall impossible once something has their attention. A rabbit, a bird, or a moving car will trigger that instinct instantly. Off-lead parks are not safe unless the area is fully fenced. Secure dog parks or sports ovals with high fencing work well.

When should I book puppy school in Sydney?

Book the at-home session early and the group class from around 11 to 12 weeks, once the second vaccination is done. The Toe Beans Co currently takes bookings for puppy school at Paddington and Neutral Bay, and anyone in Sydney can attend either. Zetland, Marrickville and Alexandria are venues in our network with no dates open right now, so check the puppy school dates page for what is taking bookings. The first fortnight at home is for settling in.

What are your puppy school locations?

Group puppy school runs at six venues, and all six take bookings: Dogs in Town at 308 Oxford Street, Paddington; Dogs in Town at 44 Epsom Road, Zetland; Dogs in Town at 500 Glenmore Road, Edgecliff; Dogs in Town at 266 Mitchell Road, Alexandria; Dogs in Town at 55 Addison Road, Marrickville; and DoggieLove at 71 Military Road, Neutral Bay.

Anyone in Sydney can attend any of them. Start dates vary by venue, so check the booking page for what is running next or ask us and we will tell you.

Your one to one sessions happen at your own address wherever you are in Sydney, so only the group class brings you to a venue.

Dog Training In Nearby Suburbs

Not sure where to start with your Edgecliff 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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