Dallas's Puppy Head-Start Program
The best time to begin training your puppy is now.
Your dog is never too young to start learning, and the earlier you begin, the smoother your training journey will be. My Puppy Head-Start Program helps you build a confident, well-mannered companion from the very beginning.
Build Good Habits Early for a Lifetime of Success
Puppy training begins the moment your new friend comes home, and continues for life. By starting early, you can prevent unwanted behaviors before they begin.
Our Puppy Head-Start Program focuses on teaching puppies how to thrive in your home environment while helping owners avoid the most common early mistakes.
My Philosophy on Puppy Training
At Lonestar Dog Trainer, I approach puppy training differently. While obedience commands like sit and stay can be taught at any age, early puppyhood is about building trust, structure, and positive habits that last a lifetime.
Our goal is to help your puppy:
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Adjust smoothly to life in your home
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Develop good manners and social skills
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Build confidence and reduce fear-based behaviors
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Feel comfortable with touch, handling, and grooming
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Eliminate destructive habits like biting, barking, or house soiling
Every program we offer ensures both you and your pup are equipped to thrive together.
Puppy Consultation
A personalized, in-home session to set your puppy up for success; whether you’re preparing for their arrival, bringing them home for the first time, or addressing early challenges.
You’ll learn key strategies for housebreaking, socialization, feeding, and establishing healthy boundaries.
Puppy Boot Camp
For more challenging cases, the Puppy Boot Camp provides intensive training for puppies aged 8–18 weeks who struggle with:
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Severe housebreaking issues
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Excessive barking or whining
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Puppy biting or destructive chewing
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Leash walking problems
This immersive approach addresses the root causes of difficult behavior and helps your pup become calmer, happier, and more confident.
Why Early Puppy Training Matters
Commands like Sit, Down, Here, and Heel are useful, but they aren’t the most important part of raising a great dog. Many dogs know obedience commands but still struggle with anxiety, barking, or destructive behavior.
My goal is to shape your puppy’s mindset, not just their response to commands. By creating good habits early, you avoid the lifelong struggle of fixing issues that started in puppyhood.
For puppies under 20 weeks, the focus is on shaping and repetition, not strict accountability. Training is fun, engaging, and rewarding, so your pup learns without even realizing they’re “working.”
As your puppy matures, I can then refine and build upon those solid foundations to introduce advanced obedience training.
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I have seen many dogs with behavioral problems that actually have good obedience behaviors because obedience was the focus in the beginning.
Puppy Consultation
Why Early Training Matters
Obedience commands like sit or down are helpful—but they’re secondary to building a calm, confident, and well-adjusted puppy.
We focus on shaping behavior and creating positive habits early on, so you don’t spend years trying to correct problems that could have been prevented in puppyhood.
Even a 12-year-old dog can learn obedience, but it’s the foundation set in those early weeks that determines a lifetime of good behavior.
Our Puppy Consultation is a private, in-home session designed to give you the tools and confidence to start your puppy off right. Whether your pup just arrived or you’re preparing to bring one home, this session sets the foundation for a lifetime of good habits.
During your consultation, we’ll cover every essential aspect of early puppy development and training, including:
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Housebreaking & Crate Training: Establish a routine that encourages your puppy to potty outside and view their crate as a safe, comfortable space.
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Feeding & Resource Control: Learn how to manage food, toys, and attention so your puppy grows into a respectful and well-mannered adult.
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Leash Management & Walk Etiquette: Teach your puppy how to walk calmly beside you without pulling, jumping, or lagging behind.
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Handling & Touch Tolerance: Get your pup comfortable with being groomed, bathed, and handled — essential for vet visits and grooming.
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Preparing for the Vet & Grooming: Build positive associations with nail trimming, brushing, and vet handling to reduce fear and anxiety.
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Socialization & Play: Learn how to safely introduce your puppy to new people, dogs, and environments to prevent fear and aggression later in life.
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Puppy Biting & Barking Solutions: Understand why puppies bite, nip, or cry, and learn positive ways to correct these behaviors early.
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Daily Schedules & Structure: Create a balanced routine for feeding, naps, play, and training that helps your puppy feel secure.
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Avoiding Common Mistakes: Identify and correct small training errors before they turn into long-term behavior issues.
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Confidence Building & Fear Prevention: Support your puppy through sensitive stages to ensure they grow into a calm, confident adult dog.
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Training Methods & Timelines: Explore different training approaches and learn which one fits your dog’s temperament and your lifestyle best.
Puppy Steps Class
If your puppy is under 16 weeks old, the Puppy Steps Class is the ideal next step after your initial consultation.
This 4-week private, in-home program expands on everything covered in the Puppy Consultation, but breaks it down into simple, hands-on lessons that make training fun and easy to follow.
Your puppy will learn essential early-life skills and commands through positive reinforcement and real-world exposure.
What Your Puppy Will Learn:
Obedience Training
We introduce foundational commands like Sit, Down, Here, Heel, and Place. These commands set the tone for calm, respectful behavior and prepare your puppy for more advanced training as they mature.
Socialization
At the end of each session, your puppy gets the chance to safely interact with other dogs; both puppies and adults. These interactions are key to building confidence, good manners, and social intelligence that will last a lifetime.
Play & Games
Your pup will enjoy structured games like tug, fetch, frisbee, and early agility exercises, which strengthen the bond between you and your dog while teaching focus and self-control through play.
Tactical & Confidence Experiences
We help your puppy build resilience by introducing them to different textures, surfaces, and shapes - from ramps and tunnels to new objects and mild agility challenges. These exercises improve coordination, confidence, and trust in new environments.
Puppy Boot Camp
(For Challenging Puppy Behavior)
Our Puppy Boot Camp is a specialized option for puppies between 8 and 18 weeks old who need extra help overcoming difficult early-life challenges.
This program is best suited for puppies showing signs of severe housebreaking issues, nonstop barking or whining, destructive chewing, or biting with no inhibition.
If you’re feeling overwhelmed, we can help — by doing much of the hard work for you and creating a customized training plan that fits your lifestyle and your puppy’s needs.
What Puppy Boot Camp Includes:
We reinforce all the skills taught in the Puppy Consultation and Puppy Steps Class, including:
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Obedience commands (Sit, Down, Heel, Here, Place)
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Housebreaking and crate training
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Handling and touch tolerance
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Leash walking and manners
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Socialization and confidence building
After your pup’s intensive training period, we’ll reintegrate them into your home environment and guide you through maintaining and building on their progress.
Only about 5% of puppies ever need this level of training — but for those that do, our goal is to make your puppy’s early learning stage a success story.
Frequently Asked Questions About Puppy Training
When should I start training my puppy?
You can begin training your puppy as soon as you bring them home, even at 8 weeks old. Early training helps prevent unwanted habits like biting, chewing, and accidents in the house. My Puppy Consultation and Puppy Steps Class programs are designed to give your puppy a solid foundation during this crucial early learning stage.
What’s the best age for crate training a puppy?
You can start crate training your puppy at 8 weeks of age. The key is to introduce the crate as a safe and comfortable space, never a punishment. We’ll help you establish a schedule and positive associations that make crate time peaceful and productive.
How long does it take to house train a puppy?
Every puppy is different, but most can learn to be housebroken within 2 to 4 weeks of consistent training. Factors like routine, supervision, and reinforcement all play a role. My in-home Puppy Consultation teaches you the exact steps to speed up housebreaking while avoiding common mistakes.
My puppy keeps biting and nipping. How can I stop it?
Puppy biting is a normal behavior, but it must be redirected early. We teach techniques to reduce biting and mouthing through positive reinforcement, play management, and handling drills. My Puppy Boot Camp is available for pups with more intense or persistent biting behavior.
Do you offer puppy training outside of Dallas, TX?
Yes! While our programs are based in Dallas, Texas, we also serve families in Austin, Houston, Fort Worth, Plano, Frisco, McKinney, and surrounding areas.