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Puppy Development / early work that lasts ―

The early years deserve a real-world plan.

A puppy-specific route within our Day Training model, built around the social understanding, regulation and practical foundations that shape the dog they become.
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A puppy is not a blank slate ―

Good early development is deliberate, not busy.

Puppy Development is built around the Day Training structure, with the focus placed on the experiences and skills that matter most at the start of a dog’s life.

The aim is not to expose a puppy to everything at once. It is to give them thoughtful, appropriately paced opportunities to develop social understanding, better emotional regulation, practical handling skills and confidence in the wider world.
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What grows with them ―

The foundations beneath the adult dog you want to live with.

01

Social understanding

Learn to exist around dogs, people and the wider world with more thought and less automatic escalation.
02

Emotional regulation

Build the ability to settle, recover and make better choices before unhelpful habits gain momentum.
03

Practical foundations

Develop handling, manners, exposure and body awareness that give future training somewhere solid to build.
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How it works ―

The right pace, the right environment, the right consistency.

Puppy Development is not a separate day-care offer. It is the puppy route within the Day Training programme, with a placement and attendance pattern discussed around the individual puppy and their family.
Puppy development training focused on confidence and social understandingSee Day Training places and pricing ↗
01
A clear picture of your puppy, their home life and the development you want to support
02
A considered starting routine within the Day Training framework
03
Home work that gives the day-to-day environment the same direction as the training day
04
Honest advice if another professional or slower individual route would be better first

Read What our Clients have to Say

Every dog and owner has their own starting point. With patience, trust and understanding, they can build a happier, more confident relationship. Hear from owners who once faced the same challenges you do.
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Paul Cable
September 7, 2026

Simba started at GR Dog Training with very very complex needs, reactive to both people, dogs and anything that moved. He was basically scared of life. The change is Simba is unbelievable, they have taught him how to access what he sees, enabling him to remain calm and enjoy life. He can regulate himself, so on the occasions startled, he'll calm down quickly and go back to what he was doing. He is learning to trust people and is great with dogs. He's still on a journey, however everyday he learning more and more as are we. GR are so supportive and help and guide you on that journey. Without GR Training Simba would still be a frightened, reactive boy and I can't recommend them enough.

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Jasmin Reeves
September 3, 2026

Willow and Mabel were two extremely nervous sausages who seeked comfort in eachother until one day that became too much for them too. I honestly thought my only option was to rehome one of them and then I found GR dog training . I must admit I was very skeptical sending the girls to people they didn’t know but i honestly couldn’t have picked better people to help me. They were so so patient with both of them especially willow who took a bit longer to come around but from just a couple sessions with the girls I saw a huge improvement and their walks finally became enjoyable , no pulling on lead , barely reacting to other dogs , they became happier dogs. Now to the social session I NEVER thought I’d see the day that they would interact and play with other dogs but Gareth, Carly and the team made it happen and they loved going to see their new friends every week. After a lot of hard work and doing our homework (you must do the homework, i promise it makes all the difference) we’ve finally got our girls back together in a calm environment 🥹still a long way to go but I couldn’t be happier with the progress they’ve made and none of it would of been possible without Gareth and Carly helping me every step of the way!

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Iain Thomas
August 14, 2026

We’ve had both of our dogs, Molly and Ava, train with GR Dog Training, and we couldn’t recommend Gareth and Carley highly enough. Molly started at around 12 weeks on the Puppy Day Training Course, while Ava progressed through the Half-Day Exposure Programme and then onto the Development Programme following her initial assessment by Equi-Nine. Both dogs have learnt so much and made fantastic progress. Ava in particular is now a completely different dog — much more relaxed and confident around people and other dogs. Gareth and Carley are always on hand to answer messages, give sound advice and provide helpful homework to continue the training at home. They’ve been absolutely brilliant throughout, and we’re so grateful for everything they’ve done. Highly recommended!

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Alexandra Hollyman
August 10, 2026

Barney was a small fluffy boy with a BIG attitude and an even bigger voice! He was reactive to dogs and humans, displayed extreme resource guarding and was so bad out on walks that we were the ones avoiding people and walking him under cover of darkness. He couldn’t be groomed and needed to be shaved under anaesthetic every 3 months. Barney initially enrolled in an intensive program with Carley and also 1-1 work with us a family. It wasn’t easy as I needed as much training as Barney. Carley and Gareth are passionate about getting the dogs the right support to become more confident and independent so becoming happier and enjoying life more. They explained the ‘why’ before moving onto the ‘what’. Barney slowly but surely becoming more confident and amazed us all when Carley supported him for his first successful groom in over 18 months. Yes, there were tears! Barney has made fantastic progress and is now enrolled in GR day training program. He goes to ‘school’ from 9am - 4pm once a week and always comes home happy and shattered. I love the ethos of the place and the fact they always put the animals welfare first. The team are down to earth and non-judgmental which was a massive relief. Thank you to a fabulous team for the patience, care and understanding of Barney (and us)! I can’t wait to see Barney continue on this journey!

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Lisa Gardner
August 6, 2026

We turned to G R dogs for help when we had exhausted all training methods we were familiar with. Harry (our rescue dog from Macedonia) was difficult to engage, pulling like a tank on lead and on the cusp of becoming reactive to other dogs in the sense that he would lunge to play. Gareth and Carley have a massive depth of knowledge, they understand dogs! They have helped us encourage calmer behaviour and we now have a dog that listens. Every programme is carefully constructed with the individual dog at the heart of it. We cannot recommend highly enough.

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Mason Brindley
June 16, 2026

Absolutely incredible experience at GR Dog Training. I took my working dog for a biomechanics session and was blown away by the knowledge, professionalism, and attention to detail. As a professional dog handler, I found the insight invaluable and came away with a much better understanding of my dog's movement and overall wellbeing. Highly recommended to anyone serious about getting the best from their dogs.

Read more Reviews ↗
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make an Enquiry ―

Start with a proper conversation.

Tell us what life looks like now, what you have already tried and what you most want to understand. We will advise the right place to begin, not simply the next available service.
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