Become a Tutor

Training to become a Puppy School Tutor

Puppy School tutor familiar with rewards for class

How Long Will It Take?

Becoming a Puppy School tutor in an exciting adventure. You will need time and energy to develop all the skills necessary. With our carefully developed education programme and experienced teachers, you will soon gain the knowledge and experience necessary to become an excellent puppy (and people) trainer.

The course consists of approximately 65 hours of tuition (see below for details) and further time is needed for self-study and developing the skills/ability needed for puppy training. Although dependant on your previous experience with dogs and also on how much time and effort you can put in, it takes approximately 5 - 8 months from the time you begin the course to the time you are ready to start running classes.

Application and Interview Process

  • Vizsla puppy showing their learnt sitting skills

Puppy School is open to applications from prospective tutors all year round and the first step is to complete an online application form. 

For a summary of the skills and experience that we are looking for from new applicants, please see the What Are We Looking For? page.  If you think you might have what we need, please complete the Application Form.

There is space to upload an informal video too - please use to introduce yourself and your dog(s).  Show us what you can do with them or just tell us a little bit about you and your pets.  Don't let the video part put you off sending in an application, but please don't be shy, we would really love to see you interacting with a dog and it helps us get to know you before we meet.

If you would prefer to have an informal chat about your suitability prior to application, please use the 'Get in touch with us!' form below and tell us how, and when, it is best to contact you.

Once we have received your application, it will be sent to the Regional Manager for your area.  You will receive a reply and, if you meet our requirements, a time will be arranged for an informal phone interview and chat to go through further details. They will then guide you through the remainder of the process, including getting you booked onto a course.

The Puppy School Tutor Training Course

  • Tutor teaching a class near you writing up tips to trainees
  • Challenging Jack Russell puppy learning new skills in class
  • Samoyed puppy being taught sniffing skills

We run our Puppy School tutor training courses in Spring and Autumn of each year.  Places are limited (up to 10) to ensure everyone gets the individual attention they need, especially on the practical course.

The Puppy School Tutor Training Course consists of the following:

  • A 2-day face-to-face introductory weekend where we cover a range of subjects such as 'how we learn skills' to 'improving your coaching technique' (with teachers Catherine Tomlinson and Gwen Bailey) (usually held in Worcestershire)
  • 25 hours of live online lessons (evenings) on a vast range of subjects, including how to run the Puppy School syllabus, spread over a 3-month period (with teachers Catherine Tomlinson, Gwen Bailey and other experienced tutors with special knowledge)
  • During this time, you will receive video coaching from your Regional Manager to help you learn the essential skills and techniques needed to run the puppy classes
  • A 3-day practical course working hands-on with real puppies (and their owners), and practising all elements of the Puppy School course with those who teach us best, the puppies themselves! (usually held in Gloucestershire, teachers are Gwen Bailey and Claire Luscombe)
  • Correspondence course of home study comprised of practical exercises and observations 

The correspondence course is a series of exercises with questions, the answers to which must be submitted by the tutor prior to them running their first Puppy School classes. The questions require the tutor to carry out a number of practical training and observational activities with dogs (rescue dogs, puppies, their own dog, borrowed dogs) as well as training a new behaviour to another species – in the past, we have had tutors training pigs, chickens, cats, sheep and even alpacas!

The correspondence course is a great opportunity to further develop a range of training skills, ensuring that the tutor has first-hand experience of a range of different breeds, ages and personalities of dog prior to them running classes for themselves.

All parts of the course must be successfully completed before the 'Puppy School Puppy Class Tutor Certificate' is awarded and you are eligible to begin running Puppy School classes. 

Starting Classes

Getting Up and Running

Once you have successfully completed the training, the only hurdles left are to find a suitable venue, advertise your classes and secure some clients and puppies.

Throughout the process of setting up and running classes, all tutors are supported by a highly experienced Regional Manager who will be available as their first point of contact for any queries or concerns. Regional Managers visit tutor classes every six months, allowing them to help tutors fine tune and improve their classes.

Apply Now

The training has not only provided me with the theoretical foundation for further leaning, but combining the practical sessions has solidified the skills and knowledge learnt. I treasure the opportunity of feedbacks from the experienced tutors. It has really accelerated our learning. The entire course has really helped me to build the foundation of what is required in both the business and the training of puppies. Thank you very much for the opportunity.
Angela Yip
Puppy School Tutor, Letchworth
I really enjoyed doing the course and learnt so much from it. It was very in-depth and the tutors were amazing at teaching all the stuff that you needed to know. I enjoyed meeting new people and have made some good friends whilst doing the course. The practical days held over three consecutive days with puppies and their owners were very useful for me to put the theory that we had learnt into practice. I look forward to putting this all into action and continuing my Puppy School journey running my own puppy school classes.
Clare Bradley
Puppy School Tutor, Oxford