Puppy School and Dog Training in Neutral Bay

Our north shore puppy school is on Military Road in Neutral Bay, and we train older dogs one to one in your own home across Neutral Bay, Cremorne and Kirribilli.

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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 in Neutral Bay, the short version

Quick Facts

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

What We Offer

Council Area

North Sydney

Nearest Puppy School Location

DoggieLove, 71 Military Road, Neutral Bay NSW 2089

Distance

In the suburb. Our north shore puppy school is on Military Road itself

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 in Neutral Bay

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.

Our north shore venue is DoggieLove on Military Road, so for most of Neutral Bay it is a walk rather than a drive. 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.

Classes are capped at ten puppies and we match them by size. Doodles, Cavoodles, Cavaliers and Labradors are well represented on the north shore, so there is usually a good spread of sizes to match into.

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Where we work around Neutral Bay

What it is like owning a dog in Neutral Bay

What It Is like

North Sydney does dog rules differently from the eastern suburbs, and it is worth understanding. Rather than naming a handful of off lead parks, the council says all its parks and public reserves are off lead, then lists the exceptions.

That is generous, and it comes with two catches. Bushland is on lead, and a lot of the harbour foreshore here is bushland. And playing fields are on lead during organised sport, which takes out Anderson Park and Forsyth Park on weekend mornings in season.

There is also no fenced dog park anywhere in the North Sydney area that council publishes, and the foreshore reserves are steep and narrow with water on one side. Recall matters more here than the generous rules suggest.

Popular Landmarks
  • Military Road
  • Anderson Park
  • Forsyth Park
  • Kurraba Reserve
  • Neutral Bay Wharf
  • Hayes Street Beach
  • Grosvenor Street
Main Housing Style

Mostly apartments along Military Road and the ridge, with houses and semis on the streets running down to the water.

Puppy and dog behaviour problems in Neutral Bay

Local Challenges

  • Bushland is on lead, and a lot of the foreshore here is bushland. The off lead grass and the on lead bush sit metres apart with no fence between them
  • Organised sport takes the fields. Anderson Park and Forsyth Park are on lead during matches and training, which is most of a weekend morning in season
  • No fenced dog park anywhere in the North Sydney area, so every off lead space is open
  • Separation anxiety in the apartment blocks along Military Road, where neighbours are close on every side
  • Military Road itself. Loud, fast, six lanes of traffic and narrow footpath in places
  • Steep streets down to the water, which make lead work harder and are hard on older joints

Common Breeds

  • Cavoodle
  • Labrador
  • Cavalier King Charles Spaniel
  • Groodle
  • Border Collie

Off Lead Spots

  • Anderson Park, Clark Road, off lead, but not on the sports fields during organised sport
  • Forsyth Park, Montpelier Street, off lead, on lead in the bushland areas and ten metres clear of play equipment
  • Kurraba Reserve, Kurraba Road, off lead, ten metres clear of the playground
  • Cremorne Reserve is an exception. Dogs must be on lead there at all times

Busy Streets

  • Military Road
  • Ben Boyd Road
  • Wycombe Road
  • Kurraba Road

What we get called about in Neutral Bay, by age

Puppies up to 16 weeks in Neutral Bay

Toileting from a Military Road flat

A puppy in a house learns half of this by accident. In an apartment on the ridge every toilet break is a lift, a lobby and a busy footpath, and a puppy who cannot hold it that long learns to go indoors instead.

We build the route before the puppy needs it, so it is boring by the time it is urgent.

Military Road as a first impression

Six lanes of traffic, buses and narrow footpath. For a lot of Neutral Bay puppies that is the first thing they ever see outside, and a puppy who is frightened by it at nine weeks can build a lasting worry about being on a lead at all.

We start on the quiet streets running down to the water and bring the main road in gradually.

Socialisation done as exposure

Standing on the Military Road footpath while dogs go past is exposure, not socialisation, and for a nervous puppy it makes things worse rather than better.

Puppy school is on Military Road too, but inside and controlled, which is the version that builds confidence rather than spending it.

Teenage dogs, 17 to 32 weeks, in Neutral Bay

Recall going, with bushland right there

The off lead grass at Forsyth Park runs straight into bushland where dogs are supposed to be on lead. An adolescent who has decided recall is optional will be in the bush before you have finished the sentence, and there is no fence.

We rebuild the recall on a long line at the distance it actually breaks, and treat the edge of the bushland as a boundary to be trained.

Losing the parks to sport

Anderson Park and Forsyth Park both go on lead during organised sport, which is exactly the weekend morning window most families use.

We build a routine with more than one leg to it, so a Saturday fixture does not take out the whole week.

Lunging on Military Road

Narrow footpath, dogs passing at a metre, buses and traffic noise. An adolescent who is only just coping goes over threshold repeatedly on a single trip to the shops.

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

Dogs 32 weeks and older in Neutral Bay

Barking when you leave

The most common call along the Military Road blocks, and it usually arrives with a letter from strata. 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.

Reactivity in lifts and lobbies

A dog who is fine at Anderson Park can be a different animal in a lift, because there is no distance available and no way to leave. Most owners find this out on a bad day rather than a planned one.

We work it in your actual building on your actual floor, because a shared lift cannot be practised anywhere else.

An older dog and a hill

Everything here runs downhill to the water and back up. As a dog ages the walk that was fine at five becomes why they are stiff at nine, and owners usually respond by walking less.

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

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 Neutral Bay call out, start to finish

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

The call

A one year old Groodle in a flat off Ben Boyd Road. He kept disappearing into the bushland at Forsyth Park and had twice not come back for fifteen minutes. The owner had started keeping him on lead in the park, which was making him more frantic rather than less.

What we found

His recall worked on the grass and stopped existing the moment he was into the trees, because the bush is more interesting and there is nothing to see him. Nobody had ever taught him the tree line meant anything, and from his point of view there was no reason it should.

What changed

Long line, and we taught the edge of the bushland as an actual boundary rather than a suggestion. We also gave him proper work to do on the grass so the trees were not the only interesting thing available. About five weeks before the line came off, and he now stops at the tree line without being asked.

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 Neutral Bay, and everything that comes after

Puppy school in Neutral Bay is here in the suburb, on Military Road, so for most people it is a walk rather than a drive. The dog training that follows, for teenage and adult dogs, is done one to one in your own home.

North Sydney handles dog rules the opposite way round to most councils. Rather than naming a handful of off lead parks, it states that all its parks and public reserves are off lead and then lists the exceptions. No hours are published anywhere.

That is generous and it comes with two catches. Bushland is on lead, and a lot of the harbour foreshore here is bushland. And playing fields go on lead during organised sport, which takes out Anderson Park and Forsyth Park on most weekend mornings in season.

There is also no fenced dog park that North Sydney publishes anywhere in its area, and the foreshore reserves are steep and narrow with water on one side. So the rules are more generous than the eastern suburbs and the recall demands are just as high.

Our north shore puppy school is here on Military Road, which for most of Neutral Bay is a walk rather than a drive. It is DoggieLove rather than our eastern suburbs operator, which is worth saying plainly because it is often written up wrongly elsewhere.

  • Puppy preschool and puppy kindergarten in the suburb itself, four weeks, matched by size.
  • Adolescent training for recall where off lead grass runs straight into on lead bushland with no fence.
  • Dog behaviourism for adults, including strata noise complaints along the Military Road blocks.

Book puppy school in Neutral Bay. See adolescent training and in-home behaviour training. We also work in Cremorne Point and Mosman.

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about puppy school and dog training in Neutral Bay

Common questions we get about our puppy program.

Common questions about puppy school and dog training in Neutral Bay

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 do I bring to the first class?

A flat lead and a normal collar or harness, your vaccination card, poo bags, and something soft your puppy already likes to lie on. Bring treats your puppy actually rates, cut small, and hold back their meal beforehand so they arrive hungry rather than full.

Leave the retractable lead and the squeaky toy at home. And walk your puppy the last few minutes rather than carrying them in from the car, because a carried puppy arrives at a much higher gear than a walked one.

We already have an older dog at home. Does that change anything?

It changes a lot, and it is one of the main things we work on in the session at your house rather than in class.

Your older dog is teaching your puppy far more than you are, all day, whether you like what they are teaching or not. If the older dog barks at the door, your puppy will. If the older dog has learned that jumping gets attention, your puppy has already seen it work. Getting the two of them right together is a different job from getting a single puppy right, and it is much easier done now than at eight months.

What if we miss a week?

Tell us and we will slot you into the same class number in another block, so you get all four weeks in order rather than skipping one. The four weeks build on each other, so week three in place of week two does not work.

If your puppy is unwell, keep them home. Do not bring a puppy with an upset stomach into a room of part vaccinated puppies.

Exactly which vaccinations does my puppy need before the first class?

The second vaccination, done, before your first group class. Bring the card. That is the whole requirement for the room.

Your vet may tell you to keep your puppy away from other dogs until the third. That advice is about parks and footpaths, not about a cleaned, enclosed room of puppies on the same schedule. Waiting until sixteen weeks to socialise costs more than it protects, which is why the class exists in the form it does. If your vet has said something specific about your puppy, tell us and we will work around it.

Do Cavaliers suffer from separation anxiety?

Many do. Cavaliers are companion dogs through and through. They were bred to be close to people, and some struggle badly when left alone. Building independent time gradually from puppyhood is the most practical prevention. If anxiety is already present, steady, step-by-step alone-time training usually helps.

Is it normal for a puppy to pull on the lead?

Common, and not a sign anything has gone wrong. Most puppies pull the first few times a lead is attached because they have had no practice with one yet. Short, structured sessions from eight weeks build the habit early, before pulling becomes the default.

How soon can I let my newly adopted dog off lead in Sydney?

Not until recall is real, which for most newly adopted dogs is months rather than weeks. A long line gives your dog the same freedom with none of the risk while you build it. The off-lead beaches and coastal paths around the Eastern Suburbs are the worst possible place to test an unproven recall.

How much does it cost?

There are four levels and the current prices are all on the puppy school booking page, along with exactly what each one includes.

The four weeks of class are identical at every level. What you are choosing between is how much one to one time you get in your own home, how long you keep the online course, and how directly you can reach us afterwards. Most families land on the second level, which is where a session at home and the full course access switch on.

Dog Training In Nearby Suburbs

Not sure where to start with your Neutral Bay 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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