Puppy Training & Puppy Behaviour Training in Guildford

Bringing a new puppy home is exciting, but it can also be exhausting. Puppies have a lot to learn, and behaviours like biting, chewing, jumping up, indoor toileting, barking, or refusing to come when called can quickly become frustrating.

I'm Jacquie Callaby, your local Bark Busters accredited Grand Master Dog Behaviour Therapist and Trainer for Guildford and surrounding areas. I provide personal, one-to-one puppy training in your home to help you understand your puppy, build good habits, and address unwanted behaviour before it becomes more established.

Whether you have just brought your puppy home or you've reached the stage where you need extra help, I'll tailor your training to your puppy, your household, and the problems you are experiencing.

One-to-One Puppy Training in Your Own Home

Puppies spend much of their early life learning in and around the home, so it is an ideal place to start their training.

Instead of a standard class programme, I work with you and your puppy individually. This gives us time to focus on what matters to you, whether that's puppy biting, toilet training, jumping up, chewing, settling, lead walking, or getting your puppy to listen when distracted.

During your lesson, I will explain how puppies learn and communicate, demonstrate practical training techniques and then help you practise them yourself.

The aim isn't simply for your puppy to respond while I am there. I want you to feel confident continuing to practise your puppy’s training as they grow.

Common Puppy Behaviour Problems

Many of the behaviours that frustrate new owners are completely understandable from a puppy's point of view. Your puppy isn't born knowing where to go to the toilet, what they can chew, or how you want them to behave when visitors arrive.

Early training helps set clear, consistent expectations.

I can help with puppy behaviour, including puppy biting and mouthing, toilet training, chewing furniture and household items, jumping up, excessive barking, stealing objects, pulling on the lead, poor recall, overexcitement, difficulty settling, setting appropriate household boundaries, preparing for time spent alone, and more.

You don't need to wait until a small puppy problem becomes a bigger problem before asking for help.

Puppy Biting and Mouthing

Puppy biting is one of the most common concerns new owners share with me.

Young puppies naturally explore with their mouths, but sharp puppy teeth can make biting hands, arms, feet and clothing particularly frustrating. Some puppies also become much more mouthy when they are excited, overstimulated or tired.

Rather than simply relying on punishment, it is important to look at the circumstances surrounding the behaviour and teach your puppy appropriate alternatives.

I can help you understand when and why the biting occurs, how your responses may influence it and what you can do to encourage calmer, more appropriate behaviour.

Toilet Training Your Puppy

Toilet training requires patience, supervision and consistency. Young puppies need frequent opportunities to go outside and initially have limited control over when they need to toilet. A predictable routine and recognising the signs your puppy needs to go can make the process much easier.

If accidents happen, punishment is not the answer. Your puppy needs clear guidance on where you want them to toilet, plus plenty of chances to get it right.

We can review your puppy's routine and help you create a practical toilet-training programme that suits your household.

Jumping Up

A small puppy jumping up for attention may seem harmless, but the behaviour can become much less welcome as the puppy grows into an adult dog.

Puppies often repeat behaviours that successfully gain attention. Training your puppy to greet people the way you prefer can be much easier than trying to change a long-established habit later.

We can work on calmer greetings and show your puppy that keeping their feet on the floor can be more rewarding than jumping up.

Puppy Chewing

Chewing is normal puppy behaviour, especially while puppies are teething, but your puppy doesn't automatically understand the difference between their chew toy and your furniture, shoes, or children's toys.

Good management is an important part of puppy training.

Providing appropriate things to chew, like chew toys, limiting access to out-of-bounds objects, and teaching your puppy what is and isn't available to them can help prevent chewing from becoming a persistent household problem.

If your puppy repeatedly steals or chews inappropriate objects, we can look at what is driving the behaviour and how you are responding.

Puppy Lead Training

Your puppy's first walks introduce them to an exciting world full of smells, people, dogs and other distractions.

This can make it hard for your puppy to walk calmly on a lead, and starting good lead habits early can help prevent pulling from becoming established.

I can show you practical techniques to encourage your puppy to pay attention to you and understand what you expect when walking together.

As your puppy develops, we can gradually work around real-world distractions rather than expecting perfect lead walking right away.

Puppy Recall Training

Teaching your puppy to come back when called is one of the most valuable skills you can train.

Start recall in environments where your puppy is likely to succeed, then gradually move to more distracting situations.

The goal is to stay relevant and rewarding to your puppy, build engagement, and teach a clear recall cue. The aim is to build good habits early, rather than waiting until your adolescent dog discovers everything else in the park is more interesting than you.

Barking and Attention-Seeking Behaviour

Puppies quickly learn which behaviours get a response from their owners. Barking, whining, pawing, or jumping may become ways to ask for attention, food, play, or access to something they want.

That doesn't mean you should ignore every bark. Puppies bark for different reasons, so it's important to consider what is happening before deciding how to respond.

I can help you identify patterns in your puppy's behaviour and develop consistent responses that encourage the behaviour you would prefer.

Helping Your Puppy Learn to Settle

Puppies need plenty of sleep and downtime, but some struggle to switch off. An overtired or overstimulated puppy may become increasingly excitable, mouthy or difficult to manage.

Teaching your puppy that some times are for activity and some times are for calm behaviour is an important life skill.

We can review your puppy's daily routine, exercise, enrichment, rest, and interactions to help establish a more appropriate balance.

Helping Your Puppy Learn to Spend Time Alone

Puppies benefit from learning gradually that they can be comfortable when their owners aren't constantly beside them. We introduce alone time carefully, and at a level your individual puppy can cope with.

Instead of suddenly expecting your puppy to manage long periods alone, you can gradually help them get comfortable with short, appropriate periods of separation.

If your puppy already shows significant distress when left alone, a tailored approach based on your puppy's individual behaviour is important.

Puppy Socialisation

Socialisation is much more than simply introducing your puppy to as many dogs and people as possible. Puppies need positive, carefully managed experiences with the sights, sounds, surfaces, people, animals, and situations they'll likely encounter throughout their lives.

Quality is more important than quantity. Forcing a worried puppy into an interaction can be counterproductive. Instead, socialisation should help your puppy build confidence while letting you observe their body language and respond appropriately.

Your vet can advise you on vaccinations and when it is appropriate for your puppy to explore certain environments.

Preventing Puppy Problems Before They Become Adult Habits

One of the biggest advantages of starting puppy training early is prevention. Behaviours that seem minor when your puppy is small can become much harder when they are fully grown.

A puppy pulling towards every dog may become a powerful adult dog that is difficult to control. A puppy jumping at visitors may become a large dog knocking people over. A puppy guarding stolen objects may develop more concerning guarding behaviour.

Early training lets you establish good communication, boundaries, and routines from the start.

It also lets you spot potential problems early and seek appropriate help before they become more established.

How Our Puppy Training Works

Understanding Your Puppy - We start by discussing your puppy's age, breed, temperament, history, daily routine and the behaviours you would like help with. This gives me a clearer picture of your puppy and what you would like to achieve.

Understanding How Puppies Learn - I will explain how puppies learn and communicate so that you can better understand why your puppy behaves as they do and how your responses can influence their behaviour.

Creating Your Training Plan - I tailor your training to your puppy and household. We prioritise the behaviours that matter most to you rather than following a generic programme.

Practising Together - I demonstrate the training, then coach you as you practise with your puppy. This helps you keep practising the techniques when I am no longer there.

Continuing at Home - Puppy training doesn't only happen during lessons. I will show you how to incorporate training into everyday routines, so your puppy receives clear, consistent guidance daily.

Ongoing Support - As puppies grow, their behaviour changes and new challenges can appear. Our Bark Busters Support Guarantee gives you peace of mind that follow-up support is always available to help you keep making progress.

Why Choose Bark Busters for Puppy Training in Guildford?

I've helped dogs and their owners for more than 21 years and worked with thousands of families during that time.

My puppy training is tailored and one-to-one, so we can focus on your puppy rather than trying to keep up with a group class.

Training in your home also means we can address many behaviours where they actually happen.

Most importantly, I teach you how to communicate with your puppy, set clear expectations, and practise the training each day. These skills can help you as your puppy moves through adolescence and into adulthood.

Puppy Training in Guildford and Surrounding Areas

Whether you're preparing to bring a puppy home, have recently welcomed a new puppy, or are already struggling with unwanted puppy behaviour, getting the right guidance early can make life easier for you and your dog.

If you would like help with your puppy's training or behaviour, please get in touch for a no-obligation chat to discuss your puppy and the issues you would like to work on.