Doodle
School™
This isn't high-volume board-and-train.
Boutique canine development — grounded in science, refined by experience, and elevated by heart.
How a puppy is trained matters as much as what they learn.
At Stokeshire, we believe early training is not merely a practical step — it is one of the most meaningful investments you can make in a dog's life. It shapes a companion who is not only well-mannered but emotionally steady, socially confident, and deeply attuned to your family's rhythm for years to come.
Our trainers draw on a deep understanding of canine psychology, early socialization science, and gentle positive reinforcement. 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.
Life today often leaves little margin for the slow, consistent work required in the earliest weeks of puppyhood. Doodle School™ was created for families who bring unwavering love and commitment — yet value the guidance of seasoned expertise during this brief, foundational season.
WOW — I am so impressed with Fuzzy. He's the most mild-mannered 3.5-month-old puppy I have ever met. Our dog is a dream puppy — so well-behaved and mild-tempered. We are so happy we chose to put our puppy in training with Kelsey. I cannot recommend her enough.
Fuzzy's Parents · Stokeshire Doodle School™ Graduate
Which experience
is right for your family?
Both paths are built on the same Stokeshire standard. The difference is duration, depth, and what your family needs most.
Stokeshire
Doodle School™
Full immersion. The foundation, complete.
Your puppy lives with a professional Stokeshire trainer 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, for four intentional, immersive weeks — beginning at 8 weeks of age. The most developmentally sound environment possible.
Puppies learn from the rhythm of a real home, with the structure, calm, and consistent guidance that mirrors the family they will one day join. The result is not simply early training — it is the formation of who your dog becomes.
Stokeshire
Bootcamp™
Focused. Accelerated. Customized to you.
For families who don't need the full four-week program — but want a focused, intentional formation stay to support a smoother transition at home. Bootcamp is scoped and delivered around your family's specific goals and timeline.
Duration and objectives are set together during your consultation. Every Bootcamp is different, because every family is different.
Six steps from
match to homecoming.
Program Reservation
After we match you with the right puppy during the 6-week selection period, families who have reserved training connect with us to review questions, goals, and expectations. We tailor the program to your family's needs before training begins.
Spots are limited. We reserve a very small number of Doodle School candidates each quarter to ensure every puppy receives individual attention and a developmentally rich environment. Spots are often reserved well in advance.
Your puppy begins Doodle School at 8 weeks of age — the optimal developmental window for imprinting, bonding, and establishing healthy routines. This is the window when habits, confidence, and emotional stability are formed most durably.
For four immersive weeks, your puppy lives with a professional Stokeshire trainer in a real home — not a kennel, not a facility. Every moment — meals, crate time, outings, play, rest — is an opportunity for gentle, consistent shaping.
You are never out of the loop. Throughout training, you receive individual updates and weekly report cards detailing your puppy's progress, habits, exposures, and emerging strengths — all tracked inside the Stokeshire App™.
Your trainer spends as much time as needed walking you through your puppy's routine, cues, expectations, and next steps. A final written training summary is sent via email for easy reference at home. When new owners follow established routines in the first few weeks, the transition is typically seamless.
The cost of training is added to your puppy's placement price and is due on Selection Day at the time of purchase. At $200 per day, a standard four-week Doodle School program is $5,600.
What a 12-week
graduate looks like.
Our trainers invest countless hours into giving your puppy the strongest, healthiest start to life. By the time your puppy graduates at approximately 12 weeks of age, they will have a meaningful foundation in the skills that truly matter.
Many families share how grateful they are to skip the overwhelming early weeks with an untrained 8-week-old and instead welcome home a companion who is already on their way — calmer, more confident, and already attuned to family rhythm.
Crate Comfort
Settled · Secure · QuietYour puppy understands the crate as a place of rest and safety — not confinement. Crate anxiety is addressed and resolved during the imprint window, when it is easiest to shape.
Potty Routines
Consistent · PredictableStructured potty routines are established during training. Your puppy arrives with habits already in place — dramatically reducing the early weeks of accidents and uncertainty at home.
Leash Manners
Early foundation · Not finishedEarly leash desensitization and introductory leash work are completed. Your puppy is familiar with the sensation of a lead and has begun the foundation for walking alongside you.
Touch & Grooming
Desensitized · CooperativeEars, paws, mouth, and coat have been handled consistently and gently. Your puppy accepts touch with calm — making grooming, vet visits, and daily care dramatically easier for years to come.
Foundational Signals
Sit & Come · Introduced at 8 weeksClear, consistent hand signals for Sit and Come are introduced before verbal cues fully register. These early associations form the foundation for all future communication between you and your dog.
Emotional Regulation
Resilient · Confident · CalmConfidence, startle recovery, and the ability to self-settle are cultivated throughout the program. Your puppy arrives emotionally grounded — not just obedience-trained, but psychologically prepared for life with your family.
What this season of development is — and what it isn't.
Doodle School emphasizes the 8–12 week developmental window — a time when puppies learn best through gentle exposure, routine, and relationship. Think of this as Kindergarten: key skills are introduced and meaningful foundations are built, but long-term mastery requires continued practice at home. What we guarantee is exceptional care, expert handling, and a strong, thoughtfully built foundation that supports your puppy's lifelong success.
Relationship-centered.
Science-grounded.
The heart of excellent training is not merely technique — it is intuition, timing, and a deep understanding of a dog's natural language. Our methods combine classical conditioning with gentle, positive reinforcement and a balanced, relationship-centered philosophy rooted in clarity, calm energy, and emotional attunement.
Classical Conditioning
Association · Repetition · ReliabilityWe create durable associations between stimuli and desired behavior — building a puppy's understanding of the world through clear, consistent, and emotionally positive experiences. When a command is paired repeatedly with meaningful reward, the association becomes reliable without force or frustration.
Positive Reinforcement
Reward · Trust · MotivationEvery lesson is built on clear communication and meaningful reward. We never use intimidation or suppression — we build motivation, trust, and a puppy who wants to engage. Training feels like partnership, not compliance.
Developmental Attunement
Reading the puppy · Responding with precisionOur trainers are skilled at reading subtle behavioral cues — knowing when to push, when to rest, when to introduce novelty, and when a puppy simply needs quiet and safety. This attunement separates boutique training from volume programs.
Real-Home Immersion
Life exposure · Household rhythmsYour puppy doesn't train in a facility and return to a kennel. They live in a trainer's home — experiencing the sounds, rhythms, and daily structure of a real household. This prepares them for the transition to your family in a way no clinical environment can replicate.
Every moment is an opportunity for gentle, intentional shaping.
Most programs offer occasional sessions.
We offer something different.
Once-a-week trainer visits can help — but they cannot shape a puppy's foundation the way the earliest developmental window requires. The shaping that occurs in weeks 8–12 creates patterns that persist for the life of the dog.
When a puppy lives with their trainer around the clock, every moment becomes an opportunity for gentle, consistent shaping. Meals, rest, play, outings — all of it is guided. The outcome is a dog who has already been living with intention before they ever arrive in your home.
Doodle School is the beginning —
not the finish line.
Families who choose Stokeshire share our belief that training is a lifelong investment, not a one-time event. The foundation we build in the first 12 weeks is meaningful — but it is designed to be carried forward by you.
Our standard for every Stokeshire dog is the American Kennel Club Canine Good Citizen (CGC) certification — a widely recognized benchmark of temperament, manners, and real-world reliability. Doodle School puts your puppy on the path. The journey continues with you.
Your trainer remains a resource after pickup. Lifetime support is part of the Stokeshire commitment — not a premium add-on.
The foundation your dog deserves —
built before they arrive.
Doodle School spots are reserved at the time of puppy placement. Begin the conversation before your litter arrives.
