Puppy Training in Providence, RI

Congratulations!

There’s nothing quite like the joy of bringing a new puppy home.

Since 2014, we have raised over 600 puppies in our Puppy Day School program. Crossbones is Providence’s premier puppy training school!

Are you looking for a place to safely socialize and train your puppy to be the best dog they can be?

Is your puppy showing some undesirable behaviors that you want to fix?

Look no further! At Crossbones, we will coach you to raise your puppy to become an outstanding adult dog you’ll enjoy for years to come.

Don’t wait for your puppy’s vaccines to be “complete!”

This well-meaning advice is now outdated. Puppies should start training as early as possible, before they are fully vaccinated.

Read the Puppy Socialization position statement by the experts: the American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior.

Our programs meet or exceed the health recommendations set by AVSAB.

Learn more about our certified trainers

We are driven by the belief that early socialization, consistent training, and regular physical & mental enrichment are the keys to bringing out the best in any dog. We teach dog owners like you how to fulfill these needs, and provide services and products to set you up for success.

What Our Students Say

“Zipper has really changed and made progress – he’s much easier to be around, we are having more fun and less frustration as we learn the best ways to keep him busy, and we are finally enjoying our puppy! I know that he is enjoying class, he is excited to head out every morning!”

Megan & Zipper

“These guys deliver! We brought our puppy, Rusty, to Puppy Day School and with love, patience and discipline they trained him and us! It gave Rusty a chance to socialize in a controlled environment. We get compliments on how well behaved Rusty is for such a young pup (not quite 10 months old) and are smart enough to give Spring Forth the credit. We can’t thank them enough.”

Tricia & Rusty

“They trained not only my puppy but also me, a first time dog owner. I liked the constant feedback I received from the staff – what are my pup’s strengths and weaknesses, what she’s working on, what I’m doing right and wrong at home, how we can help her if she’s a little slow in mastering a certain skill, etc. This is not something I can learn just by watching puppy training videos online.”

Winnie & Nugget

Our Favorite Puppy Training Products

We carry a curated selection of treats, chews, toys, training gear, and supplies — all tested by our training staff!

Cleaning Supplies

Accidents happen! It’s important to clean them up using products that will totally eliminate the mess — but without damaging your floors.

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Lick Mats

Lick mats are a simple way to keep your puppy quietly entertained when you need a moment of peace. We carry durable lick mats in different difficulty levels.

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Training Treats

Whether you’re teaching basic commands or advanced tricks, our selection of high-quality training treats will keep your dog motivated.

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Treat Pouches

In addition to creating quick and easy access to treats, our treat pouches close easily with a touch and stay closed, keeping dog noses out!

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Puppy Teething & Nipping: Survival Tips & Misconceptions

“Teething” is perhaps the most misunderstood concept in puppy raising.

Positive Training Education

Housebreaking Your Puppy: Top Tips for Potty Training

Here at Crossbones Dog Academy, I work with a lot of dogs that are relieving themselves in the house. Housebreaking seems to be one of those things that either goes smoothly or is really troublesome.

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What Makes a Great Training Treat?

The number one question I receive from owners learning to clicker train their dogs: what makes a great training treat? Here are the things I recommend you consider when choosing treats to use while training your dog.

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What Chew Should I Bring to Dog Training Class?

At Crossbones, we have an unusual item on our group class “required equipment” list: an edible chew or enrichment toy.

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Puppy Training FAQs

ASAP! Puppies should start learning basic cues and socializing in public as early as 8 weeks old. This process should start before they’re fully vaccinated. At this young age, they can learn basic puppy training behaviors such as sit, loose leash walking, and come.

Socializing should be your top priority for a puppy younger than 4 months old. Young puppies have a “critical socialization period” where they are the most likely to benefit from visiting new places, seeing other dogs, and meeting other people. Once this period ends, socialization is much more difficult. 

Reward-based training is a positive and highly effective method that entails reinforcing your puppy’s good behavior with rewards such as food, treats, toys, or affection. At Crossbones, we take this one step further and recommend clicker training, which speeds up the training process by communicating your puppy exactly what behavior earned them a food reward.

Yes! Crates are a useful training aid for both puppies and adult dogs. Properly introducing your dog to the crate and ensuring they view it as a positive space requires patience and consistency. Crate training offers many advantages, especially in potty training, and offers your dog a secure environment

The toughest time when raising a puppy is during adolescence. Dogs enter their “teenage” phase and may seem to forget their training. This stage usually starts around eight months old and can last until they’re two years old. We recommend starting training early, and sticking with it throughout your dog’s early development.

By around 7 months old, most dogs have all their adult teeth, and teething becomes less of an issue. Consequently, biting behavior should diminish with consistent responses from people and other dogs.

Avoid punishment. If you scold your puppy for accidents when you’re away, they’ll know they’re being punished but won’t understand why. Dealing with a puppy who keeps urinating indoors can be frustrating. However, with patience, consistency, and positive reinforcement, they will eventually become house-trained.

There’s no one-size-fits-all answer to this question, because each owner has a different definition of “fully trained.” It’s all about your goals! From a potty training perspective, it typically takes puppies 2-5 months to become fully reliable with relieving themselves outside. However, the timeframe can vary based on factors like their size, age, and your consistency. While some puppies may grasp housebreaking in just a few weeks, others might take longer.

We don’t recommend teaching your puppy to “shake” or “paw” until they have learned to reliably greet people without jumping up on them. Your puppy’s default behavior should be to keep their paws on the floor, rather than putting their paws on people. Once that is established, only then should you consider teaching “shake.”

Ready to Start Training?