How to Find the Right Trainer for Your Royal Puppy

Your puppy may be tiny, but they are learning from every interaction. Kind, consistent training builds confidence, prevents frustrating habits and strengthens the bond you will share for life.

Begin With Useful Everyday Skills

Training does not need to be long or serious. Several cheerful sessions lasting two or three minutes are often more productive than one long lesson after a young puppy becomes tired or distracted.

  • Recognizing their name and looking toward you
  • Coming a few steps when called
  • Potty and crate routines
  • Accepting gentle brushing, touching and handling
  • Sitting calmly before receiving food or attention
  • Trading inappropriate objects for an approved toy
  • Walking comfortably on a lightweight leash
  • Settling quietly for short periods
  • Greeting people without becoming overwhelmed
Say your puppy’s name first, then give the cue: “Fifi, come!” or “Ferrari, sit!” Reward the moment your puppy responds. Their name should mean, “Pay attention—something important or wonderful is about to happen.”

Free and Trusted AKC Resources

AKC Training Programs

The AKC Dog Training Center introduces puppy socialization, everyday manners and training activities for every stage of a dog’s life.

S.T.A.R. Puppy and Canine Good Citizen

AKC S.T.A.R. Puppy stands for Socialization, Training, Activity and Responsible ownership. It provides a helpful framework for a puppy’s first formal class. The next step, Canine Good Citizen, teaches practical skills such as polite greetings, walking with a handler and remaining calm around everyday distractions.

The AKC also offers free CGC training resources and videos for practicing skills at home, along with free programming on AKC.tv.

Personalized Help

The AKC GoodDog Helpline provides individualized, reward-based assistance by phone or video. This is a paid service unless it was included with your puppy package or registration benefits.

Local Training Options to Investigate

Please note: These are resources to investigate, not guaranteed Royal Puppy Love endorsements. Instructors, methods, schedules, prices and vaccination policies can change. Speak directly with the trainer and observe a class whenever possible.

Shawnee, Oklahoma

The Doggie Spot offers group classes and private instruction in Shawnee and describes its approach as positive training.

Oklahoma City Area

Tipsy Dog Training offers private instruction and states that it uses positive reinforcement without shock, prong or pinch collars. OKC Animal Welfare also provides free behavior and training guidance emphasizing routine, repetition and positive reinforcement.

Tulsa, Oklahoma

Tulsa Dog Training Club offers puppy kindergarten, beginner obedience and advanced activities. The club says its classes encourage training with treats, toys and verbal praise.

Dallas–Fort Worth

Wiggle Butt Academy offers group, private and virtual help throughout the Metroplex. Its website lists Fear Free, IAABC and CCPDT credentials and states that it does not use shock collars, prong collars or intimidation. Positively Pups offers positive-reinforcement, in-home puppy training in portions of the Dallas area.

Questions to Ask Before Enrolling

  1. What training methods do you use?
  2. Do you use shock collars, prong collars, choke chains, leash corrections or intimidation?
  3. What happens when a puppy makes a mistake?
  4. Do you have experience with Maltese, toy breeds or puppies weighing under five pounds?
  5. At what age and minimum weight do you accept puppies?
  6. Which vaccinations and health records are required?
  7. How is the training area cleaned between classes?
  8. Are puppies separated by size and play style?
  9. How many puppies and instructors are in each class?
  10. May I observe a class before enrolling?
  11. Do you offer private or virtual instruction?
  12. What professional education or credentials does the trainer have?

A good trainer should welcome reasonable questions and explain their methods clearly.

Special Safety Rules for Tiny Puppies

Prevent Falls and Rough Handling

Keep an extra-small puppy on the floor or in the arms of a seated adult. Children and unfamiliar adults should not stand or walk while holding the puppy.

Choose Playmates Carefully

Socialization does not mean being chased, rolled or frightened by a larger puppy. Choose carefully supervised interaction with healthy, gentle dogs of an appropriate size and play style.

Ask About Vaccination Safety

Speak with your veterinarian about when and where your puppy may safely attend class. Avoid dog parks, communal pet-relief areas and uncontrolled contact with dogs of unknown health or vaccination status.

Protect Nutrition and Watch for Fatigue

Use very small, soft rewards and account for them when feeding. Never withhold meals to make an extra-tiny puppy more motivated. Stop if your puppy becomes unusually quiet, weak, wobbly, frightened or unable to take a treat. Possible illness or hypoglycemia requires prompt attention—not additional training.

Red Flags: When to Walk Away

  • Guarantees of instant or permanent results
  • Talk about making a puppy submit or proving who is “alpha”
  • Punishment for normal puppy fear, accidents or confusion
  • Refusal to let you observe or explain the training
  • Painful equipment that was not clearly disclosed
  • Forcing frightened puppies toward something that scares them
  • Uncontrolled play between puppies with a significant size difference
  • Dismissing concerns about your puppy’s age, weight or health
  • Wanting to take a very young puppy away without teaching you how to continue the work
Your puppy should not have to be frightened or hurt to learn.

Group Class, Private Training or Virtual Help?

Group classes help puppies practice around distractions and can provide structured social exposure when the class is small, clean and carefully managed.

Private instruction is often ideal for an extra-tiny puppy, a family needing personalized guidance or a puppy who becomes overwhelmed in groups.

Virtual training can begin without exposing an incompletely vaccinated puppy to public areas. It works particularly well for potty schedules, crate training, puppy biting, settling, name recognition and household manners.

You Are Part of the Training

Even the best trainer cannot replace the small lessons that happen at home every day. The trainer’s most important job is to teach you how to communicate with your puppy.

Practice for a few minutes at a time. End while your puppy is still successful. Celebrate good choices and remember that mistakes are information—not defiance.

Patient, positive and consistent training creates more than an obedient puppy. It creates a puppy who trusts you, understands you and wants to learn with you.

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