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.

Puppy School and Dog Training in Sydney CBD and Barangaroo

We run puppy school about thirteen minutes from the CBD in Paddington, and we train older dogs one to one in your own apartment across the city, Barangaroo, Millers Point and The Rocks.

See What We Do
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 the Sydney CBD, at a glance

Quick Facts

Where We Work: In your own apartment, across the CBD, Barangaroo, Millers Point, The Rocks and Pyrmont

What We Offer

Council Area

City of Sydney, with Barangaroo run by Place Management NSW

Nearest Puppy School Location

Dogs in Town, 308 Oxford Street, Paddington NSW 2021

Distance

About 4.5 km, roughly thirteen minutes by car

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 near the Sydney CBD

Venue Name

Venue Name

Dogs in Town, Paddington

Learn more
Venue Address

Venue Address

308 Oxford Street, Paddington NSW 2021

Learn more
Days & Times

Days & Times

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

Learn more
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 4.5 km from the city. It is a purpose built dog facility rather than a hired hall, fully enclosed and properly cleaned, which matters a great deal for a city puppy who has nowhere safe and enclosed to meet other dogs.

Classes are capped at ten puppies and we match them by size, so your puppy is never learning next to a dog four times their weight.

Learn More

Where we work around the city and Barangaroo

What it is like owning a dog in the city

What It Is like

Owning a dog in the Sydney CBD is a different job from owning one anywhere else we work. Everything is shared space. There is no garden, no yard and no quiet street, and your dog goes from a lift into the busiest footpaths in the country.

Off lead options are thin and scattered. Cook and Phillip Park is off lead on the grass areas at all times and is the only one inside the CBD block itself. Munn Reserve and Observatory Hill Park at Millers Point are off lead at all times, and Hickson Park in Barangaroo South runs from 6am to 10am and 4pm to 7.30pm.

None of them are fenced, and Barangaroo is not run by the council, so it has its own rules. The upside is that a city dog who is properly trained is unflappable everywhere else.

Popular Landmarks
  • Barangaroo Reserve
  • Hickson Park
  • Cook and Phillip Park
  • Observatory Hill Park
  • Hyde Park
  • The Rocks
  • Circular Quay
Main Housing Style

High rise apartments almost exclusively, with lifts, lobbies and no private outdoor space. Strata rules apply to everything.

Puppy and adult dog behaviour problems in the city

Local Challenges

  • Lift and lobby reactivity in high rise buildings, where there is no distance available and no way to leave
  • Separation anxiety, with neighbours on every side and a strata committee who will hear about it
  • Toileting from the twentieth floor, which is a genuinely long journey for a puppy or an older dog
  • Three different authorities. City of Sydney runs the parks, Place Management NSW runs Barangaroo, and the Royal Botanic Garden bans dogs outright
  • Nothing is fenced anywhere in the local government area, so recall matters more here than almost anywhere
  • Crowds, trams, buses, construction and delivery bikes, all of it constant and unavoidable

Common Breeds

  • French Bulldog
  • Cavoodle
  • Miniature Poodle
  • Maltese
  • Italian Greyhound

Off Lead Spots

  • Cook and Phillip Park, College Street, grass areas off lead at all times, not the playground or pool
  • Munn Reserve, Merriman Street, Millers Point, at all times
  • Observatory Hill Park, Upper Fort Street, at all times
  • Hickson Park, Barangaroo South, 6am to 10am and 4pm to 7.30pm, run by Place Management NSW
  • Waterfront Park and Metcalfe Park, Pyrmont, at all times

Busy Streets

  • George Street
  • Hickson Road
  • Elizabeth Street
  • Sussex Street

What we get called about in the city, by age

Puppies up to 16 weeks in the CBD and Barangaroo

Toileting from a high floor

From the twentieth floor, a toilet break is a corridor, a lift, a lobby and a footpath. That can be four or five minutes even when the lift comes straight away, and a puppy who cannot hold it that long learns to go indoors instead.

We plan around your actual building and floor, because a generic toilet training plan does not survive a high rise.

A world that is far too loud, far too early

George Street at five in the evening is more input than most twelve week olds can process. Owners think of it as socialisation and for a lot of city puppies it is the opposite, because there is no way to retreat from any of it.

We stage it deliberately, at hours and locations your puppy can actually handle, and build up rather than throwing them in.

Nowhere safe to meet other dogs

There is no fenced dog park anywhere in the local government area, so a city puppy has no safe enclosed place to meet other puppies. Their first real dog contact is often an adult dog on a footpath.

Puppy school in Paddington matters more for a city puppy than for anyone else, because it is the only controlled version available.

Teenage dogs, 17 to 32 weeks, in the CBD and Barangaroo

Lift and lobby reactivity

In a high rise the lift is unavoidable and it is the hardest possible place for a dog to meet another dog. A teenager who was fine with it at four months often is not at six, and there is no alternative route from the thirtieth floor.

We work in your actual building on your actual floor, starting with the lift empty and stationary.

Recall with nothing fenced

City of Sydney has no fenced off lead areas at all, and the off lead parks here sit directly beside some of the busiest roads in the country. An adolescent who has decided recall is optional is a serious problem rather than an inconvenience.

Long line, and we are conservative about when it comes off in a city park.

Barking at everything through the door

A corridor in a large building has people passing at all hours. A teenager decides that is worth announcing, and in a building with strata that becomes a formal problem quickly.

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 the CBD and Barangaroo

Barking when you leave, with strata involved

The most common city call and the one with a deadline. In NSW an owners corporation cannot ban pets outright, but persistent noise counts as unreasonable interference, and that is a real pathway.

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

A dog who cannot use the lift

In a high rise this is not a minor inconvenience, it is the difference between a dog who can leave the building and one who cannot. Fire stairs are not an option from the thirtieth floor.

We do this in your building, with your lift, in short pieces. It is one of the more satisfying things to fix because the change is so obvious.

A dog who has stopped coping with the street

City dogs get no gentle version of the outside world. When one starts finding the footpath unbearable, the owner's whole routine narrows, because there is no quiet back street to fall back on.

We find the quietest version of your route and the quietest hour, and rebuild from there rather than pushing through.

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 city call out, start to finish

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

The call

A three year old French Bulldog on the twenty second floor of a Barangaroo building. He had stopped getting into the lift, which meant he had effectively stopped leaving the apartment. The owner was carrying him in and out and he was too heavy for that to be sustainable.

What we found

A lift is a small sealed room with no warning about what will be in it when the doors open, and he had had two bad encounters in a row. Being carried had solved the immediate problem and taken away every chance of him learning otherwise, so six months on the lift was stranger than ever.

What changed

We started with the lift empty and not moving, then moving, then with one person in it, in short sessions across several visits. We also used the timed off lead window at Hickson Park so he had something good waiting at the bottom. About five weeks before a normal ride with another dog in it.

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

Puppy school and dog training in the Sydney CBD and Barangaroo, in practice

Puppy school matters more for a city puppy than almost anywhere, because there is nowhere safe and enclosed locally to meet other dogs. Classes are thirteen minutes away in Paddington, and the dog training for older dogs happens in your own apartment.

Owning a dog in the city is a different job from owning one anywhere else. Everything is shared space. There is no garden, no yard and no quiet street, and your dog goes from a lift into some of the busiest footpaths in the country.

Off lead options are thin and scattered, and they are run by different authorities. Cook and Phillip Park on College Street is off lead on the grass at all times and is the only one inside the CBD block. Munn Reserve and Observatory Hill Park at Millers Point are off lead at all times. Hickson Park in Barangaroo South runs 6am to 10am and 4pm to 7.30pm, and it is Place Management NSW rather than the council, so Barangaroo has an on lead precinct with one timed window rather than a dog park.

Two things catch people out constantly. The Royal Botanic Garden bans dogs outright under its conditions of entry, while The Domain next door permits them on lead. And nothing in the local government area is fenced, which is why recall matters more here than almost anywhere in Sydney.

  • Puppy preschool, which matters more for a city puppy because there is nowhere safe and enclosed locally to meet other dogs.
  • Adolescent training for lift work and recall with no fences.
  • Dog behaviourism for adults, including strata noise and dogs who will not use the lift.

Puppy school is at Paddington, thirteen minutes away. See adolescent training and in-home behaviour training. We also work in Potts Point and Paddington.

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about puppy school and dog training in the city and Barangaroo

Common questions we get about our puppy program.

Common questions about puppy school and dog training in the city and Barangaroo

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 runs at six venues, and all six take bookings: Paddington, Edgecliff, Neutral Bay, Zetland, Alexandria and Marrickville. Start dates vary by venue, so check the puppy school dates page for what is running next. 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 six fixed venues within about eight kilometres of the Harbour Bridge: Paddington, Edgecliff, Neutral Bay, Zetland, Alexandria and Marrickville. All six are taking bookings. See the puppy school dates page for current dates.

Can I leave my puppy home alone all day while I work?

Not at 8 to 12 weeks. Puppies at that age are not yet able to cope with long absences, and leaving them alone for a full work day sets up separation distress. Gradually extending alone time using the mini leaves method builds the puppy's ability to cope. Ideally, someone can check in mid-day during the first few months, or a dog walker can break up the day.

How often should I take my puppy outside to toilet?

There are four moments that matter most: straight after any sleep, within five to ten minutes of finishing a meal, after any burst of play, and every 45 to 60 minutes during awake time in the first weeks. Younger puppies need the shorter end of that range.

Set a timer. People get distracted, and a missed interval means an accident. The routine pays off quickly, and by 12 weeks most puppies are going reliably when taken out.

What noises should I be desensitising my puppy to?

Start with whatever is most common in your environment. For Sydney dogs that typically includes traffic, motorbikes, bins being collected, thunder, fireworks, children, and skateboards. Use recordings at low volume to begin, then gradually increase over sessions. The goal is to pair each sound with neutral or positive associations before the puppy encounters the real version at full volume.

How much exercise does a French Bulldog need?

Not much compared to other breeds. Around 20 to 30 minutes of gentle exercise a day is enough for most adult Frenchies. Puppies are different: cap on-lead exercise at five minutes per month of age, twice a day. They're brachycephalic, meaning their airways are compressed, which limits their capacity for intense activity. Avoid exercise in hot weather or humidity. They overheat easily and can struggle to breathe.

How much space does a puppy need inside the house?

Puppies do not need a lot of physical space, but they do need a clear routine and a safe base area. A confined but comfortable space, like a playpen or a gated room, helps them settle and makes toilet training much easier. Too much unsupervised access too soon leads to trouble.

Does The Toe Beans Co teach owners in Sydney how to read their dog's body language?

Yes, reading stress signals accurately is part of both puppy school and 1:1 dog behaviour training, since it's the skill that lets owners intervene before a reaction rather than after.

Where does The Toe Beans Co run puppy classes in Sydney?

Group puppy school runs at six venues, and all six take bookings: Paddington, Edgecliff, Neutral Bay, Zetland, Alexandria and Marrickville. Start dates vary by venue, so check the puppy school dates page for what is running next.

Everything else, including the one to one sessions, happens at your own address, anywhere within roughly a forty five minute drive of the Harbour Bridge. Alongside the group class you get lifetime community access and a written follow up after every session. Sessions at home and the online course, which runs week by week from week eight to week twenty four, start at Silver.

Can I do puppy school on its own?

Yes. Bronze is puppy school on its own. Four weeks in a small class, with the community and Ask Luke behind you.

We resisted offering it for a long time and the reason is worth knowing. We kept meeting owners who got a gold star at puppy school and four months later could not walk past another dog without barking. Puppy school matters enormously for commands and socialisation, but it is one piece. What happens at home between eight weeks and eight months is the rest of it.

So Bronze is there for owners who want the class and are happy running the rest themselves. Everything from Silver up is us running it with you.

Dog Training In Nearby Suburbs

Not sure where to start with your city 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

From the blog

Spoodle standing on grass in a Sydney park, apricot wavy coat and long feathered ears
11 min read
Spoodle training: the Cocker brain in a Poodle coat

Spoodle owners in Sydney ring us about two things, and it's the same two every time. The dog can't be...

Read more
Best puppy breeds for families: a small companion dog settled on the floor of a Sydney terrace house
12 min read
Best Puppy Breeds for Families in Sydney: Start With the House You Live In

Most people pick the breed first and think about the house second. The best puppy breeds for families are the...

Read more
Cavoodle training in Sydney: a Cavoodle standing on grass in a suburban park
11 min read
Cavoodle training: what the most popular puppy in Sydney actually needs

Around six in ten of the adult separation cases I take on in Sydney are Cavoodles. That isn't bad luck...

Read more
Adult Weimaraner with a silver-grey coat standing calmly in a sunlit garden, Sydney breed behaviour guide hero image
15 min read
Weimaraner Behaviour: Separation, Testing And The Door

The Weimaraner and the Vizsla get talked about as though they are the same dog in two colours. They are...

Read more