Puppy Classes
Puppy Preschool
(9 weeks to 5 months old)
Come with your puppy as early as nine weeks of age. Socialize your puppy with people, dogs, and new environments to avoid fear reactions when they are older. Increase your puppy's self-confidence and trustworthiness while enhancing your relationship and bond. Build the foundation in obedience training for activities such as obedience competition, agility, search & rescue, service, or guide dog.
Puppy Preschool Class Requirements
5-way vaccinations any time after 8 weeks of age and at least 5 days prior to the first class. Rabies vaccination after 5 months of age. Dewormed or negative fecal sample - please contact your vet and have them email a copy of current vaccination records and worm status to our office before the start date of the class if possible. You can also scan and email records to us.
Puppy Kindergarten
(6 months, and older)
Puppy 2 follows Puppy 1 class to build a stronger relationship and bond. This class is for Puppy 1 graduates, puppies not old enough to move to the next class, and/or not yet ready for the Foundations Class or Grade School.
Puppy Kindergarten Class Requirements:
Same as Puppy 1 medical health requirements, over 5 months old, and graduates of Puppy 1.
Puppy Class Package
Start Your Puppy Off Right
At The Better Companion, we believe in building a strong foundation for your puppy’s lifelong success. That’s why we encourage new puppy families to enroll in both Puppy Preschool and Puppy Kindergarten - two essential stages in your dog’s early development.
To support your training journey, we now offer a Puppy Class Package that includes both classes at a discounted rate. Enroll once and receive a credit for Puppy Kindergarten (Puppy 2) that can be used any time within one year of purchase.
You can choose to continue into Puppy Kindergarten immediately after Puppy Preschool or wait until a future session that fits your schedule. Please note: we do not automatically enroll you in the next Puppy Kindergarten class. When you're ready, simply complete our online registration form or send us an email to reserve your spot.
Give your puppy the best start - Enroll in our Puppy Class Package today!
AKC's S.T.A.R. Puppy® Program
The Better Companion offers the AKC S.T.A.R. Puppy® Program. STAR stands for Socialization, Training, Activity, and Responsibility. The AKC (American Kennel Club) developed this program to encourage people to train their dogs at an early age and get their puppies into an excellent first time in-person training class. This program is open to purebred and mixed breeds up to 1 year of age.
You can now add on an enrollment in the AKC STAR Puppy Program when signing up for the Puppy or Foundation Class.
Puppy Day Training (Tiny Tails Day Training)
Our Puppy Day Training program is designed specifically for puppies ages 9 weeks to 6 months, providing a safe, structured, and developmentally appropriate environment during their most critical socialization period.
Supervised By Trained Professionals, This Daycare Setting Focuses On:
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Positive socialization with other appropriately aged and vaccinated puppies
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Exposure to new and novel stimuli in a safe, controlled way
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Encouraging confidence, curiosity, and appropriate play
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Supporting healthy interactions to help prevent fear and reactivity later in life
We prioritize vaccine safety, emotional well-being, and gentle handling, ensuring each puppy has positive experiences that build the foundation for lifelong social success. Our goal is to help your puppy grow into a confident, well-adjusted adult - one happy play session at a time.
Spots are limited to ensure a safe experience for all.
Contact us to reserve your space.
Puppy Open Play Time
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We believe dogs should have fun, exercise, and socialize with other dogs in a safe, controlled, and professionally supervised environment. We provide onsite trained staff and canine behavior professionals to oversee and manage each Open Play Time group, providing supervision and behavioral guidance to the dogs and their humans.
Open Play Time focuses on socialization and exercise in a controlled open play environment for pets and their humans to relax and enjoy meeting other pet companions in a fun and friendly manner. Open Play Time is held indoors and outdoors, as the weather permits.
Open Play Time provides an opportunity for safety, supervision, structure, and a positive behavioral impact for our dog companions. We encourage using Open Play Time sessions, instead of taking your dog to play with unfamiliar dogs at an unsupervised local Dog Park.
We want dogs to have fun, relax, and enjoy playing and socializing with other dogs!
Open Play Time at The Better Companion:
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Professionally Supervised - onsite trained staff and/or behavior professionals.
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Actively Managed Play - dogs are matched based on size, temperament, and play style.
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Trained Staff Intervention - staff quickly intervene if play gets too rough, one-sided, or stressful.
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Structured Breaks & Time-Outs - dogs are redirected with training behaviors, calm time to prevent overstimulation, and focused check in with their humans.
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Healthy & Good Manners - dogs are screened for medical and behavior history.
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Small Groups - smaller group sizes based on play style and suitability.
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Clean & Controlled Environment - lowers the risk of illness and injury.
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Special Fenced Areas - areas for smaller or more timid dogs.
Open Play Time Requirements:
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One hour of socialization.
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Only dog-friendly dogs.
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Healthy dogs with up-to-date medical records.
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Reservations required.
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Call to reserve a spot in the best-fit group for your dog.
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Dogs are grouped based on dog play style and suitability for group play.
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Evaluations may be required to determine appropriate play style and group suitability.
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Fun experience for dogs and humans!
Open Play Time Dog Groups & Categories:
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Toy Breeds & Small Dogs (under 25 lbs)
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Larger Puppies & Medium Adult Dogs (30-50 lbs) * heavier timid dogs pre-approval needed
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Active & Large Adult Dogs (over 50 lbs)
Puppy Sports
Agility - Puppy Beginner (ages 6–12 months)
For young dogs who’ve completed a Puppy or Manners course. Introduces basic agility concepts in a safe, fun way, and strengthens the bond between you and your puppy while improving confidence, coordination, and communication.
Barkour Babies - Puppy Parkour Foundations
Give your pup a confidence boost with Barkour Babies, a playful introduction to puppy parkour! This course teaches young dogs to safely explore their environment using everyday objects and low-impact obstacles. Puppies will learn foundational moves like “Paws Up,” “Under,” and “Over,” while building coordination, focus, and trust with their handler.
Perfect for boosting confidence, body awareness, and teamwork, this class offers fun physical and mental enrichment tailored to your puppy’s age and ability. Whether your pup is bold or bashful, Barkour Babies sets the stage for a lifetime of adventurous learning!