Puppy School in Melbourne

Small, structured puppy classes that help you understand your puppy, build confidence and develop calm, practical skills for everyday life.

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Give your puppy the best possible start.

Bringing home a puppy is exciting, but the biting, toilet accidents, broken sleep and constant questions can quickly become overwhelming.

Our Puppy School gives you clear, practical guidance during this important stage of your puppy’s development. Our small, structured classes help your puppy build confidence, learn everyday skills and develop a stronger connection with you.

Classes are held in Altona North and welcome puppy owners from Williamstown, Newport, Footscray, Yarraville, Werribee and Melbourne’s western suburbs.

Puppy School Near Me
what my puppy learns
A young dog wearing a Halloween costume with an orange cape and black outfit sitting on the floor, looking at the camera with a blurred background including a wall and a decorative element.
Cute puppy dressed as a magician with a cape and hat, sitting on a white surface, with a blurred Halloween decoration in the background.
A puppy dressed in a Halloween costume with an orange cape and hat, sitting indoors with blurred decorations and a display board in the background.
A woman with glasses and blonde hair smiling as she interacts with two children, a girl and a boy, and a small dog with a bow tie seated between the children in an indoor setting.
A woman and a man sitting on the floor, smiling, holding a puppy dressed in an orange coat. The woman is holding a certificate of completion for dog training. The woman has dark hair and is wearing a black hoodie and gray pants. The man has tattoos on his hands and arms, is wearing a black hoodie, gray beanie, and black pants, and has a beard. The puppy is brown and looking at the camera.

A calm and thoughtful approach to
Puppy School.

Puppy School should be more than teaching your puppy to sit or letting puppies play together.

Our classes focus on helping puppies feel safe, think clearly and learn around everyday distractions. You’ll also learn how to understand your puppy’s behaviour and respond in ways that build confidence rather than overwhelm.

Training is based on positive reinforcement, clear structure and practical strategies you can continue using at home.

is puppy school for me?

What your puppy will learn

Puppy School covers the practical foundations that help puppies become calmer, more confident and easier to guide in everyday life. We work on engagement, settling, foundation skills, puppy biting, handling, communication, body language and safe socialisation, while helping you understand how to continue the training at home.

Build Engagement and Focus: Puppies learn to pay attention and check in with their owner, making training clearer and more rewarding.
Puppy Biting and Redirecting: Owners learn practical ways to manage puppy biting through redirection and appropriate outlets.
Puppy Body Language: Owners learn to recognise when their puppy feels comfortable, uncertain, excited or overwhelmed.
Foundation Skills: Puppies are introduced to sit, drop, stay and place through simple, positive training.
Handling and Grooming Preparation: Puppies are gently introduced to handling around their paws, ears and body to support easier grooming and vet visits.
Calmness and Settling: Puppies learn to settle, rest and switch off so owners can build calmer routines at home.
Safe Exposure and Socialisation: Puppies experience new people, sounds, surfaces and environments safely without becoming overwhelmed.
Clear Communication and Marker Training: Owners learn to use marker words, rewards and clear cues to help their puppy understand which behaviours to repeat.
Building Confidence: Positive early experiences help puppies become more confident around change, novelty and everyday life.
Two men are sitting and standing near a white wall, smiling at the camera. The man on the left is holding a certificate, and the man on the right is holding a small dog wearing an orange cape. The man on the left is wearing a black hoodie and a cap with
A man smiling while sitting on the floor with a black and white puppy dressed in an orange bandana. There is a certificate on a small easel and a white cabinet in the background.
A woman with blonde hair and glasses holding a certificate, sitting next to a black and tan puppy on a gray dog bed, indoors with a white wall background.
A cute puppy with large ears wearing an orange Halloween cape, looking directly at the camera, standing on a white surface with a blurred background.
Adorable golden retriever puppy wearing a graduation cap and orange and black graduation sash, sitting on a white table, smiling

Puppy School is suitable for puppies aged 8-16 weeks who have received their first vaccination.

Your puppy does not need to be fully vaccinated to join.

Who is Puppy School for?

  • It is especially helpful if:

    • This is your first puppy

    • Your puppy is biting, jumping or struggling to settle

    • You want to socialise your puppy safely

    • Your puppy becomes distracted or overexcited

    • You want to prevent problems before they become established

    • You’re receiving conflicting advice and aren’t sure what to do

From Our Puppy Parents

  • A black and tan puppy sitting on a gray carpeted floor, wearing a purple harness, in front of a white wall with a certificate on a small wooden easel to its left.

    Jenny ★★★★★

    “Hayley has been absolutely wonderful throughout Puppy School. Watching Maze grow in confidence each week has been such a joy, and that’s entirely thanks to Hayley’s calm, supportive, and genuinely caring approach. She creates such a positive learning environment — not just for the puppies, but for the owners too.

    Maze adored every class, and I always felt encouraged, guided, and set up for success. I’m so grateful for the experience and would recommend Coached Canine Training to anyone looking for thoughtful, professional puppy support.”

  • A dog with gray and white fur, wearing an orange and black vest, sitting on a brown cushion on a white surface, with a certificate on a small easel in the background.

    Mario ★★★★★

    “We are so grateful to Hayley for the wonderful support and training she gave to our little Italian Greyhound, Auggie.

    From the very beginning, she connected with him beautifully, and it was such a joy to see how naturally he responded to her and how well he settled with his puppy peers.
    The training was thoughtful, positive, and genuinely effective, and we really appreciated how it was built up iteratively each week so August could keep learning and growing with confidence.

    The difference in both his behaviour and our day-to-day lives has been incredibly positive, and we feel very lucky to have had Hayley’s guidance.

    Her warmth, patience, and clear understanding of puppies made the whole experience feel supportive and enjoyable, and we would happily recommend her to anyone looking for a trainer who truly makes a lasting impact.”

  • Cute black and white puppy wearing a graduation cap and orange cape, sitting against a plain white background.

    Brittany ★★★★★

    “We just completed puppy school at Coached Canine and cannot recommend Hayley enough. We came into the course feeling completely overwhelmed and convinced we had brought home the wildest puppy imaginable, but Hayley completely changed the way we understood Peppa’s behaviour and brain.

    Even after already owning a Border Collie for 10 years and attending another puppy school previously, we still learnt so much. Hayley’s classes were structured in a way that really set the puppies up for success, rather than letting them become overstimulated and distracted.

    Her explanations were practical, easy to understand, and made a huge difference for us at home. We now feel so much more confident moving forward with Peppa. So grateful for everything Hayley taught us and for setting Pep up for a successful life.”

  • Two small dogs, one with curly fur and one with white fur, dressed in red holiday outfits, sitting on a tiled floor in a corner of a room.

    Nywe ★★★★★

    “Hayley is fantastic! She’s genuinely passionate about dog behaviour and training. I first joined her puppy school with my dog, Myla, and had such a great experience that I didn’t hesitate to come back with my second puppy, Yuki.

    Both my dogs absolutely adore Hayley. She’s incredibly patient, kind, and takes the time to explain behaviours, habits, and even health tips in a way that’s easy to understand. Her love for what she does really shines through, and it made the whole experience so positive for both me and my dogs.

    I’m so grateful to have had Hayley guide us through those important early stages. I would recommend her to anyone looking for the best start with their puppy!”

Puppy School details

Location: Altona North, Melbourne
Course length: 5 Weeks
Class duration:1 Hour Sessions
Class size: 5 Puppies
Investment: $250

Reserve Your Puppy’s Place
Reserve Your Puppy’s Place
puppy trainer

Meet Your Puppy Trainer

I’m Hayley, the trainer and founder behind Coached Canine. I know how quickly puppy life can go from exciting to exhausting, with biting, toilet accidents, broken sleep and constant worries about whether you’re doing the right thing.

I understand puppy development, stress, health and gentle handling. I’ll help you make sense of your puppy’s behaviour and build the calmness, confidence and everyday skills they need.

You’ll leave feeling supported, with a clear plan and the confidence to know what to do next.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Yes. Puppies can attend after their first vaccination, provided they are healthy, bright and free from signs of illness. Proof of vaccination is required before the first class.

  • Yes each class has structured puppy play. Socialisation is about much more than puppy play. Your puppy will learn to feel comfortable around other puppies, people, sounds and experiences without becoming overwhelmed.

  • Classes are kept small and structured so puppies can learn at an appropriate pace. Adjustments are made depending on your puppy.

  • You can continue developing your dog’s skills through Coached Canine’s group classes or arrange private training for more personalised support.

Still Have Questions? Contact Hayley

Ready to give your puppy the right start?

You do not need to figure out puppyhood on your own.Tell me a little about your puppy and I’ll help you decide whether Puppy School is the most appropriate option.

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puppy school