The Puppy Residency.
A residency of two to four weeks for puppies twelve to twenty weeks old, begun in the weeks that shape a lifetime.
Begin before problems begin.
The Puppy Residency is a residency of two to four weeks at the lodge for puppies twelve to twenty weeks old, taken before habits harden into character. Your puppy lives among a team of trainers and a faculty of balanced adult dogs, learning what no person can teach: how to greet, how to play, how to settle.
Most puppy classes are an hour a week in a small room and, at the end, average results. This is an immersion in nature that teaches a puppy how to live a well behaved, balanced, happy life.
Every plan is custom to your puppy's individual energy and to your own energy, lifestyle and goals, because half of raising a puppy well is teaching the person raising them.
What you can expect.
The Puppy Residency borrows its structure from The Pack Leader Residency: an immersive stay, the owner woven in from the first week, and support that continues long after the ride home.
Begin with an application and a call with our admissions team. Dave leads the in-person Assessment, with Steve covering if Dave is unavailable. We decide fit and agree the quote before booking. Once you enroll, you have a fifteen-minute welcome call with Steve before your puppy arrives.
An immersive puppy experience.
Your puppy lives at the ranch with a team of trainers and a faculty of balanced adult dogs to learn from. We have found that an immersion of two to four weeks, taken in puppyhood, produces some of the best results of any program we offer.
The length is never fixed in advance. It is always dependent on, and tailored to, each puppy.
Weekly training sessions during the stay.
Half the program is the human. We feel it is very important to include the owners in the process, so each week of the stay you train alongside your puppy at the ranch.
You learn exactly what to do with your puppy moving forward, and we go over any questions you may have along the way.
The Go-Home Session, sixty to ninety minutes.
The homecoming is a lesson in itself. We do a full review of what the program accomplished, work hands-on with your puppy, and answer every question you may have about bringing your puppy home.
You leave knowing the new rules as well as your puppy does.
The follow-up session.
Two weeks after graduation, once home life has resumed, we meet again. We see how things are going, work on anything that needs improving, and answer whatever came up in the first weeks at home.
And the program never quite ends. Lifetime support remains yours for the life of the dog, by phone, text, email or a visit to the ranch.
What a puppy masters here.
Nine foundations, taught daily and practiced gently, until they are simply how your puppy lives.
Leash walking
Proper walking at your side, on a loose leash.
Crate training
The ability to relax and be well behaved in a crate or kennel.
Housebreaking
Learning to go to the bathroom outdoors, every time.
The place command
Staying on a dog bed or mat on command.
Treadmill and bicycle work
A gentle introduction to both, with careful respect for a puppy's physical development.
Nipping and teething
Learning what may be chewed and what may not, and that people are never on the list.
Obedience and good manners
The basic obedience commands, and the overall good manners of a well-raised dog.
Socialization with balanced dogs
Time beside well behaved adult role models, learning how to properly interact with other dogs.
Positive exposure to people
A puppy in residence lives in the care of professional trainers, experts in dog psychology and in positive interaction.
Raised right from the first weeks.
Prevention versus intervention. It is far easier to raise a balanced dog than to rebuild an unbalanced one.
A puppy lesson, on film.
Mona Vand and Steve, working together with her puppy.
The private puppy session.
Not every family begins with a residency. A private puppy session is ninety minutes, one on one with Steve or Dave, on the fundamentals of puppyhood.
We assess your puppy and the two of you together, talk through what you are seeing at home, work hands-on, and leave you with a game plan for continued success.
You come away with a lifetime's worth of dog psychology, the kind that applies not only to your puppy but to every dog you will ever meet.
A plan custom to the two of you.
Every session ends with an education in dog psychology and a step-by-step plan written for your individual puppy, so you know exactly how to maintain their behavior in the places you live your life.
The plan is built on your puppy's specific behaviors, age and energy level and, most importantly, on your own personality and capabilities.
Foxy's Puppy Residency.
Hunter Pence, World Series champion, on Foxy's residency at the ranch.
“I sent my puppy, Foxy, at 8 weeks old to the Pack Leader Dogs puppy enrichment program. It was the second best decision I ever made, my puppy being the first.”
Alexis PenceFoxy's family
“I sincerely wish that I found Steve way sooner than when I did...I've already said that with all of our future dogs, we will be taking them to Steve for puppy enrichment. One of the best investment I've ever made.”
Ollie QueenGoogle review
“PLD is hands-down worth the investment! What you don't want to do is end up paying triple because you had to go to five different trainers that PLD could've gotten right the first time.”
Alexis PenceFoxy's family
Apply to join the Club.
Graduates of The Puppy Residency can apply directly to The Canine Social Club for weekdays in the woods among the pack. Every dog is approved individually. New dogs begin with an assessment day, subject to individual approval.
Begin at the beginning.
The application takes five minutes. Every one is read personally by Steve Del Savio, and answered within one business day.