YOUR PUPPY IS GROWING UP
Puppyhood is about so much more than sit, down and stay. Our S.T.A.R. Puppy Classes help you build the skills, confidence and relationship your puppy needs for real life while giving you the foundation to earn their first AKC title.
THE POTTY TRAINING IS MAKING YOU QUESTION YOUR SANITY.
You swear they just went outside. Then they look directly into your soul and pee on the rug. We’ll teach you our 7-day Potty Training Plan to help make it faster.
YOU APPEAR TO HAVE ADOPTED A TINY SHARK.
Hands. Sleeves. Ankles. Furniture. Nothing is safe. Mouthing is normal puppy behavior, but that doesn't mean you have to spend the next six months being used as a chew toy.
THE CRATE IS SUPPOSED TO HELP. WHY DOES IT SOUND LIKE A CRIME SCENE?
Crate training isn't about teaching a puppy to “cry it out.” We'll help you build comfort, independence and good associations without turning the crate into puppy jail.
SUDDENLY YOUR CONFIDENT PUPPY IS AFRAID OF A TRASH CAN.
Puppies go through developmental and fear periods that can make the world feel very different overnight. Knowing what you're looking at (and how to help them through it) can keep a temporary fear from becoming a much bigger problem.
AND NO, YOUR SIX-MONTH-OLD PUPPY ISN'T “OLD ENOUGH TO KNOW BETTER.”
Their brain is still developing well beyond puppy class. We'll help you set age-appropriate expectations, understand their body language and genetics, build confidence, teach relaxation, provide breed-specific enrichment, and give your puppy some agency along the way.
NOBODY WARNED YOU ABOUT THIS PART OF PUPPYHOOD.
You brought home an adorable puppy. And now there's pee on the floor, teeth attached to your pants, screaming from the crate, and at least one daily Google search that starts with “Is it normal for my puppy to…”
Yeah. Probably.
But puppyhood isn't just something to survive. Their brain is developing, they're moving through important developmental and fear periods, and they're learning about the world every single day.
What they need from you right now is a whole lot bigger than learning to sit.
PUPPYHOOD GETS A WHOLE LOT BETTER
WHEN YOU KNOW WHAT THE HELL YOU’RE DOING.
STOP WONDERING IF YOU’RE SCREWING THEM UP.
Your puppy suddenly barks at the trash can, refuses to walk past something they loved yesterday, or wakes up and chooses violence.
Instead of panicking (or asking Facebook)
you'll understand
what's normal,
what's developmental, and when your puppy actually needs your help.
GET YOUR HOUSE BACK.
Fewer puddles. Less screaming from the crate. Fewer tiny teeth hanging from your pants.
You'll leave with practical plans for potty training, mouthing, crate training, settling and everyday puppy chaos so you aren't just white-knuckling your way to their first birthday.
RAISE A PUPPY WHO FEELS SAFE IN THE WORLD.
You'll learn how to introduce your puppy to people, dogs, sounds, surfaces, handling and new experiences without forcing them through it in the name of “socialization.”
The goal isn't a puppy who tolerates everything.
It's a puppy who learns, “My human has my back.”.
ACTUALLY ENJOY YOUR PUPPY.
Play with them. Take them places. Learn what makes their weird little breed brain happy. Watch their confidence grow. Teach them how to relax. Learn to communicate with each other.
Because one day, much sooner than you think, you won't have a puppy anymore.
We're not trying to create the most obedient puppy in class.
We're helping you raise a confident, resilient dog you understand and building a relationship you'll still want when they're 10.
That little S.T.A.R. Puppy ribbon? That's just a bonus.
EMILY REID
CCPDT-KA
FAMILY DOG MEDIATOR
AKC EVALUATOR
AKC FIT DOG LEVEL 1 & LEVEL 2 INSTRUCTOR
I WISH I KNEW THEN WHAT I KNOW NOW.
When I got my puppy, I did what I thought good dog owners were supposed to do.
I focused on obedience.
I worried about whether he listened.
I followed training advice without really understanding behavior, genetics, fear periods, body language, enrichment, consent, or what was actually happening inside that tiny developing brain.
And I got a lot wrong.
Those mistakes eventually contributed to the behavior problems that sent me down the rabbit hole of becoming a certified dog trainer in the first place.
The more I learned, the more I kept thinking:
Why didn’t anyone teach me this when he was a puppy?
That's a huge part of why our S.T.A.R. Puppy class exists.
I don't want you to wait until your puppy is barking, lunging, terrified, fighting with another dog, or making your entire life revolve around managing their behavior before somebody finally teaches you how dogs actually work.
So yes, we'll teach you how to handle the biting, potty training, crate training and everyday puppy chaos.
And yes, we'll work toward your AKC S.T.A.R. Puppy title.
But we're also going to teach you the stuff I desperately wish someone had taught me: how to read your puppy's body language, recognize fear periods, understand their genetics, build confidence, provide enrichment that actually meets their needs, teach relaxation, respect consent, and set realistic expectations for a brain that won't be fully mature for quite a while.
I can't go back and raise my puppy again with everything I know now.
But I can help you raise yours.
Real Results from Real Dog Owners
I highly recommend Common Scents Training. We approached Emily due to our dog’s reactive issues. Emily’s approach is straightforward and non-judgmental. Her training instructions were easy to understand and put into practice. She has a deep understanding of dog behavior and has helped us understand our dog better. Walks are getting easier and our dog’s confidence has grown. I only wish we had approached her sooner.
Rebekah M.
"Emily is knowledgeable, patient, and truly meets you where you are while encouraging you to reach the next level. Her direct, practical advice made a world of difference in our day-to-day living, and we're so grateful for her guidance."
Megan S.
“We have the best trainer in Emily with Common Scents Dog Training. She is so gentle and at ease with Duke. It helps Duke and Mommy.”
Robbie L.
SAVE YOUR SPOT
Sign up for the next S.T.A.R. Puppy class and bring us the biting, the potty accidents, the crate drama, the questions…and your tiny menace.
No prerequisites. No perfectly behaved puppy required. Just show up ready to learn about the little weirdo you brought home.
YOU GET:
A place in class + a plan for surviving puppyhood.
LEARN HOW YOUR PUPPY ACTUALLY learns
Over six weeks, we'll work on the practical stuff: potty training, mouthing, crate training, relaxation, confidence and real-life skills…while teaching you about body language, development, genetics, enrichment, consent and everything else we wish came in the puppy owner's manual.
YOU GET:
Answers. Skills. And a much better understanding of the dog you're raising.
GO RAISE YOUR DOG
Class ends. Raising your dog doesn't.
You'll leave knowing how to navigate adolescence, fear periods, new experiences and all the weird shit that comes next—with a puppy who trusts you and a relationship built for real life.
YOU GET:
The confidence to stop second-guessing everything and actually enjoy growing up together.
YOUR PUPPY DOESN’T NEED MORE OBEDIENCE.
You didn’t bring home a puppy because you dreamed of having the best “sit” in the neighborhood.
You brought home a puppy because you wanted a dog to share your life with.
A hiking buddy, couch potato, adventure partner, family member, or whatever weird little creature they grow up to be.
But raising that dog takes more than teaching sit, down and stay.
Yes, we're going to teach the basics. Sit, down, coming when called, leash skills and all those foundational things absolutely have a place here.
But that's the easy stuff.
Teaching a puppy to put their butt on the floor for a treat isn't particularly difficult.
Teaching a human to understand their puppy's body language, recognize a fear period, meet their genetic needs, build confidence, teach relaxation, respect consent, and know what to do when life gets messy?
That's the stuff that actually matters.
Your puppy is growing a brain.
They're learning whether the world is safe, how to communicate with you, how to handle frustration, how to settle, what to do when something scares them, and how to exist in a very weird human world. And they're doing all of that while biting your ankles and occasionally peeing on the floor.
At Common Scents Dog Training, we believe obedience is the lowest standard of dog ownership. So while your puppy will absolutely learn useful skills in our S.T.A.R. Puppy classes, we're far more interested in teaching you how to understand the puppy at the other end of the leash.
We'll help you learn their body language, understand their genetics and developmental stages, navigate fear periods, build confidence, meet breed-specific needs, teach relaxation, respect consent, and handle the everyday puppy chaos without expecting a baby dog to behave like a fully developed adult.
Because we're not trying to create a puppy who blindly follows commands.
We're raising a dog who feels safe with you, trusts you to guide them, and knows how to navigate the world alongside you.
Start with S.T.A.R. Puppy class.
Learn how your puppy actually works.
Then go raise your dog.
Not a robot.
What you get:
6 Weekly Group classes
Meet with us once a week for six weeks for an hour of hands-on puppy training, coaching, problem-solving, and plenty of questions.
We’ll work on foundational skills and the real-life puppy stuff that actually matters.
Attendance at all six classes is required to earn the AKC S.T.A.R. Puppy title.
AKC STAR Puppy Test,
ribbon, & badge
At the end of the six weeks, your puppy will have the opportunity to take the AKC S.T.A.R. Puppy test and earn their first official AKC title and ribbon.
It's pretty damn cute. You should absolutely be proud of it.
We just think the dog you're raising along the way is the bigger accomplishment.
canine revolution membership
Because a lot of shit can happen between puppy classes.
You'll have access to our private Canine Revolution community to ask questions, get help, share your wins, troubleshoot the weird stuff happening at home, and stay accountable between classes.
Basically, it’s our little dog-training cult. Welcome.
Frequently asked questions
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The short answer: we teach dogs. We don’t hurt them.
Our training is reward-based, science-informed, and focused on teaching your dog what we want them to do rather than punishing them for getting it wrong. We use things like food, play, access to things your dog enjoys, environmental management, marker training, desensitization, counterconditioning, and…believe it or not…letting dogs have some choices.
We follow the IAABC Joint Standards of Practice, which call for positive reinforcement as the primary training strategy and oppose methods that intentionally use pain, fear, or intimidation. Our approach also aligns with the American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior's position on humane dog training, which recommends reward-based methods for dog training and behavior modification. (IAABC)
We do not use shock collars, prong collars, physical corrections, intimidation, or other aversive training methods. And we're pretty serious about that: our training agreement requires clients not to use aversive methods while participating in one of our programs.
Why?
Because our job isn't simply to find something that makes your dog stop doing something we don't like. We're interested in why the behavior is happening, what your dog needs instead, and how we can teach skills that make life better for both of you.
We're raising dogs. Not robots.
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If your puppy is a little “barky” when meeting new people or dogs, it’s probably because they’re in a Fear Stage.
If you don’t know what a Fear Stage is, you DEFINITELY needs to be in our Puppy classes so we can help you through them.
If your dog is too stressed or fearful during the class, we will ask you to take them home so that we don’t traumatize them for life.
We will convert your classes into private sessions instead. -
Yup! And I’m a stickler about it.
Prior to the first day of class, I will need a photo of their vaccination records.
At least one round of core vaccines and Bordatella are required. And rabies is required. if age-appropriate.
If they’ve had the live Bordatella vaccine (ask your vet), it will need to have been more than 9 days prior to the start of class.
If we do not see your vaccine record prior to the first day of class, your classes are postponed until we see them.
Vaccine records can be text to: 785-390-2502