Starlight Bernedoodles Puppy Training

All our puppies get our Head Start Training Program with our expert Trainer - This is included in our puppy price!

CLICK HERE to complete our Puppy Application!

Meet Kay

Starlight Bernedoodles Expert Dog Trainer - Kay!

A graduate of the Animal Behavior College, Kay combines her academic foundation with hands-on expertise. Her exceptional reputation is underscored by her status as an American Kennel Club Temperament Test and Canine Good Citizen Evaluator and her active membership in the Association of Professional Dog Trainers (APDT).

Kay's career spans a wide range of roles, from training and behavior modification to managing care for domestic, farm, and exotic animals. She even spent a few years on the local K9 Search and Rescue team! Kay has a special way with dogs who need a little help with things like anxiety, reactivity and aggression. She is a ‘Mentor Trainer’ with the ABC, educating the next generation of dog trainers. Kay also partners with a few local rescue 501c3 organizations and offers free and discounted services for recently rescued dogs from 4EverYours Rescue!

Her approach is rooted in positive reinforcement, ensuring humane and effective training tailored to each dog's unique needs. Dedicated to fostering better relationships and communication between dogs and their owners, Kay's commitment to excellence, professionalism, and compassion makes her an invaluable resource for clients seeking expert training and behavioral support.

Kay lives on a small, yet fully-functioning, homestead in the beautiful Sierra Mountains. Her training center is neighbor to chickens, ducks, goats, rabbits and one very loud goose! (Amazing socialization opportunities!) When Kay isn’t training dogs or hiking with them in the mountains, she is often found in a peaceful sunny spot, enjoying a good book.

Link to Kay's website: https://www.caninecommunication.dog/about

Head Start Training Basics

Starlight Bernedoodles Trainer

This program has been developed in conjunction with local high-quality breeders to give your puppies the best headstart

possible in life, for whatever they may do!

Especially geared towards setting the proper foundation for therapy or service work; this program starts at 5 weeks old. By the time the puppies go home at 8 weeks they will already have a solid foundation with positive reinforcement training and the groundwork started of the treat to verbal que association. Puppies will understand how to follow treat lures, will understand a verbal positive reinforcement marker and will understand how to perform the following cue commands with a treat lure:

Sit, down, touch, focus, spin.
They will also have started their ‘auto-sit!’

Not only will the puppies who go through our program understand all of these things; they will be excited to do them! We instill not only an association to a verbal marker, but a love and joy for learning and practicing.

Puppies will have had a very brief introduction to a crate and the “in your crate” command and will be comfortable wearing a harness and leash. These are still very young puppies and will need both reinforcement and continued training when they come home. These puppies will have had an incredible training head start and are going to be immediately ready for training when you bring them home!

If you’re looking for a more in-depth training package that includes things like overnight crate training, potty training, understanding hand commands without a treat lure, an automatic sit and a dog who can loose leash walk next to you nicely; then check out the board and train options!

Board & Train Options with Kay

Are you overwhelmed with the idea of crate or potty training a puppy? Would you love to skip the “puppy velociraptor” stage and bring home a well-behaved, socialized pup? Maybe you have an older dog with specific behaviors or cues to work on. Our custom training plans are perfect for pups of any age! From specialized programs for puppy foundations to advanced dog obedience, crate and potty training, and behavior rehabilitation, we tailor the length and program to your goals. Packages listed are just a starting point!

2 week Board And Train

With this two-week program, you’ll bring home a puppy who already knows the basics! Puppies will learn: Focus, Come, Sit, Down, Touch, Spin, Stay, Wait, On Your Bed, and In Your Crate.

They’ll also be introduced to Leave-It and Drop-It commands and will perform cues with both hand and verbal signals. On top of all this; they also get started with loose-leash walking, (a ‘heel’ command’), and will come home with a leash and harness fitted to them!

Your puppy will have polite house manners, including not jumping on people, waiting politely at doors and for food, and sitting automatically for attention. They’ll also be crate and potty trained, ready to continue intermediate obedience training.

This package requires either the HeadStart Training Package (1.) or an additional week of training. Includes one private in-person or video session during boarding and one private session after the dog returns home .

Price: $2450

4 week Board And Train Split

Want to have your pup and pet them, too?? (Did you get my pun?? 😅)

This is the package for the pet parent who wants the best of everything! With this package, your pup will learn everything in the two week basic puppy board and train, AND get intermediate training, all while you still get to enjoy the best and cutest weeks with your new baby!

They will come to me at eight weeks and we will begin their crate training, potty training, and all of the other things right on schedule. At 10 weeks they go home to you, just like the regular two week board and train.

Here is where we switch it up!

Your puppy stays with you for the next 6 weeks while you get to know them and bond during those sweet fluffy puppy days. We will regularly check in through this time.

Once your new fur baby is fully vaccinated (16-18 weeks is ideal) THEN they come back to me for all the intermediate work! Getting your pup stable in public and walking effortlessly on leash takes a LOT of repetition. I am happy to do that for you!

We’ll work on public manors, being able to ‘settle’ and hang out at a park or coffee shop, work on adding distractions to all those basic manners. Your pup will progress from leash walking being constant work and checking in, to hands-free leash walking with minimal redirection needed. The second two weeks will take your pup from knowing the basics, to being an intermediate star and ready to take on the world!

Includes two private video or in-person training lessons during boarding and two follow-up sessions after the dog returns home. Lifetime discounts on Board and Train Touch-Ups are also included!

Price: $4800

CLICK HERE to complete our Puppy Application!

Mini and Medium Bernedoodles

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