Sydney Puppy School. Turning Cute Puppies Into Great Dogs.
The Puppy You Raise Well Today, Is The Dog Everyone Loves Tomorrow
No pain. No fear. No force. · Five venues across Sydney · Free meet and greet, no obligation
Sound Familiar?
From your first dog to fifth, from families to solo parents and XL's to teacups. We have seen it all.
Feeling Overwhelmed?
You brought your puppy home and within a week you were completely overwhelmed and wondering whether you had made a mistake.
Confused What To Do?
You have been using ChatGPT for support. It worked at the beginning and now you are getting conflicting advice.
Don't Know Where To Start?
Your feed is full of magic solutions that will sort your dog out in 48 hours or less, all of them attached to something for sale.
Second Guessing Yourself?
The first week at home went well and you were wondering what the fuss was about. Now your puppy has started doing what puppies do.
"He took the time to understand our concerns and gave us practical, easy-to-follow tools that made a real difference. We saw positive improvements straight away, and the training felt tailored to our dog's individual needs."
Lifetime Owner, Pomeranian, Young Family
"Luke is amazing. We couldn't have raised our pup without him. This is so much better than other dog schools that I researched."
Golden Retriever, First Time Owner, Professional couple
Brilliant program, a fresh approach and it has helped our whole human family as well as our fur family. We have a 4 year old dog and a new puppy. Love the personal approach and ongoing support. Highly recommend.
Multi-pet Household, Young Family, Lifetime Owner, Jackapoo
"As a first-time dog owner, I was honestly overwhelmed at the start. Luke gave me the confidence to believe that I could do this. His constant guidance and support have been such a huge contributor to my dog now being calm, collected, and truly living her best life.."
King Charles Cavalier, First Time Owner, Single owner
There Is Nothing Else Like It In Sydney
Sydney has plenty of puppy schools. What nobody else offers is what actually helps you raise a calm happy dog: one to one sessions in your home, small group school, a full online course with week by week guides and breed tutorials, and 24/7 support through Ask Luke, a digital mind that is exactly like speaking to me, minus the spelling mistakes.
Group Puppy School
Group School: real socialisation with other puppies, in person, to teach your puppy how to interact with other dogs, and under distraction.
1:1 Training
Focused, in-home attention on whatever your dog specifically needs. You can access between 1 and 10 private 1:1 sessions.
6 Month Online Course
A full online course, week by week and breed by breed. Everything you need to raise a calm happy dog, in the order you need it.
Support That Works
24/7 across the community, chat, phone and Ask Luke. Trained only on our own training, so you never get generic advice.
Everything You Need To Know
Here's What You Get Access To
01
Everyone Gets A Home 1:1 Visit
We come to your house and work with your actual puppy in your actual living room. Recall and off-lead work. Advanced commands built around your breed and your routine. And the behaviour rules we use in our adult dog training, applied early so you never need them later. Every program includes at least one. Gold and Platinum include more.
02
Group Puppy School, five Sydney venues
Four weeks, once a week, capped at ten puppies so your dog is not lost in a crowd. Paddington, Zetland, Marrickville, Alexandria and Neutral Bay. Any venue, any suburb. Your puppy joins after their second vaccination, usually around 11 to 13 weeks.
03
The Complete Puppy Program, day one to eight months
Yours the moment you sign up, structured around your puppy's age rather than a fixed timetable. Orientation, The Big 8 for the week they come home, a week by week journey from week 8 to week 24, a standing Problem Library, and Beyond The Spine for adolescence. You open the part that matches the week you are in.
04
Six months of real support, and Ask Luke 24/7
Six months of phone and community support with an actual human on the other end. Plus Ask Luke, our digital mind, trained only on how we train dogs. Call it, text it or WhatsApp it at 2am when your puppy will not settle. Unlimited, no waiting, same answers you would get from Luke.
8 Weeks Old
They Arrive
Your support starts before they even arrive. Get access to breed specific and week by week guides, as well as "Ask Luke",
8 - 11 Weeks Old
Book In Your 1:1 Training
Two hours in your own house. Crate, toileting, biting, sleep, and the ground rules that make everything afterwards work.
12 - 16 Weeks
Group puppy school
Four weeks, one hour a week, six to ten puppies matched by size and age. Starts once the second vaccination is done.
16 - 24 Weeks Old
Where Other Schools Stop
Most schools have finished. This is when the boundary testing starts and the socialisation window is still open. The course keeps moving week by week.
24 Weeks Old
The window closes
What your puppy has met by now, and how they felt about it, is what they will treat as normal for life. After this you are editing rather than building.
25 - 32 Weeks Old
Adolescence
Your dog checks whether the rules still apply. If the first six months were done properly this is a phase. If they were not, it is a problem.
Client Case Study: Harold
1.
8 weeks, the week he came home
Nothing is trained yet and nothing needs to be. This week is toileting, crate, sleep and biting. Get these four right and the next four months are easy.
Nothing is trained yet and nothing needs to be. This week is toileting, crate, sleep and biting. Get these four right and the next four months are easy.
2.
12 weeks, first day of puppy school
Second vaccination done, so he joins the group. Six puppies, one hour, once a week. This is where he learns other dogs are normal rather than exciting.
Second vaccination done, so he joins the group. Six puppies, one hour, once a week. This is where he learns other dogs are normal rather than exciting.
3.
16 Weeks
Trains, cafes, lifts, tradesmen, kids on scooters. What he meets now, and how he feels while he meets it, becomes what he treats as normal for life. The window closes at six months.
Trains, cafes, lifts, tradesmen, kids on scooters. What he meets now, and how he feels while he meets it, becomes what he treats as normal for life. The window closes at six months.
4.
6 months, the part nobody warns you about
The cute phase is over and he is testing every boundary he can find as he starts to get more confident and get bigger. This is the month most owners go looking for help. Ours is already running, and Ask Luke answers at 2am.
The cute phase is over and he is testing every boundary he can find as he starts to get more confident and get bigger. This is the month most owners go looking for help. Ours is already running, and Ask Luke answers at 2am.
5.
8 months; calm, social and part of the team
Where all the work starts to pay off. You get to enjoy having a well socialised dog that can learn commands and follow instructions. They aren't perfect, but that's not why we love them.
Where all the work starts to pay off. You get to enjoy having a well socialised dog that can learn commands and follow instructions. They aren't perfect, but that's not why we love them.
"The group sessions were so valuable in terms of socialising my puppy in a safe environment while also testing out our training with a lot of distractions — this part was extremely helpful. Luke provided personal support and was always there to answer my questions outside of the group sessions. Mac is a better dog because of them."
Dachshund, First Time Owner, Single owner
It had been 27 years since I'd had a puppy, most of ours have been older rescues, so it was learning how to live with one all over again. Four weeks on she's really sociable and we're getting there with the toilet training. What I didn't expect was Luke's level of engagement, coming to the house, and remembering the things we'd mentioned in class and following them up by email and text afterwards. We tried what he suggested and it worked.
Small Dog, Cross, Professional Couple, Experienced Owner
Luke came in when we were at the end of our tether with our 5 month old Bernese. She was lunging and biting to the extreme. He helped us put some solid structure and rules in place in the house which made us feel confident we could take control of difficult situations. He also worked on leash walking with her, clarifying technique and the right length of being in a tight heel for her age which helped to put her on the right track. Luke is lovely to work with and obviously loves the puppies! Thanks so much Luke for coming to the rescue.
Bernese Mountain Dog, Experienced Owner
"Luke came to help us on day 3 of having our puppy and was simply amazing. We learnt so much in our first session and now feel more confident with training and establishing a routine. A great service and would highly recommend!
First Time Owner, Australian Cobberdog, Professional couple
What Is Ask Luke: Introducing 24/7 Qualified Dog Trainer Support
Ask Luke is my digital mind. Call it, text it or message it on WhatsApp at any hour and you get the same answer I would give you, minus the spelling mistakes.
It has been trained on my training methods and years of real sessions with real dogs, and on nothing else. It is not ChatGPT with a dog hat on. It does not know about your holiday and it will not write your emails. It knows why your puppy bites at six in the evening and what to do about it tonight.
Unlimited use. No message caps. No waiting until Monday. Included on every tier from the day you enrol.
Why Owners Choose To Work With Us
"One of the best things about Luke is that he is incredibly responsive and available, whenever we needed him"
- Jodie & Andrew (Henrietta, Australian Cobberdog)
The Toe Beans Co
Vet Puppy School
Other Puppy Schools
1:1 Only Training
Online Only Training
Group puppy school, 4 weeks
1:1 training in your home
Online course, day 1 to 8 months
Depends
Support after the classes end
Depends
Program runs to 8 months, not 4 weeks
Depends
Behaviour first, not just commands
Depends
24/7 qualified dog trainer support with "Ask Luke"
Interactive breed and behaviour specific tutorials
PDFs Only
Lifetime Community Access
Forum Only
100% Satisfaction Guarantee
Ask Luke is our digital mind. It is trained on our training methods and our real client work and nothing else, so it answers like a dog trainer rather than like ChatGPT. Included with every program, unlimited, day or night.
Our Puppy Satisfaction Guarantee
Do the work and if you are not satisfied, we refund you in full.
To claim, you need to have attended your one to one session, attended all four group classes, and completed the Weekly Journey in the online course up to your puppy's current week. Tell us within 30 days of your last class and we refund the lot.
No forms, no fine print, no hoops.
We ask you to do the work because the work is the thing that changes your dog. If you have done all of it and you are still not happy, we have not held up our end.
Choose Your Puppy School Support
Puppy School (8 - 16 Weeks Old)
Bronze
Bronze is puppy school on its own. Four weeks in a small class, the community behind you, and Ask Luke on hand round the clock. For owners who want the socialisation and the structure, and are happy running the rest at home themselves.
Silver
Silver is the full program. A setup session at your house before school starts, the online course for six months, and direct support whenever you need it. Ask Luke reads your course material too, so it answers on the week you are actually on. Backed by our satisfaction guarantee.
Gold
Gold is for owners who want to actively shape how their puppy develops. Three home sessions across the first months, a full year of course access, and phone support as well as messaging, so you are adjusting as they grow rather than fixing things later.
Platinum
Platinum is for owners who want their dog to genuinely excel. Ten home sessions through to adolescence, lifetime course access, the video library and your equipment, plus priority phone and text. We take five Platinum clients at a time, which is what makes that possible.
*Ask Luke is our digital mind, available 24/7 with no message limits at any level. On Bronze it draws on everything we publish for free, the blogs and the guides on the site. From Silver up it also reads your course material and the community, so it answers on the week you are actually on rather than in general.
*Satisfaction Guarantee: From Silver and above you offer a satisfaction guarantee. Please find details further down this page
Luke of The Toe Beans Co spent two sessions with us at home to help settle in our new GSP puppy, Wombat; our first-ever dog.
He was awesome: super patient, clear, and helped us get all the basics sorted, from toileting and sleeping to simple commands and learning to be left alone. He was also great with our two boys, showing them how to handle the puppy confidently and gently.
Those two sessions were honestly invaluable, and the online resources you get access to are brilliant as well. We’ll definitely be using Luke again as Wombat moves through the next stages of growing up. I can’t recommend Luke and The Toe Beans Co enough. Thanks to his help, Wombat is settling into family life beautifully.
Young Family, First Time Owner
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. Couldn’t have wished for a better experience.
Labrador Retriever
Luke and liz were great. We loved how all the puppies socialised and I thought the training amongst all the distractions was a very valuable lesson as well as the amount of time luke is willing to give you.
Small Dog, Cross, First Time Owner, Young Family
"We can’t speak highly enough of The Toe Beans Co. Our puppy Eddie, has absolutely excelled, and we are so grateful for the support, encouragement and expertise they’ve provided.
The team is warm, professional and clearly love what they do. They created such a positive and supportive environment, and the progress we’ve seen in Eddie has been fantastic. She’s come such a long way, and it’s been a pleasure to watch.
What really sets The Toe Beans Co apart is how genuinely invested they are in our puppy’s development. Their care, knowledge and enthusiasm shine through in everything they do.
We thoroughly recommend The Toe Beans Co to anyone wanting the very best for their dog.
"
Cavoodle, First Time Owner, Professional couple
Luke came over as part of my puppy training course and was absolutely incredible. He had such a wonderful, calm nature with my pup who responded so well to him.
Every issue I came to him with that I’d been struggling with was addressed in detail. He didn’t just give quick fixes, he explained clear, practical strategies along with the psychology behind them, helping me actually understand reasons why my dog behaved in certain ways and how to respond effectively. That deeper understanding has made such a massive difference.
I came away with a huge amount of useful information, and he was genuinely a pleasure to have around - such a lovely man. Highly recommend.
Cavoodle, First Time Owner, Professional Couple
Frequently Asked Questions
The Program
Common questions we get about our puppy program.
The Program
What is included in puppy school?
What are your puppy school locations?
How do I sign up for the program?
What age should a puppy start puppy school?
What happens in the at-home session?
Do you use treats, clickers or punishment?
What is the difference between Bronze, Silver, Gold and Platinum?
How many puppies are in a class?
Can you guarantee my puppy will be well behaved?
Is my puppy too old for puppy school?
From The Blog
September is when most Sydney puppies come home. A spring puppy in Sydney also gets the most disrupted fifteen weeks...
Your puppy graduated at 16 weeks. The socialisation window is open until 24 weeks, and what you do with those eight weeks decides the dog you end up with.
Home eight to ten hours a day? Here is the honest version of toilet training a puppy around full-time work, what helps, and what the trade-offs actually are.
Group puppy school runs at six Sydney venues. If none are near you, here is what you still get: at-home 1:1 sessions, the online course and real support.
Puppy school across Sydney
If you are looking for a puppy school in Sydney then you are in the right place. Puppyhood is a unique time in your lives and the actions you take now will set the tone for their behaviour for the rest of your time together.
Where puppy school runs
Group classes run at six venues across Sydney and all six are taking bookings. Anyone in Sydney can attend any of them, so pick the one that fits your week rather than the one that is closest.
- Puppy school Paddington, our flagship, at Dogs in Town, 308 Oxford Street
- Puppy school Neutral Bay, DoggieLove, 71 Military Road
- Puppy school Zetland, Dogs in Town, 44 Epsom Road
- Puppy school Edgecliff, Dogs in Town, 500 Glenmore Road
- Puppy school Marrickville, Dogs in Town, 55 Addison Road
- Puppy school Alexandria, Dogs in Town, 266 Mitchell Road
Start dates vary by venue, so check the booking page for what is running next or ask us and we will tell you.
Wherever the class runs, your one to one sessions happen at your own address, so only the group component brings you to a venue.
When to start
Your puppy can begin the program from eight weeks old, which for most people is the week they come home. Group classes wait on the second vaccination, so the at-home work carries those first few weeks.
The socialisation window closes at six months. What your puppy meets in that time, and how they feel about it while it is happening, decides what they treat as normal for the rest of their life. After six months you are editing a view of the world your dog already holds rather than building one, and that is slower work.
Puppy preschool, puppy kindergarten, puppy school: same thing?
Mostly, yes. "Puppy preschool" and "puppy kindergarten" are what most Sydney vet clinics call their early classes. "Puppy school" is what most trainers call theirs. If you have been searching all three, you have been looking for the same thing: structured socialisation and handling for a young puppy, in a small group, before habits set.
What differs is not the name. It is the shape of the course.
Most puppy preschool runs as a short block of classes attached to a vet clinic, often finishing around ten or twelve weeks old. That is genuinely useful, and it is not the whole job. The socialisation window does not close at sixteen weeks, which is the figure that gets repeated most often. It stays open until roughly six months. A course that finishes at ten weeks leaves the larger part of that window unattended.
Puppy School here runs four weeks, in classes capped at ten puppies and matched by size, so a Cavalier is not learning in week one to be frightened of a Rottweiler. It is for puppies up to sixteen weeks old. From seventeen to thirty two weeks the work continues as Puppy Training, and from thirty two weeks it becomes Dog Behaviour Training. That progression exists because the window does.
So if you arrived here searching for puppy preschool or puppy kindergarten in Sydney, this is the page you wanted. Classes run at six venues across Sydney.
If your puppy is past puppy school age
If your puppy is over 16 weeks when you join, Puppy School isn't going to be possible. We run a program for 17 to 32 weeks that replaces the group classes with more 1:1 sessions instead. Same support, just structured differently. Some owners skip group classes altogether for their own reasons and we can accommodate that too, within reason.
See puppy training for 17 to 32 weeks
Training for older dogs
Group classes are puppies only. Older dogs are trained one to one in your own home, anywhere in Sydney within roughly a forty-five minute drive of the Harbour Bridge. That covers the Eastern Suburbs, Inner West, North Shore, Northern Beaches, Hills District, Western Sydney and South Sydney.
How we train
Everything we do is force-free. That's not a marketing line, it's just how we work. We're not interested in getting your dog to comply out of anxiety. We want them to actually choose to work with you, which sounds simple but it changes everything.
Who runs the classes
Luke Buchanan runs the program. Luke trained under the Dog Trainer Academy, six months of training and a final exam. The Toe Beans Co trainers hold Red Cross Australia Pet First Aid Trainer certification and are AFP background checked. We are fully insured.