Puppy School and Dog Training in Potts Point

We run puppy school about eight minutes from Potts Point in Paddington, and we train older dogs one to one in your own home across Potts Point, Elizabeth Bay and Woolloomooloo.

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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 Potts Point, the short version

Quick Facts

Where We Work: In your own home, across Potts Point, Elizabeth Bay, Woolloomooloo and Darlinghurst

What We Offer

Council Area

City of Sydney

Nearest Puppy School Location

Dogs in Town, 308 Oxford Street, Paddington NSW 2021

Distance

About 2.5 km, roughly eight minutes by car

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 Potts Point

Venue Name

Venue Name

Dogs in Town, Paddington

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Venue Address

Venue Address

308 Oxford Street, Paddington NSW 2021

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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 in Paddington, about 2.5 km from Potts Point and one of the closest in Sydney to this part of the city. 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 are capped at ten puppies and we match them by size. That matters more here than most places, because Potts Point runs small and a toy breed should not be learning next to a Labrador.

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Where we work around Potts Point

What it is like owning a dog in Potts Point

What It Is like

Potts Point is one of the densest residential areas in Australia, and it is almost all apartments, a lot of them small art deco blocks with narrow stairwells and old lifts. Your dog has no garden, no yard and no private outdoor space at all.

That is not automatically a problem. Plenty of very settled dogs live here. But it means everything has to be taught deliberately, because none of it happens by accident through a back door.

The parks are good and they all run on different clocks, and none of them are fenced. City of Sydney stated as recently as 2021 that it has no fenced off lead dog areas anywhere in the local government area, so recall matters here more than in almost any suburb we cover.

Popular Landmarks
  • Embarkation Park
  • Beare Park
  • Macleay Street
  • Elizabeth Bay
  • Kings Cross
  • McElhone Stairs
  • Rushcutters Bay Park
Main Housing Style

Almost entirely apartments, many in older walk up and art deco blocks. No private outdoor space to speak of.

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

Local Challenges

  • Separation anxiety. The densest housing in the country means a neighbour on every side, and strata usually hear about it before you do
  • Four parks on four different clocks. Embarkation is sunrise to sunset, Beare Park is 4.30pm to 9.30am, Rushcutters Bay is 3.30pm to 10.30am, Macleay is at all times
  • Nothing is fenced. City of Sydney has no fenced off lead dog areas anywhere in the local government area
  • Lift, lobby and stairwell reactivity, where there is no distance available and no way to leave
  • Toileting with no private outdoor space, so every part of it has to be taught deliberately
  • Night noise. Kings Cross does not go quiet, and a dog who reacts to every sound outside has a long night

Common Breeds

  • Cavoodle
  • French Bulldog
  • Maltese
  • Miniature Poodle
  • Whippet

Off Lead Spots

  • Macleay Reserve, Elizabeth Bay Road, at all times
  • Lawrence Hargrave Reserve, Elizabeth Bay Road, at all times
  • Embarkation Park, Victoria Street, sunrise to sunset daily
  • Beare Park, Ithaca Road, 4.30pm to 9.30am
  • Rushcutters Bay Park, 3.30pm to 10.30am, not Reg Bartley Oval or the playground

Busy Streets

  • Macleay Street
  • William Street
  • Darlinghurst Road
  • Bayswater Road

What we get called about in Potts Point, by age

Puppies up to 16 weeks in Potts Point

Toileting with nowhere private at all

This is the hardest version of it. No garden, no balcony that works, and often three flights of stairs or a slow lift between the flat and the street. A puppy who cannot hold it for that journey learns to go indoors instead, and that is very hard to undo.

We build the route before the puppy needs it, and we plan around the actual building rather than a generic one.

A puppy who never learns to settle

In a small flat you are always in the same room. A puppy who is picked up every time they whine, in a space where they are always within reach, never learns that being alone in the room is survivable.

We teach settling as a specific skill in a small space, because it is the single biggest predictor of whether separation becomes a problem later.

Too much world, too fast

Most puppies are under socialised. Potts Point puppies are often the opposite, because Macleay Street at six in the evening is a lot for a twelve week old and it is on your doorstep.

We tell you which hours and which streets, so exposure builds confidence rather than spending it.

Teenage dogs, 17 to 32 weeks, in Potts Point

Recall going, in parks with no fences

City of Sydney has no fenced off lead areas at all, and Embarkation Park is on the roof of a car park with roads below it. An adolescent who has decided recall is optional has almost no margin here.

We rebuild it on a long line at the distance it actually breaks, in the park you use rather than in your flat.

Reactivity in the lift and the stairwell

An old walk up block has a narrow stairwell with blind corners, and there is no way to give another dog room. A teenager who was fine with that at four months often is not at six.

We work in your actual building on your actual floor, because a stairwell cannot be rehearsed anywhere else.

Barking at everything in the building

Doors, lifts, footsteps and neighbours, all of it right through the wall. A teenager decides all of that is worth announcing and everyone on the floor finds out.

We take the job off them rather than trying to stop the noise, because the barking is the symptom and the job is the cause.

Dogs 32 weeks and older in Potts Point

Barking when you leave, with strata involved

By far the most common call we take in Potts Point, and the one with a deadline, because it usually arrives after a letter. 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.

A dog who reacts to the street all night

Kings Cross does not go quiet. A dog who has appointed themselves as security for the whole block gets no real sleep, and nor does the household.

We change what the dog thinks their job is and set the flat up so they can genuinely switch off, rather than trying to soundproof the Cross.

A rescue settling into a small flat

A dog who has never lived in a building arrives with no idea what a stairwell, a lift or a shared entrance means, and here they get all of it on day one.

We come in early rather than after something has gone wrong, and set the flat up so the dog is learning the right thing from the first week.

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 Potts Point call out, start to finish

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

The call

A two year old Cavoodle in a one bedroom art deco flat off Macleay Street. Barking from the moment the door shut. Two letters from strata. The owner worked from home three days a week, which everyone had assumed would help.

What we found

Working from home was the problem rather than the solution. In a one bedroom flat the dog had never once been calm and separate while she was in it. He followed her room to room, sat on her lap through calls, and had no idea how to be alone in a space he had never been alone in.

What changed

We built distance while she was home first, which in a flat that size takes some planning. Departures got boring instead of emotional. Around two weeks to the first quiet morning, and the strata letters stopped at about six weeks.

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 and dog training in Potts Point, floor by floor

Puppy school is the first step for a Potts Point puppy, eight minutes away in Paddington, and the settling work in a small flat starts at the same time. Dog training for older dogs happens in your own block, on your own stairs.

Potts Point is one of the densest residential areas in Australia and it is almost all apartments, many of them small art deco blocks with narrow stairwells and old lifts. Your dog has no garden, no yard and no private outdoor space at all. That is not automatically a problem, and plenty of very settled dogs live here, but it means everything has to be taught deliberately because none of it happens by accident.

The parks are good and they run on four different clocks. Macleay Reserve and Lawrence Hargrave Reserve are off lead at all times. Embarkation Park is sunrise to sunset, so it is not a late evening option, and it sits on the roof of a naval car park reached by the McElhone Stairs. Beare Park runs 4.30pm to 9.30am, meaning it is on lead through the whole middle of the day. Rushcutters Bay Park is a fourth window again at 3.30pm to 10.30am.

None of them are fenced. City of Sydney stated in 2021 that it has no fenced off leash dog exercise areas anywhere in the local government area, which for a flat dweller means your dog goes from a lift straight into open parkland near traffic.

  • Puppy preschool plus settling work in a small flat, which is the single biggest predictor of separation problems later.
  • Adolescent training for recall where nothing is fenced.
  • Dog behaviourism for adults, including strata noise complaints.

Puppy school is at Paddington, eight minutes away. See adolescent training and in-home behaviour training. We also work in Darling Point and the city.

Frequently Asked Questions

Puppy school and dog training in Potts Point, common questions

Common questions we get about our puppy program.

Puppy school and dog training in Potts Point, common 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.

Is separation anxiety curable?

Of all the issues we cover this is by far the most common in Sydney. Unfortunately, there is no one fix for this and usually it takes a combination of elements to get results. There is no guarantee of fixing separation anxiety

Can I toilet train my puppy without outdoor grass?

Yes. A patch of artificial grass on a balcony, a courtyard, or a consistent section of pavement works fine. Pick one spot and always take the puppy there. The association is to the surface and location, not to the outdoors as a concept.

Is it normal for a puppy to be scared of noises?

Yes, especially before 16 weeks. The socialisation window means the puppy is still calibrating which sounds are neutral and which are worth responding to. Mild flinching at sharp sounds is developmentally normal. The problem is when the fear response is intense, takes a long time to resolve, or is expanding to cover more sounds over time. If the puppy isn't settling after the sound passes, that's worth addressing actively rather than waiting for it to resolve.

Are French Bulldogs easy to train?

They can be, but they're stubborn. Frenchies are intelligent enough to learn quickly when they want to. The challenge is motivation. They respond best to short sessions, high-value food, and a trainer who keeps things fun. Drilling the same command repeatedly will lose them fast.

Should I comfort my dog when it looks stressed or scared?

No. Soothing rewards the fear response and confirms there was something worth worrying about. Stay neutral, create distance, and save affection for once your dog is genuinely calm.

How long does it take a puppy to stop crying when left alone?

With consistent application of Rule 3 and the mini-leaves method, most puppies show clear improvement within two to three weeks. The leadership foundation reduces the emotional charge around separations. The departure conditioning builds the tolerance for duration. Without the foundation, departure conditioning alone can take months with fragile results.

What are the different levels of support you offer for puppy school?

We offer four levels of support. Every level includes four weeks of group puppy school at your chosen venue, lifetime community access and Ask Luke, our digital mind, available 24/7 with no message limits.

  • Bronze: the group puppy school on its own. No one to one sessions and no online course. For owners who want the class and are happy running the rest at home themselves.
  • Silver: the full program. One session in your own home before school starts, six months of the online course, and direct support whenever you need it.
  • Gold: everything in Silver, with three home sessions instead of one, a full year of course access, and phone support as well as messaging. Most families choose Gold.
  • Platinum: ten home sessions through to adolescence, lifetime course access, the video tutorial library, your training equipment, and priority phone and text. We take five Platinum clients at a time.

What is your cancellation policy?

We understand that changes happen but in order to maintain the quality of our service we have a clear cancellation policy. You can find that on our cancellation policy page.

Dog Training In Nearby Suburbs

Not sure where to start with your Potts 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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