YOU DON'T NEED MORE PUPPY TRAINING TIPS. YOU NEED A PLAN.

★★★★★

“I actually found Paul’s Instagram about six months before I even got my dog, Butter. I was going to be a first-time dog owner with absolutely no experience training a dog, and honestly, I had so much anxiety about whether I could realistically do it. I work a 9 to 5 job outside of the house, and I had thought of every possible scenario that could go wrong (how would he eat while I was at work? Where would he potty? How would I crate train him? Did I need an automatic feeder, an automatic water dispenser, a doggy door? 😂). I genuinely got to the point where I was considering backing out of getting a puppy altogether.

Paul’s Instagram videos gave me more clarity and reassurance as I got closer to getting my puppy. The way he explains training just clicked with me because he is very direct about actions and consequences and gives concrete, real-life examples. He explains what the expectation is, what you need to do, and your why.

Once I got Butter, I joined the Online Academy via the app Skool and also booked a 1:1 consultation with Paul, which was probably one of the most valuable things I could have done as a new puppy owner. I live in San Diego and Paul is in the UK, but he was incredibly accommodating with the time difference. During our Zoom call, I literally showed him Butter’s setup, my house and backyard, and explained my work situation, frantic about whether I was doing this right. He helped me make adjustments right there and answered every question I had, ridiculous or otherwise.

Given his experience, he also gave me other recommendations and preemptive training about things I hadn’t even thought about yet. He is very experienced not only in dog training but has specific knowledge about certain breeds such as mine, so he was able to share some of the behaviors I might eventually see with a Bernedoodle and was already giving me tools for things like leash pulling before they became bigger issues. He also understood that real life sometimes means you have to adapt the “ideal” training plan. For example, I was worried I might eventually need daycare because of my work schedule. Even though that might not be his first recommendation, there was never any judgment, and he helped me understand how I could make decisions that worked for my lifestyle while still being consistent with Butter’s training.

Butter is now five months old, and when I actually stop and think about how far he has come, it’s pretty incredible. The Online Academy itself is so much more than a collection of prerecorded videos. A lot of the videos feel like you’re actually sitting in one of Paul’s training classes; you hear other owners asking questions you probably would have asked yourself, and you get to see the training actually happening rather than just being told what to do.

The videos and the discussion groups in the app were incredibly helpful, and the community has been invaluable. You can ask questions, see what other owners are experiencing and learn from their answers, and Paul the expert regularly responds himself to reassure you. During those really difficult early puppy weeks, it was reassuring to discover that apparently we were all experiencing the same shared puppy trauma 😂. It genuinely made me feel less crazy and less alone.

At 5 months, Butter is fully crate trained, sleeps through the night, is potty trained, settles in his playpen and is now learning to settle outside of it. He walks on lead without pulling and has good recall considering his age. Despite all the puppy biting and chewing that comes with it, I haven’t had to replace a single shoe or anything in my house, and I’m thankful for Paul’s advocacy for crate training and keeping clear boundaries. Butter understands boundaries, doesn’t bark at every person or visitor, and overall is learning how to settle and self-soothe. Obviously, he’s still a puppy and absolutely tries to push his luck sometimes (he recently convinced me to let him on the couch 😂), but I feel like I have the tools to know how to respond rather than constantly wondering whether I’m doing everything wrong.

One of the biggest things I’ve taken from Paul’s training is how important playing with your dog and building that relationship is. As simple as that sounds, I genuinely think play has become one of the pillars of my relationship with Butter. The combination of building that relationship, being consistent and following through with what I ask of him has made such a difference in Butter wanting to engage with me, listen to me and learn. I went into puppy ownership thinking training was going to be this complicated list of things I somehow had to teach a dog, whereas Paul helped me understand the relationship and communication behind it.

I highly recommend Paul’s online academy and 1:1 consultation, especially if you’re feeling anxious like I was. And for those who live around his area and have the opportunity to receive in-person training, I envy you and you should definitely sign up! 😂😜”