Positive Puppy Board & Train Camp | Instinct Hudson Valley, NY

Puppy Raising Camp + Coaching

An Extraordinary Puppyhood Experience

Got a busy schedule, a hectic household, or a trickier-than-normal pup? Let us make the puppyhood experience more pleasant for you and your puppy, with a fully customized Instinct Hudson Valley Puppy Raising program.

Learning that Lasts a Lifetime

The experiences your puppy has between 9-20 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 Hudson Valley, 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 a potty training schedule
  • Intro to a crate/confinement area
  • Intro to leash walking & wearing a harness
  • 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’.

“Instinct Dog Training came to my rescue [with puppy camp] when I had a fall inside my house, pulling more muscles than I knew I had, and found myself unable to care for my new puppy. My puppy not only benefited from the excellent training, she also learned to be part of a happy family of kids, a pet dog three times as big as she was, and a whole neighborhood of dogs who came for training and playtime. It was just what my puppy and I both needed.”

Carolyn W.

Here's How it Works:

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 setup, wellness routines, and relationship exercises you and your pup will need to achieve your goals
  • Get started with pre-camp training exercises that prep your puppy to get the most out of their camp experience

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

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!

Instinct Hudson Valley’s Puppy Camp + Coaching programs cost $1699+tax/week and are specially designed for puppies ages 9-20 weeks (we may accept small breed pups up to 6 months of age). Programs last between 1-4 weeks and include private coaching sessions for you, plus lifetime access to low-cost alumni classes.

Ready to Get Started?

Book a free discovery call with our Director of Behavior & Training, Megan Coryat, so we can determine together whether Puppy Camp is the right fit for you and your pup!

Or, feel free to reach out to us at 914-639-6999 or [email protected], to learn more about our kickoff consultation options and other puppy development programs. We’d love to hear from you!

What Clients are Saying about Us:

Nola & Family

“I have a Rottweiler pup that was not very well socialized when she came to us at 10 weeks of age.  She came from a rural setting into an environment with zero grass, lots of loud noise (freeway, planes, trains, and motorcycles) and exponentially more people. Jessica W. patiently answered all of my questions, and, through weeks of training, my hyper-vigilant pup has grown into a pretty confident dog who can finally relax enough to have fun! Jessica is kind, non-judgmental, professional and courteous.  It is readily apparent that she is passionate about pups.  Thank you, Jessica, for giving Nola the push that she needed to relax and enjoy life. We really appreciate it and you!”

Glitchie & Family

“Jess Stone was absolutely fantastic with Glitchie (g), my little rescue. G was a pandemic puppy and while incredibly playful, was very nervous about encountering people and dogs in our housing area, which manifested as aggression. Jess by was great; I watched G pick up life-skills to help her diffuse her energy and anxieties in amazing ways. She was patient, kind, but also vigilant while I got used to the steep learning curve of dealing with a very energetic and leash aggressive dog. It’s been over 5 months since we did training, and g has retained all the life-skills Jess taught her. I look forward to booking follow-ups in the future. I can’t recommend Jess highly enough!”

Still Deciding?

Here are answers to common Puppy Camp FAQs:

Where do puppies stay during Puppy Camp programs?

Puppies live in a loving home with a highly trained, professional Instinct Puppy Raiser.

Can I visit my puppy while they are at Puppy Camp?

Yes! All puppy camps include visits/lessons, along with lots of photos and progress reports.

What is my puppy's daily scheduling during Puppy Camp?

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 Camp?

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 their 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 Camp before they have all their 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 is Puppy Camp?

Puppy Camps typically range from 1-4 weeks, based on your goals and how long you can handle being away from your pup 🙂.

What are your training qualifications and 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.

Instinct Hudson Valley, NY

Serving Lower Dutchess County & Poughkeepsie area; North Westchester County & White Plains area; and Lower Westchester County & New Rochelle area

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