Private Lessons · 1:1 Coaching
One-on-One Private Dog Training Built Around Your Dog
Want to be the one holding the leash when it clicks? Private lessons put a master trainer beside you, building a plan around your dog and coaching you in real time so you leave knowing exactly what to do.
What's the difference between private lessons and board-and-train?
Private lessons at Partners Dogs are one-on-one training sessions with a master trainer, held at our Scottsdale or Cave Creek facility or in your home, with a custom curriculum built around your dog and your goals. Where a board-and-train sends your dog away for an immersive reset, private lessons keep you in the driver's seat, the trainer observes, coaches you live, and leaves you with homework so the change is yours to carry. They are ideal for targeting a specific behavior, accelerating obedience, training in the environment where the real challenges happen, or following up after camp. Every plan starts with a PD360 assessment, lessons are paid in full at booking, and lifetime trainer support is included.
Balanced, tool-agnostic training. Trainers certified through Partners Dogs University. AKC CGC evaluators on staff and a 50+ vet referral network.
Start with a PD360 assessment · See pricing · Read the reviews · Schedule your free call
WHAT A SESSION LOOKS LIKE
You Hold the Leash. We Coach the Reps.
A private lesson is not a demo where you watch a trainer work and try to copy it later. From the first session, the leash is in your hand. Your trainer reads your dog, sets up the rep, and talks you through it in real time, adjusting your timing, your position, and your reward so the behavior actually lands.
When something clicks, you are the one who made it click. That is the whole point. We coach you until the cue, the marker, and the follow-through feel natural, then we send you home with clear homework so the progress is yours to keep, not something that walks out the door with the trainer.
AT OUR FACILITY OR IN YOUR HOME
Train Where the Real Challenges Actually Happen
Some skills are built fastest on our training floor in Scottsdale or Cave Creek, where the footing is solid and the distractions stay controlled. Others only matter in the place they fall apart: the front door when the bell rings, the kitchen at dinner, the sidewalk on your normal loop, the backyard full of squirrels.
Private lessons go wherever the problem lives. We can run sessions on campus, in your home, or out in the real world, and most plans use a mix. Training your dog in the exact environment where you need the behavior is what turns a polished sit in a quiet room into a dog who listens when it counts.
WHERE YOUR LESSONS HAPPEN
At Our Facility, In Your Home, or a Mix of Both
- At our Scottsdale or Cave Creek facility. Purpose-built indoor and outdoor training spaces with controlled distractions and real proofing equipment, the fastest place to build a clean new skill before you take it into the noise of daily life. Standard sessions run about an hour.
- In your home. For young puppies who are not fully vaccinated yet, and for dogs that learn best in familiar surroundings, your trainer comes to you and coaches in the exact rooms, hallways, and yard where the problems actually happen. In-home sessions are available across Scottsdale, Cave Creek, North Phoenix, and the East Valley, and run about an hour and a half.
COACHING YOU, NOT JUST YOUR DOG
The Skill That Has To Stay Is Yours
Dogs are quick studies. The reason training fades is almost never the dog, it is the handoff back to a handler who slips into old habits. Private lessons fix that by making you the focus. We build your reading of the dog, your timing, and your consistency, so the calm walk or the rock-solid recall holds long after the lesson ends.
Our method is balanced and tool-agnostic: the right technique and the right equipment for your dog at each stage of teaching, reinforcing, and proofing a behavior, used skillfully and fairly, never as a shortcut. Your trainer is certified through Partners Dogs University, and your lifetime trainer support means the door stays open whenever a new question comes up.
WHAT WE WORK ON
Built Around Your Dog and Your Goals
Everyday manners and obedienceSit, down, place, and a reliable stay that holds through doorbells, dinner, and guests, so the house finally feels calm.
Loose-leash walkingAn end to the pulling and zig-zagging. We coach you to a soft leash and a dog that checks in with you on the walk.
Recall and off-leash reliabilityBuild a come command you can trust, then proof it around real distractions until it works when it matters most.
Puppy foundationsPotty and crate habits, bite inhibition, name response, and early socialization, started early and built right.
Real-world generalizationTake the skills off the training floor and into your home, your street, and the patios and shops where you actually live.
Post-camp follow-upKeep a board-and-train graduate sharp, or layer focused coaching on top of group classes to lock in the gains.
HOW PRIVATE LESSONS WORK
From First Call to Lifetime Support
Schedule your free call. Tell us about your dog, what is working, and what is driving you up the wall. There is no charge for the call and no pressure, just an honest read on whether private lessons are the right fit. Call 480-595-6700 or book online.
Start with a PD360 assessment. Your trainer evaluates your dog in person to scope temperament, history, and specific goals. The PD360 is $199 and it is what lets us build a plan around your actual dog instead of a generic script.
Get a custom plan. We map the skills to target, where each one is best trained, and how many sessions it should take. Lessons are paid in full at booking so the whole plan is locked in and ready.
Run your coached sessions. You hold the leash while your trainer coaches every rep, on campus, in your home, or out in the real world, and sends clear homework after each session so progress compounds between visits.
Keep lifetime trainer support. Training is never really finished. Your relationship with our team continues for the life of your dog, so when a new behavior or life change comes up, you already know who to call.
IS THIS THE RIGHT PROGRAM
Honest Guidance on Where Your Dog Belongs
- If you want to be hands-on with obedience, manners, and skills, private lessons are the fit. You stay in the driver's seat, learn to read and handle your dog, and build the behaviors directly with a coach beside you. Group Classes
- If reactivity, anxiety, or aggression is the real issue, start with Behavior Camp. Serious on-leash reactivity, separation anxiety, and resource guarding need an immersive reset, and a bite history or severe aggression routes to Transform Camp. Your PD360 tells you honestly which fits. Behavior Camp
The fastest way to a dog who finally listens is an owner who knows exactly what to do. That is the whole point of private lessons: we coach you until it clicks, then it is yours to keep for good.
Let's Build the Plan Around Your Dog
The next step is low pressure and free. Book your free call and we will talk through your dog, your goals, and whether private lessons are the right path, then line up a PD360 assessment so your plan is built around your actual dog. Prefer to talk it through right now? Call our team at 480-595-6700.
Frequently Asked Questions
What's the difference between board-and-train and private lessons?
Board-and-train sends your dog for an immersive reset, then transitions the work to you. Private lessons keep you hands-on from the start, the trainer coaches you live and leaves homework so you build the skills directly. Many families combine both.
Can I book a single private lesson or do I need a package?
We build a plan around your dog and goals starting with a PD360 assessment, and lessons are paid in full at booking. Your trainer will recommend the right number of sessions for what you want to accomplish.
Are there age or breed restrictions?
There is a 20-week minimum age to allow immune systems to develop, no maximum age, and we work with all breeds, sizes, and temperaments. Required vaccinations must be current before your first session.
What vaccinations are required?
We require Bordetella, Rabies, and Distemper/Parvo vaccinations for every dog that comes into our facilities. We can verify these directly with your vet, so you do not have to track down records before your first session.
Can children participate in a private lesson?
Yes, with a couple of ground rules. Children must be at least 8 years old and well-behaved, and a parent needs to be present for the entire lesson.
What is the cancellation policy?
Private lessons are paid in full at booking, with no deposit or pay-later schedule. Cancellations made at least 48 hours in advance receive store credit on your account, and cancellations inside 48 hours may not receive credit, so giving us 48 hours of notice protects the value already on your account.
What should I bring to a lesson?
Bring a leash, a collar, and some kind of reward, whether that is treats or a favorite toy. Anything beyond that is case by case, and your trainer will let you know ahead of time if a session needs specific gear.
What can we cover in a private lesson?
Private lessons cover foundational obedience and the specific behaviors you want to fix. We assess your goals and map the path to reach them, and lessons can also target specialty work like AKC Canine Good Citizen prep, Scent Work, Agility, and our Leash Reactivity Intensive.