German Shepherd and Malinois Puppy Training

Your Puppy Game Plan

90-minute private online session | £79

Bringing home a puppy is exciting. It's also very easy to find yourself drowning in conflicting advice about everything you should — and shouldn't — be doing.

Whether your puppy is coming home soon or they're already home and you're finding your feet, this one-to-one session is built around your puppy, your household and your real life.

We'll work out what matters now, what can wait, and give you a clear plan for the first stage of puppyhood — without trying to follow every piece of puppy advice you've ever seen online.

We can cover things like:

Preparing your home and routine
Those first days and nights
Sleep, crates and settling
Toilet training and alone-time foundations
Puppy biting, chewing and other completely normal puppy chaos
Feeding, play and appropriate outlets
Early socialisation and exposure
Handling and boundaries
What to train first — and what really doesn't matter yet
Your questions about your puppy and circumstances

After our session, I'll put together your personalised Puppy Game Plan, based on what we've discussed and the puppy you're actually raising.

You'll also receive relevant supporting resources where appropriate, so you don't have to remember everything we cover.

This is a standalone session rather than an ongoing training package. If you decide afterwards that you'd like continued support, we can talk about the most appropriate next step for you and your puppy.

book your Puppy Game Plan

get the best start for your puppy

More Than Puppy Obedience

Bringing home a German Shepherd or Belgian Malinois puppy is exciting - but these intelligent, sensitive and powerful breeds grow up quickly.

Good puppy training isn't about racing through a list of cues. It's about understanding the puppy in front of you and building the skills they'll need as they grow.

We'll work on the foundations that matter in real life: communication, engagement, confidence, calmness, handling, play, boundaries and learning how to navigate the world together.

Your puppy foundations can include:

Communication & Engagement - building a puppy who understands you and wants to work with you.
Calmness & Independence - settling, switching off and learning that they don't need to be involved in everything.
Confidence & Socialisation - helping your puppy experience the world without believing they need to meet everything in it.
Play & Appropriate Outlets - using the things your puppy naturally loves to build your relationship and develop useful skills.
Everyday Life Skills - handling, recall foundations, lead skills, boundaries and the practical things that make living together easier.
Understanding Your Puppy - learning to recognise what their behaviour is telling you and how their needs change as they develop.

Belgian Malinois puppy sitting calmly next to a chair with a dog trainer jacket hanging over the bac

Puppy Foundations (up to 12 months old)

Personalised puppy training that develops with your puppy

Puppies don't develop according to a six-week class timetable, and I don't believe in training them as though they do.

Puppy Foundations is private coaching built around the puppy in front of you. We'll decide what matters most, work on it together, then review, refine and progress the training as your puppy develops.

Your Puppy Foundations package includes:

90-minute Foundation Assessment
We'll look at your puppy, your goals and everyday life together, identify your priorities and start practical coaching.

Three 60-minute coaching sessions
We'll work through your priorities using a simple process: I show you, you do it, you practise it, then we review, critique and progress it together.

Your personalised training plan
Built after your assessment and adapted as your puppy progresses.

Between-session video feedback
Send me short clips of your training so I can see what's really happening and help you make adjustments between sessions.

Your final progression plan
Clear guidance on what to continue working on and where to go next as your puppy develops.

£349

Sessions can be face-to-face or online, depending on where you live and what we're working on.

We accept Klarna.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Please contact me at contact@thebalancedshepherd.co.uk if you cannot find an answer to your question.

How old does my puppy have to be to start training?

You don't need to wait until your puppy comes home. If you're still waiting for collection, we can use that time to prepare your home, routine and expectations before those little paws come through the door.

If your puppy is already home, that's absolutely fine too. We'll start from where you are now, with age-appropriate foundations that develop as your puppy does.

My puppy hasn't been fully vaccinated. Can we still start?

Yes. There is plenty we can work on before your puppy is ready to explore everywhere on four paws.

Early training can include settling, handling, engagement, play, recall foundations, crate work, household routines and carefully planned socialisation and exposure. Virtual sessions also mean we can work together wherever you are.

Is your puppy training only for German Shepherds and Belgian Malinois?

German Shepherds and Belgian Malinois are my specialist breeds and the main focus of my puppy work.

I may also work 1-to-1 with owners of other powerful high-drive breeds where we're a good fit. If you're unsure, get in touch and tell me a little about your puppy.

How is this different from a standard local puppy class?

I'm not trying to rush your puppy through a checklist of obedience exercises.

My focus is on helping you understand the dog you're raising and building foundations that will still matter when your small puppy becomes a powerful adolescent and adult.

That means looking at the whole picture: communication, confidence, calmness, engagement, play, handling, boundaries, socialisation and practical everyday skills - with support tailored to your individual puppy and your life together.

What locations do you cover?

Puppy and training support are available both in person and virtually.

Face-to-face sessions are available in Blackburn and Darwen. Travel outside these areas may incur an additional charge, agreed with you before booking.

Virtual 1:1 sessions are available across the UK, including Your Puppy Game Plan, so you don't need to live locally to work with me.

Specialist Puppy Training for German Shepherds & Malinois

Your Puppy Game Plan

get the best start for your puppy

More Than Puppy Obedience

Puppy Foundations (up to 12 months old)

Personalised puppy training that develops with your puppy

£349

Struggling with a specific training problem?

Frequently Asked Questions

Specialist Puppy Training for German Shepherds & Malinois

Your Puppy Game Plan

get the best start for your puppy

More Than Puppy Obedience

Puppy Foundations (up to 12 months old)

Personalised puppy training that develops with your puppy

£349

Struggling with a specific training problem?

Frequently Asked Questions

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