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Puppy Training in Colorado Springs, CO — Find the Best Trainers

Puppy Training in Colorado Springs, CO

GDBy the GetDogSchool team·Updated 2026·Expert-reviewed

Puppy Training in Colorado Springs

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Puppy training around Colorado Springs starts earlier and comes in more shapes than most owners expect. A puppy can begin a kindergarten class at 8 weeks, spend two days a week at a puppy school, have a trainer visit the house, or stay with a trainer for a short puppy board and train, and the best choice depends less on the puppy than on your household and your week.

This guide covers what a good puppy program should teach in the first months, the formats you will find across the Pikes Peak region, how to pick one, and what to expect by the end of the first year. The trainers listed below are spread from Monument to Fountain and from Woodland Park to Peyton and Elbert, and many of them travel.

What the first months should cover

A solid puppy program is built around the problems a young dog causes at home, not around tricks for graduation day. The local puppy classes and packages describe a very similar core, and it is a good checklist to hold any trainer to:

  • House training and crate comfort. A routine for meals, sleep and trips outside, and a crate the puppy settles in. Several local packages name potty training and crate training as early topics.
  • Mouthing, nipping and chewing. Teaching a puppy to use its mouth gently and giving it acceptable things to chew.
  • Handling. Getting a puppy used to having paws, ears and mouth touched, which makes vet visits and nail trims easier later.
  • Loose leash walking. Starting leash skills before the puppy is big enough to pull you over.
  • Impulse control and first cues. Sit, down, stand, settle, leave it, drop it and coming when called.
  • Socialization and proper play. Calm, positive exposure to people, dogs and places, and learning how to play without bullying.

One local kindergarten class also lists resource guarding, mental enrichment and nutrition, which is a sign of a curriculum written around real puppy problems.

The formats you will find here

Kindergarten and puppy classes. The most common starting point. One training center runs a puppy kindergarten for puppies between 8 weeks and 5 months that meets once a week for an hour over eight weeks, with a follow-on class for puppies from 6 months to a year. A training studio runs a six-class puppy course for puppies under 11 months that ends with the AKC S.T.A.R. Puppy test, and several other trainers, including a nonprofit training school, a trainer with an address in Elbert and a daycare-and-training center, also teach S.T.A.R. Puppy classes.

Puppy school. A large training and daycare center runs a four-week puppy school for puppies 12 to 24 weeks old that meets two days a week, mixing structured learning with social time.

Private and in-home puppy help. Many trainers will come to your home for puppy lessons, and one offers pre-puppy consultations so the first weeks are planned before the puppy arrives. A franchise location sells a puppy management program, and several trainers fold puppy work into private packages.

Puppy board and train. A few trainers take young puppies in: a behaviorist-led ranch program for puppies under six months, a Monument trainer with one- or two-week puppy programs, and a Fountain trainer built around a puppy camp.

Choosing a starting point

Start with what you need most. If house training and chewing are the daily struggle, a trainer who comes to your home can work on the exact rooms and routines where the problems happen. If your puppy is shy or overexcited around other dogs, a small class with proper play gives it controlled practice. If you work long days, a puppy school or a program that collects your puppy may fit better than an evening class.

  • Ask what the puppy must have before it starts. Classes set age limits and vaccination requirements, and some start as early as 8 weeks.
  • Ask how you are involved. In a class you train alongside your puppy; in a board and train, ask how many handover lessons you get and what support follows.
  • Ask about methods. Local puppy programs describe themselves as positive reinforcement, force-free or balanced; ask what the trainer does when a puppy bites, jumps or ignores a cue.
  • Ask about class size and space. A small, quiet group is easier for a nervous puppy than a crowded room.

Puppy training in the Pikes Peak region

The region is spread out, so geography matters. The larger class-based centers sit in Colorado Springs itself, on the north and east side of the city and in the older central and west side, while several programs that keep puppies overnight run on rural or ranch properties in Black Forest, Monument, Fountain and Elbert. Up Ute Pass in Woodland Park and Divide, the trainers lean toward private work and service dog foundations, and one Colorado Springs trainer runs a service dog foundations stage for puppies from 8 weeks to 6 months.

Plan your outings too. City code keeps dogs on a leash in city parks and on city trails outside the designated off-leash areas, so early walks are leash practice. The fenced dog parks at places such as Rampart Park and Cheyenne Meadows Park require a person at least 16 years old to be with the dog, which matters if a teenager does the walking. Most trainers suggest waiting to use busy dog parks until a puppy is vaccinated and reliable around other dogs.

What progress looks like

A realistic first year runs in stages. In the first weeks you should see fewer accidents, a puppy that settles in its crate and calmer greetings. By the end of a kindergarten course most puppies respond to their name, sit and lie down on cue and walk a short distance on a loose leash in a quiet place. Adolescence, roughly six months to a year, often brings a dip: a puppy that knew its cues starts testing them, and this is when a follow-on class, a few private lessons or an advanced course pays off. Treat the Canine Good Citizen test, which several local trainers and centers offer, as a target for the end of that stage rather than something to rush.

Reviewed Puppy Training Trainers in Colorado Springs

These reviewed Colorado Springs-area trainers from our directory are the local options for puppy training. Each links to a full profile with specialties, certified credentials, reviews, and contact info:

See all Colorado Springs puppy training trainers →

Frequently Asked Questions

How old does my puppy need to be to start a class?

Some local kindergarten classes accept puppies from 8 weeks, as long as they have their first age-appropriate shots; others set a range such as 12 to 24 weeks or under 11 months. Check the trainer’s vaccination requirements when you book.

Is a class or private lessons better for a puppy?

Classes give a puppy practice around other dogs and people, which private lessons cannot. Private or in-home lessons are better for house training, chewing and problems tied to your home. Many owners do both, and several trainers here offer each format.

Should I send my puppy to a board and train?

A few local trainers run puppy board and train programs, including one for puppies under six months. They can give a strong start, but you still need to learn the cues and routines yourself, so ask how many handover lessons are included and what support follows.

What should a puppy class cover?

Look for house training, crate comfort, mouthing and chewing, handling, loose leash walking, impulse control, basic cues and socialization with proper play. Some local classes also prepare puppies for the AKC S.T.A.R. Puppy test.

Where can I practice with my puppy outdoors?

Leash practice on ordinary walks is the best start. Colorado Springs requires leashes in city parks and on trails except in designated off-leash areas, and its fenced dog parks require a handler at least 16 years old. Wait until your puppy is vaccinated and steady before using busy dog parks.

Related: read our complete puppy training guide or the full Colorado Springs dog training overview.

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