One skill at a time, in the right order, for ten to fifteen minutes a day. These free programmes turn our single topic guides into step by step plans: a puppy programme, a reactivity reset, a separation anxiety programme, a barking programme, a housetraining programme and a leash skills programme. Every plan uses reward based training only.
A topic guide tells you what to do about one problem. A programme tells you what to do today, what to do tomorrow, and how to know you are ready for the next step. Each programme below is built from short daily sessions, clear levels, and a simple rule for moving on: a level is finished when the exercise looks easy for your dog on two or three different days, not when the calendar says so. If a step falls apart, you repeat the level before it. That is not lost time. Repetition at the level your dog can handle is where learning actually happens.
Programmes also pair training with management. Management means arranging life so your dog cannot practise the problem behaviour while the new skill is still young: a gate across the hallway during housetraining, distance from other dogs during reactivity work, a sitter during separation anxiety treatment. Training builds the new behaviour; management stops the old one being rehearsed in the meantime. Every programme here lists both halves.
All six programmes use the same simple system, so learn it once and reuse it everywhere.
A week by week plan for a new puppy: socialisation, housetraining, crate skills, bite inhibition, name and recall foundations, and first leash skills.
A ten day foundation plan plus three weeks of progression for dogs who bark, lunge or fixate on walks. Distance work, pattern games, management and safety.
A graduated departure programme that builds alone time in tiny, calm steps, plus independence exercises and clear guidance on when the case belongs with a vet.
A two week, cause first programme. Identify which kind of barking you have, then follow the matching plan instead of a one size answer.
A schedule based plan for puppies, with an adult rescue version, a sample day, and a calm accident protocol that never uses punishment.
Daily drills that build on our loose leash walking guide, from indoor foundations to real routes with distractions.
Prefer to read by topic first? The programme pages link back to the matching topic guides, including barking, housetraining, separation anxiety, leash reactivity and loose leash walking, all in our training section.
Every owner gets stuck. Work through this checklist before you decide a programme is not working.
These programmes cover everyday training and mild to moderate behaviour work. Some situations need a professional in the room, and getting one early is a strength, not a failure.
Ten to fifteen minutes is the standard session in these programmes, and shorter is fine. Young puppies often do best with several very short sessions of two to five minutes spread through the day. End while your dog is still keen, not when focus fades.
No. You need a flat collar or a well fitting harness, a standard four to six foot leash, small soft treats your dog loves, and a treat pouch or pocket. Some programmes add a long lasting chew, a mat or bed, and a basket muzzle for safety work. Nothing on any programme uses shock, prong or choke collars.
Drop back to the previous step and repeat it until it looks easy, then try the harder step again in smaller pieces. Every programme here is written as levels, not deadlines: your dog sets the pace, and repeating a level is progress, not failure.
Yes, if they work on different skills, for example the housetraining programme alongside the puppy programme, which already contains housetraining. Avoid stacking two behaviour programmes that both work on worry or frustration, such as reactivity and separation anxiety, without professional guidance. Total daily training time still matters more than the number of plans.
Straight away if there is any biting, guarding, self injury, escaping, or fear that is getting worse. Look for a Certified Professional Dog Trainer (CPDT-KA) who uses reward based methods for training skills, and a Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist or a board certified veterinary behaviorist for anxiety and aggression cases.
Yes. Reward based training works at any age, and the AKC notes that dogs of any age can learn polite behaviour with positive reinforcement. Adult dogs often progress faster through the early levels because they can concentrate longer than puppies. Keep sessions short anyway and let the dog in front of you set the speed.
Last updated: November 2026. Programme structure and all session plans are our own work, written to the reward based methods described in the sources above. How we work: our methodology.