Doodle Puppy Training Services
Where Boutique, Therapy-Informed Training Meets the Stokeshire Method™
At Stokeshire, it is our privilege to offer bespoke, boutique training experiences designed exclusively for families welcoming one of our puppies. We believe that early training is not merely a practical step — it is one of the most meaningful investments you can make. It shapes a dog who is not only well-mannered but also emotionally steady, socially confident, and deeply attuned to your family’s rhythm for years to come.
Life today often leaves little margin for the slow, consistent, intentional work required in the earliest weeks of puppyhood. Our Stokeshire Doodle School™ programs were created for families who bring unwavering love and commitment — yet value the guidance of seasoned expertise during this brief, foundational season.
What sets Stokeshire apart is our therapy-informed, developmentally attuned approach. We don’t simply teach commands; we cultivate regulation, resilience, and real-world readiness. Our trainers draw on a deep understanding of canine psychology, early socialization science, and gentle, positive reinforcement to guide your puppy through the experiences that matter most.
Every moment — from crate comfort and potty confidence to touch desensitization, leash manners, and environmental exposure — is shaped with intention and emotional safety in mind. This ensures your puppy’s arrival into your home feels not overwhelming, but seamless, supported, and genuinely joyful.
With The Stokeshire Method™, a predictable home environment, and our data-backed ecosystem through the Stokeshire App™, your puppy’s first weeks are documented, measured, and nurtured from the inside out. This isn’t high-volume board-and-train. This is boutique canine development — grounded in science, refined by experience, and elevated by heart.
“WOW - I am so impressed with Fuzzy! He’s the most mild-mannered 3.5-month-old puppy I have ever met. He’s doing great at home. The kids are excited about training him and I really wish there was a manual for training the kids.
We are so happy we chose to put our puppy in training with Kelsey! Kelsey was so responsive and made sure to understand our lifestyle, which made the transition to home a breeze. Our dog is a dream puppy - he’s so well-behaved and mild-tempered and we credit Kelsey for all of her hard work. I cannot recommend her enough!”
Our Philosophy
At Stokeshire, we believe that how a puppy is trained matters just as much as what they learn. Our approach combines gentle, positive reinforcement with a balanced, relationship-centered philosophy rooted in clarity, calm energy, and emotional attunement.
The heart of excellent training is not merely technique — it is intuition, timing, and a deep understanding of a dog’s natural language. Our trainers are skilled at reading subtle cues, supporting healthy regulation, and responding in ways that build trust and confidence.
When a puppy feels understood, learning becomes effortless. This is why our methods produce puppies who are not only well-mannered but also emotionally grounded, resilient, and beautifully prepared for the next chapter with their family. Each lesson becomes a building block in the strong foundation we intentionally cultivate for your puppy’s lifelong success.
Classical Conditioning
Classical conditioning is a type of learning that involves creating an association between two stimuli. In doodle puppy training, classical conditioning can be used to train the puppy to associate a particular action or behavior with a specific cue or command.
For example, if you want to train your doodle puppy to sit when you say "sit," you can use classical conditioning by giving the command "sit" and then immediately giving the puppy a treat. Repeat this process several times, and eventually, the puppy will learn to associate the command "sit" with the reward of a treat and will sit when you give the command.
How Our Puppy Imprint Program Is Different
Most training programs focus on short, once-a-week sessions where a trainer visits your home and briefly works with your puppy. While helpful, these limited touchpoints simply cannot shape a puppy’s foundation in the way early development requires.
At Stokeshire, our Imprint Program is built on a completely different philosophy — one grounded in immersion, emotional attunement, and real-life experience.
Instead of occasional sessions, our imprint puppies live with their trainer 24/7 for the entire length of the program. This creates the most natural, developmentally sound environment possible. Puppies learn from the rhythm of a real home, with the structure, calm, and gentle, consistent guidance that mirrors the family they will one day join.
Because our trainers are deeply skilled in canine behavior, early socialization, and therapy-informed handling, your puppy receives continuous reinforcement during the exact developmental window when habits, confidence, and emotional stability are formed.
Our program begins at 8 weeks of age and currently spans four intentional, immersive weeks — long enough to establish durable routines, but focused enough to support a seamless transition to your family.
This is more than early training.
It’s the foundation of who your puppy becomes — calm, confident, bonded, and beautifully prepared for life with you.
Bootcamp: Customized, Accelerated Training for Busy Families
For some families, a full imprint program isn’t necessary — they simply need a focused, short-term training immersion to support a smooth transition at home. Our Stokeshire Bootcamp is designed for exactly that.
Bootcamp is a flexible, high-touch training experience priced at $150 per day, with a typical duration of 10–14 days. Whether you need a shorter reset, a targeted skills boost, or a customized plan that fits your schedule, we tailor the curriculum to your puppy’s temperament and your goals.
Stokeshire Bootcamp
A customized, accelerated training experience designed around your puppy’s needs — $150/day.
How Bootcamp Is Different
- Therapy-informed handling for emotional safety
- Calm, consistent daily routines
- Positive reinforcement rooted in modern canine science
- Exposure-based confidence building
- Support for emotional regulation & self-soothing
- Personalized daily updates from your trainer
- Integration with your puppy’s training logs inside the Stokeshire App™
Bootcamp Is Ideal For
- Families needing support before travel or major life events
- Puppies who need reinforcement after going home
- Owners wanting help with specific behaviors or routines
- Families wanting a shorter, customized training stay
- Anyone wanting a structured head start without a full imprint program
What You Can Expect
- Meaningful, measurable progress
- A calmer, more confident puppy
- Targeted support based on your goals
- Boutique-quality care, attention & emotional attunement
- Flexible durations: 5–14 days or fully customized plans
How We Select Puppies for Our Imprint Training Program
Puppies accepted into our Imprint Program are thoughtfully chosen based on the qualities that set them up for the highest likelihood of success in an immersive, emotionally attuned training environment. Rather than simply taking whichever puppies are available, we intentionally select those who demonstrate strong developmental readiness.
Temperament
We look for puppies who show balanced confidence, curiosity, and stability during early evaluations — ideal traits for imprinting, bonding, and future therapy-level behavior.
Health
Puppies must be physically thriving and meeting early milestones. Healthy puppies are better able to handle structured routines and the gentle but consistent pace of early training.
Trainability
We look for indicators such as attentiveness, resilience, food motivation, and responsiveness — traits suggesting that the puppy will benefit most from early structured learning and bonding with a trainer.
Overall Fit
Coat type, size, and aesthetic details may be considered when matching puppies to families requesting imprinting, but temperament and readiness always come first.
Our goal is simple: to place puppies into the Imprint Program who will thrive in a 24/7 training environment and graduate with a strong, durable foundation for their new families.
What to Expect from Your 12-Week-Old Doodle School™ Graduate
Our trainers invest countless hours into giving your puppy the strongest, healthiest start to life. By the time your puppy graduates from Stokeshire Doodle School™ at approximately 12 weeks of age, they will have a meaningful foundation in the skills that truly matter during the early months of development — crate comfort, consistent potty routines, emotional regulation, and basic household manners.
It’s important to remember that 12-week-old puppies are still young and learning; occasional accidents or moments of distraction are completely normal. What you can expect is a puppy who understands routines, feels secure in their crate, and has already begun practicing the habits that make your transition at home dramatically smoother.
Many families share how grateful they are to skip the overwhelming early weeks with an untrained eight-week-old puppy and instead welcome home a companion who is well on their way — calmer, more confident, and already attuned to a family-centered rhythm.
Crate Training
Crate training is one of the most effective ways to support both house-training and emotional security. During their time in Doodle School™, your puppy learns that the crate is a safe, predictable space — not a place of punishment.
Most puppies come to seek out their crate as a den, choosing it for naps and quiet rest even during the day. This comfort becomes invaluable when transitioning into your home, traveling, or visiting the vet or groomer.
Leash Training
Proper leash manners begin early, and establishing good habits now prevents years of frustration later. Our trainers introduce your puppy to:
- walking calmly beside a handler
- responding to light leash cues
- staying connected even in mild distractions
By graduation, your puppy will already be practicing the foundations of polite leash behavior — setting the stage for joyful, confident walks as they grow.
Socialization
Healthy socialization is at the heart of every Stokeshire puppy’s development. During Doodle School™, your puppy is gently and intentionally exposed to:
- different people (men, women, children)
- household sounds and activities
- new textures, surfaces, and environments
- controlled interactions with safe, known animals
- early grooming, handling, and touch desensitization
This early exposure builds confidence, reduces fear, and encourages emotional adaptability — foundational traits for therapy-informed work and everyday family life.
Introducing Early Hand Signals: Sit & Come
At Stokeshire, we believe communication begins long before a puppy understands words. That’s why our Doodle School curriculum introduces foundational hand signals — including Sit and Come — as early as 8 weeks of age. Clear, consistent gestures help young puppies learn more naturally, long before verbal cues fully register.
By pairing each hand signal with positive reinforcement, calm body language, and predictable repetition, our trainers create a communication style that feels intuitive and emotionally grounding for the puppy. This approach not only accelerates early obedience but also strengthens the bond between puppy and handler, helping your puppy feel secure, understood, and eager to engage.
These early associations form an invaluable foundation for all future learning, ensuring your puppy enters your home already familiar with gentle structure, meaningful connection, and the beginning of true partnership.
Puppy Grooming & Hygiene Covered
What to Expect When You Bring Home a Trained Stokeshire Doodle
Most Stokeshire puppies transition into their new homes without missing a beat. Because many of our dams and sires live with us, our puppies are naturally immersed in a real-home environment from birth. They experience daily household life, gentle handling, children, sounds, and novelty that sets them up to enter new surroundings with confidence.
During training, your puppy’s trainer builds on this foundation with intentional socialization, routine, and exposure. When it is time for your puppy to go home, the trainer ensures you have everything you need to make the transition feel smooth, supported, and predictable.
When you arrive, your trainer will take as much time as you need to walk through your puppy’s schedule, habits, cues, and routines. When new owners follow these routines for the first few weeks, the transition is typically remarkably seamless.
Meaningful Communication With Your Trainer
From the moment you reserve a trained puppy, we connect you directly with the trainer working hands-on with your puppy. Communication is essential. You will receive weekly updates — via text, call, or email — including notes, photos, or videos of your puppy’s progress.
If you live nearby, you are welcome to schedule in-person visits during training so you can be part of your puppy’s journey.
Clear Guidance & Helpful Information
Your trainer will provide structured guidance to ensure you feel confident continuing the work at home:
- walking you through your puppy’s daily routine
- explaining cues, commands, and learned patterns
- providing resources to maintain training at home
- preparing you for common puppy stages
You won’t just receive a trained puppy — you’ll be equipped to continue their success.
Lifetime Trainer Support
When you purchase a trained Stokeshire puppy, you’re never on your own. Your puppy’s trainer remains available for lifetime support as your puppy grows, matures, and enters new stages of life.
Training questions go directly to your trainer. Puppy care or general guidance questions come to the Stokeshire team. This is part of our boutique promise: a lifetime relationship, not a transaction.
Is a Trained Stokeshire Puppy Right for You?
Every family is different, and choosing training is ultimately a personal decision. Many families are fully capable of training their own puppies — but simply do not have the time margin required during the earliest months.
Here are helpful questions to consider:
- Do I realistically have time for consistent, daily puppy training?
- Am I able to attend puppy classes if I choose not to do imprint training?
- Does my lifestyle allow for crate trips, potty routines, and exposure training?
- Would professional training reduce stress in my home?
- Is the investment worth a smoother, calmer transition for my family?
- If I train the puppy myself, will I stay consistent long enough for success?
Many families can train well — but busy seasons of life can make professional imprinting truly transformational. Trained Stokeshire puppies offer a head start that saves weeks or even months of stress while giving your puppy the strongest, calmest, most confident foundation possible.
How Doodle School™ Works
We reserve a very limited number of Doodle School candidates each quarter to ensure every puppy receives individual attention, emotional attunement, and a developmentally rich environment. Because of this boutique approach, spots are often taken well in advance.
1. Puppy Match at 6 Weeks
After we match you with the perfect puppy during the 6-week selection period, families who have already reserved training will connect with us to review questions, goals, and expectations. This helps us tailor the experience to your family’s needs.
2. Training Begins at 8 Weeks
Your puppy will begin Doodle School at 8 weeks of age — the optimal window for imprinting, bonding, and establishing healthy routines.
3. Living With a Trainer 24/7
For up to four immersive weeks, your puppy will live with a professional Stokeshire trainer in a real-home environment.
This round-the-clock care is what makes our program profoundly different from once-a-week classes or short drop-off sessions.
4. Individual Updates & Report Cards
Throughout training, you will receive individual updates and weekly report cards detailing your puppy’s progress, habits, exposures, and emerging strengths.
5. Skill Transfer at Pickup
At pickup, your trainer will spend as much time as needed walking you through your puppy’s routine, cues, expectations, and next steps.
A final written summary of your puppy’s training is also sent via email for easy reference.
6. Payment Details
The cost of training is added to the price of your puppy and is due on Selection Day at the time of purchase.
Investment for Puppy Board & Train Options in North Central Wisconsin
Our Doodle School™ Bootcamp begins at $150 per day, offering a curated and immersive early-training experience designed exclusively for Stokeshire puppies. This is more than board-and-train — it is a highly intentional investment into your puppy’s development during the most formative stage of their life.
Under the daily guidance of a professional trainer, your puppy is gently shaped through structured routines, calm leadership, and positive reinforcement. Each day is thoughtfully planned to strengthen confidence, build emotional stability, and nurture the skills that create a smooth, joyful transition into your home.
From crate comfort and early house training to socialization, leash etiquette, and daily exposure work, Bootcamp focuses on the fundamentals that matter most — the foundation for a future therapy-level companion.
Rooted in balance, attunement, and respect for each puppy’s individuality, Doodle School™ transforms early puppyhood from overwhelming to elevated. It is not simply training; it is an investment in years of harmony, confidence, and meaningful connection with your Stokeshire doodle.
Our Long-Term Training Vision
Doodle School™ is not the finish line — it’s the beginning. Families who choose Stokeshire share our belief that training is a lifelong investment, not a one-time event.
Why Continued Training Matters
We want every Stokeshire puppy to go home and begin working with a professional trainer immediately. Our program is intentionally boutique, therapy-informed, and structured for families who have both the time and financial ability to invest in their dog’s long-term development.
If the idea of ongoing coaching, structure, and refinement excites you rather than overwhelms you, you are very much our kind of people.
Our Standard: Canine Good Citizen (CGC)
While not a requirement, we strongly encourage all Stokeshire families to continue training with the goal of eventually passing the AKC Canine Good Citizen test.
The CGC program evaluates 10 essential skills:
- Accepting a friendly stranger
- Sitting politely for petting
- Appearance and grooming
- Out for a walk (loose-lead walking)
- Walking through a crowd
- Sit & down on cue and stay in place
- Coming when called
- Reaction to another dog
- Reaction to distraction
- Supervised separation
These aren’t “tricks” — they’re the foundation of a calm, confident, well-mannered companion who is welcome in more places and easier to live with.
Your Role & Our Role
Our commitment: genetics, environment, and early training that move your puppy toward CGC-level behavior.
Your commitment: continued work with a qualified professional trainer who aligns with your family’s goals.
Doodle School™ Disclaimer & Commitment
At Stokeshire, transparency is part of the care we extend to both our families and our puppies. Our goal is to set clear, realistic expectations about what Doodle School™ provides, while ensuring every family feels supported from start to finish.
What Doodle School Is — and What It Is Not
If you are seeking a flawlessly trained or fully finished puppy, Doodle School may not align with your expectations. Puppies, like children, are individuals with developing minds, unique temperaments, and natural learning curves. No reputable trainer can guarantee perfect obedience or eliminate all unwanted behaviors at this age — and neither can we.
What we do guarantee is exceptional care, expert handling, developmentally sound structure, and a strong, thoughtfully built foundation that supports your puppy’s long-term success.
Our Training Focus: The Critical Early Window
Doodle School emphasizes the 8–12 (and optionally 8–16) week developmental period — a time when puppies learn best through gentle exposure, routine, and relationship. Think of this stage as Kindergarten: key skills are introduced, but long-term mastery requires continued practice at home.
Our trainers focus on:
- early crate comfort
- structured potty routines
- basic leash and engagement work
- beginner obedience and hand signals
- emotional regulation and confidence-building
- safe, intentional socialization
This early groundwork is meaningful — but it is not the end of the journey.
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