Puppy Raising Camp + Coaching
An Extraordinary Puppyhood Experience
Busy schedule? Hectic household? A trickier-than-normal pup? Let us make the puppyhood experience more pleasant for you and your puppy, with a fully customized Instinct Puppy Raising program.
LEARNING THAT LASTS A LIFETIME
The experiences your puppy has between 8-20 weeks of age will shape how they view the world for the rest of their life. When you enroll in a Puppy Raising program with Instinct, your puppy will live full time with a professional Instinct puppy raiser who will nurture your pup’s confidence, resilience and responsiveness through safe, positive socialization & learning experiences, while providing support for any current puppyhood behavior challenges.
Puppy Camp + Coaching programs are perfect for:
- Comfort with being left alone
- Intro to potty training schedule
- Intro to a crate/confinement area
- Intro to leash walking & wearing a harness/collar
- Puppy nipping & mouthing
- Comfort with handling, petting & grooming
- Intro to puppy life skills
settling, coming when called, impulse control
- Confidence building around people & other dogs
- Socialization to different environments, objects & sounds
…and more!
Remember: Puppies are still BABIES! They have so much to learn about the human world in which they live. Puppy Camps allow us to lay a fantastic foundation for skills, manners, & daily routines, but puppies will not return from puppy camp fully potty trained or perfectly ‘obedient’.
Note: Puppy camps are not suitable for pups displaying extreme levels of separation-related distress and vocalization lasting longer than 30-40 minutes when left alone. In such cases, we work together via Private Coaching sessions instead. If you are uncertain whether your pup falls into this category, a trainer can help assess your pup’s behavior further during your kickoff consultation.
J. Forman
Here's how it works
Private Coaching programs are a fantastic option for all types of training & behavior goals, including puppy development; life skills & manners; and fear, anxiety, aggression & reactivity.
1. Before Puppy Camp
You and your coach will:
- Set fair, positive goals for you and your puppy, based on your pup’s Nature
- Determine the learning experiences, environmental changes, wellness routines, and relationship dynamics exercises you & your pup will need to achieve your goals and provide your pup with optimal, Nature-Driven Nurture
- Get started with pre-camp training missions that prep your puppy to get the most out of their camp experience
2. During Puppy Camp
Your coach will:
- Provide your pup with daily positive training, structure/routine, and socialization experiences designed to move you and your puppy closer to your goals
- Implement your puppy’s canine behavioral health support plan to meet their developmental needs
- Track and log behavior & training progress, adjusting as needed
- Communicate frequently to share new insights about your puppy, their learning style and their behavioral needs; to share successes; and to collaborate on potential program or mission adjustments as needed
- Include you in the learning process via at-home learning materials and coaching sessions with your pup
3. After Puppy Camp
You will:
- Continue where camp left off, completing the private coaching sessions included with your program
- Continue to track and log progress, and communicate frequently with your coach via your Collaborative Coaching Trello board
- Become part of our alumni family, and have the option to attend our free and/or low-cost alumni classes, participate in bi-weekly Nature-Driven Nurture Q&A’s, and get support in our alumni-only Facebook group
Still Deciding?
Here are answers to common Puppy Raising Camp FAQs:
Where do puppies stay during Puppy Raising programs?
Puppies live in a loving home with a highly trained, professional Instinct Puppy Raiser.
Can I visit my puppy during Puppy Camp?
Yes! All puppy camps include visits/lessons, along with lots of photos and progress reports.
What is my puppy's daily schedule like during Puppy Raising?
Puppies enjoy a predictable, structured daily schedule that includes walks, playtime, training time, socialization experiences, snuggle time, and crate time/quiet time.
What will my puppy learn during Puppy Raising?
This depends on your training goals, length of program, and puppy’s age, but generally, we focus on starting to get your pup on a house training schedule, getting them comfy in a crate or pen, exposing them to sights, sounds, people, and other dogs in a safe, positive manner, and working on basic puppy manners including chew toy training and basic puppy obedience skills.
Isn't it important that my puppy and I bond during this stage of his life?
Humans and their dogs form strong, lasting bonds at all stages of life, whether starting at 8 weeks as a brand-new puppy, or at 5-6 years old as an adult rescue dog. You & your pup will have a lifetime of love and adventures to share together; allowing your pup to learn from experts at this critical stage of development will help ensure they grow into a happy, confident companion.
Can my puppy start a Puppy Raising program before she receives all of her vaccinations?
Yes! We follow the American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior guidelines for puppy socialization and training. Pups must have received their first round of vaccinations at least one week prior to starting a Puppy Raising program, and then must follow the booster schedule prescribed by their veterinarian.
How long does a Puppy Raising program last?
From 1-4 weeks, based on your goals and how long you can handle being away from your pup :).
What are your training qualifications & methods?
We use only positive, puppy-friendly training methods that focus on building your pup’s confidence, teaching them that the world is a safe place, and helping them develop a lifelong love for learning and training. All Puppy Raisers undergo extensive training in puppy development and are certified trainers, or have earned a Karen Pryor Academy Puppy StartRight® certificate or Karen Pryor Foundations certificate. All Puppy Raising programs are overseen by certified trainers and behavior consultants with years of experience helping young pups get a great start in life.
Programs & Pricing
Puppy Camp + Coaching
Includes 1 in-facility private coaching session for each week of camp completed
$2000 + tax/week
Ready to get started?
The first step is booking a kickoff consultation to start working toward your goals!
Instinct New Jersey & Pennsylvania
Serving Bergen, Passaic, Hudson, Essex, Union, Morris, Middlesex, Somerset, Hunterdon, Warren, Ocean and Monmoth counties in NJ and Rockland County, NY.