The Best Little Dog House in Texas paw print logo
The Best Little Dog House in Texas
The Best Little Dog House in Texas Logo
The Best Little Dog House in Texas
35 lbs
yelp

902 Fairview St, Houston, TX 77006

(713) 533-1117

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Small Dog Training in Houston, TX

Our small dog training in Houston uses positive reinforcement only. Every program is built for little dogs, 35 pounds and under. Training happens in short mini-sessions during the daycare day. Your dog gets focused learning time plus play time with friends. Practicing in a busy daycare setting helps dogs use their new skills in real life.

We offer puppy training, manners levels, leash training, and confidence building for shy dogs. We proudly serve Montrose, Midtown, and central Houston. We look forward to helping your little one learn and grow!

Give us a call or send us an email to enroll

Small dog sitting during Level 1 dog training in Houston

Level 1

$1,200 – M, W, F for three consecutive weeks

OR Tu & Th for four consecutive weeks
(Daycare included on training days)

Level 1 is the foundation for all other training levels. It teaches your dog to think about their behavior and builds impulse control. Everything centers on PACE: Polite, Attentive, Calm, Exercise. For example, a dog who sits but jumps up to grab the treat has not done “sit” the PACE way. We introduce PACE in Level 1 and use it in every BLDHTX training level.

Level 1 covers:

  • Taking treats gently
  • Respecting a person’s space
  • Keeping all four feet on the ground
  • Making eye contact and relaxing
  • Sitting for things they want without being asked
  • The touch cue, which is especially helpful for skittish dogs
  • “Sit” and “down”

We also start “wait” and “stay,” which Level 2 covers more fully. These cues help with early door manners and relaxing in a sit or down. Finally, we work on greetings. Your dog learns to bring PACE to greetings, even when excited.

Small dog in Level 2 manners training at The Best Little Dog House in Texas

Level 2

$1,200 – M, W, F for three consecutive weeks

OR Tu & Th for four consecutive weeks
(Daycare included on training days)

*Level 1 Daycare with Training is a pre-requisite

Level 2 builds on the manners and foundation behaviors learned in Level 1 and continues to work on impulse control and the ability to follow cues. This level focuses on “wait”, “stay” (with distance between you and the dog and with duration), “leave it”, “drop it”, getting a dog to settle down quickly when they are excited, door manners, and building on some of the cues learned previously so that dogs can do them reliably without a hand signal.

Small dog learning advanced cues in Level 3 dog training

Level 3

$1,200 – M, W, F for three consecutive weeks

OR Tu & Th for four consecutive weeks
(Daycare included on training days)

*Level 2 Daycare with Training is a pre-requisite

Level 3 uses the skills learned in the other levels such as PACE, “down”, “wait”, “stay”, etc. to work on more advanced skills and tricks! Dogs will learn “come”, “stay” (expanded to now be done with distractions), “place”, and so much more. Once your dog is working at this level they can often learn new tricks more quickly and we will help teach them new cute tricks.

Small dog loose leash walking during leash training in Houston

Leash Training

$1,200 – M, W, F for three consecutive weeks

OR Tu & Th for four consecutive weeks
(Daycare included on training days)

*Level 1 Daycare with Training is a pre-requisite

Leash training is hard for many dogs and owners. There is a lot to tackle: focus, pace, loose leash walking, distractions, and reactivity. First, we help your dog get comfortable with the leash so putting it on is easy. Then we work on every part of leash manners. We walk dogs off-site and practice around real distractions like cars, other dogs, and squirrels.

Most dogs need to repeat Leash Training a few times to keep making progress, depending on their issues. One session gives your dog a basic understanding of what we are asking. It also gives you the tools to keep reinforcing progress at home. Want more help? We are happy to repeat leash training as many times as you like.

Small dog practicing on stairs during advanced dog training

Advanced Training

$1,200 – M, W, F for three consecutive weeks

OR Tu & Th for four consecutive weeks
(Daycare included on training days)

Has your dog been through Levels training but loves to learn? Do you love getting their training reinforced ongoing while stretching their abilities in new ways? Do you want your dog to get breaks from play time to work on enrichment and learning? We believe that ongoing learning is great for dogs – keeping them thinking helps them with skills and manners throughout their lives. We are happy to continue training with your dog at advanced levels. We will teach them new tricks (do you have specific tricks you want them to learn – we are happy to work on it with them!), reinforce their learning with more distractions, and push their known cues and skills. If you are having specific issues that you want our help with, we are happy to do all we can to build on their strong foundation to help with any issues you are seeing. Advanced Training is training honed to advancing each dog individually and can be repeated as many times as you would like to continue to stretch their learning.

Small dog in a Level 1+ training and enrichment session

LEVEL 1+

$25 add-on with Daycare or Boarding (available M-F)
*Level 1 Daycare with Training is a pre-requisite

Level 1+ is an enrichment and training reinforcement add-on. Dogs who have completed Level 1 or higher of training can enroll in Level 1+ Daycare with Training. On Level 1+ days dogs will enjoy daycare but also participate in short activities outside of daycare. These activities will include reinforcement of their training and time with mental stimulation games/toys which increase problem solving, impulse control, and focus. These enrichment times combined with daycare will allow them to enjoy both mental and physical fun throughout their day while reinforcing their learning. Level 1+ Training with Daycare days can be added as individual days to any weekday but we recommend making reservations in advance as spots are limited.
Puppy in Puppy Kindergarten training class in Houston

Puppy Kindergarten

$1,200 – M, W, F for three consecutive weeks

OR Tu & Th for four consecutive weeks
(Daycare included on training days)

For dogs 8 months and younger

Is your little one ready to learn?! Puppy Kindergarten is the perfect introduction to new experiences, learning, and socialization for puppies. This program is for puppies up to 8 months old (for the safety of your dog, they must be finished with all rounds of puppy vaccinations). In Puppy Kindergarten puppies will be exposed to new stimuli in a safe and nurturing environment so that they are less likely to develop fearful responses later (ex. storm noises, walking over different surfaces, vacuums, etc.) Puppies will learn basic obedience through positive reinforcement. We will work on crate training and use these skills to work towards reducing the likelihood of the development of separation anxiety later. To help with their socialization, puppies will enjoy play time and learning with other puppies in the program and will meet new people.
Puppy in a Kinder+ enrichment session

Kinder+

$25 add-on with Daycare or Boarding (Offered M-F)
*Current enrollment in Puppy Kindergarten required

This offering is for dogs currently enrolled in our Puppy Kindergarten. If you need to use our Daycare or Boarding services on days other than the Tu/Th Puppy Kindergarten schedule, we highly recommend adding Kinder+. On days that your dog is doing Kinder+ they will be in general daycare but will be pulled out of daycare for short enrichment sessions. Sessions will focus on reinforcing everything they are working on in Puppy Kindergarten. These enrichment sessions will help your dog continue to grow behaviorally and will allow them to have some breaks from the busy daycare environment to do some focused mental work.

Shy small dog building confidence in human socialization training

HUMAN SOCIALIZATION

$1,200 – M, W, F for three consecutive weeks

OR Tu & Th for four consecutive weeks
(Daycare included on training days)

Level 1 Daycare with Training is a pre-requisite

This training is specially designed for skittish or shy dogs that struggle with people in general, with strangers, or with new situations. Level 1 Daycare with Training is a pre-requisite as it lays some foundation of trust and skills for us to build on while we focus in on continuing to build their confidence with people and in more stimulating environments. Building confidence in shy dogs is an ongoing task that takes a lot of time and trust building – we would love to be part of your dog’s growth and help them understand that they can be loved by many and safe in new situations. This course is also helpful for dogs that are fearful of being touched on certain areas of their body (back, feet, tail, ears, head, etc) as we can begin to help with desensitization with positive reinforcement over time – this has many applications including allowing safer handling at home, with new people, or for processes such as grooming.
Small dog during a training assessment at The Best Little Dog House in Texas

Training Assessment

$20 add-on
Can be done with Daycare or Temperament Evaluation M-F

If you would like to do training at BLDHTX and your dog has previously attended training elsewhere, you can opt to have your dog’s training level assessed to see if they are able to start at a higher level. Training is assessed based on your dog’s ability to follow cues and to do so while relaxed and focused. During the assessment we will determine if your dog is ready to move to a higher level or if they would benefit from reinforcement of their previous learning through our Level 1 course. If your dog is new to our facility and you feel that they may be able to better show their skills after attending daycare for a while, you can add another Training Assessment at a later date to have your dog re-assessed before booking training.

Small dog during a grooming desensitization session

Grooming Desensitization

$10 add-on
Can be done with Daycare or Boarding

Grooming can be scary for some dogs and, unfortunately, we can’t fully explain to them that there is nothing to be scared of in the grooming process. Therefore, we offer groom desensitization. This can be added to any daycare or boarding day for $10. During groom desensitization, we spend 10-15 minutes working with your dog in our grooming room on handling and desensitization. Groom desensitization needs to be a slow consistent process in order to make progress. We suggest adding groom desensitization on a regular schedule at least a few times per week to make the most progress. Like all of our training, we only use positive reinforcement and don’t push your dog past their stress threshold – this helps dogs understand that grooming is not scary and it means yummy treats!

Give us a call or send us an email to enroll

Training FAQs

Where does dog training take place?

Training is incorporated into the daycare day, so your dog gets focused learning sessions along with play time and socialization with friends.

We use positive reinforcement exclusively. Our approach centers on PACE: Polite, Attentive, Calm, Exercise. It builds good behavior and impulse control. Reward-based training is also what veterinary behaviorists recommend.

Yes, Level 1 is the foundation for all other training levels, including Leash Training and Human Socialization.

Yes, our Puppy Kindergarten program is designed for puppies 8 months and younger who have completed their vaccinations.

Yes, our Leash Training program works on loose leash walking, distractions, and reactivity both on-site and off-site.

Yes, our Human Socialization course is designed for skittish or shy dogs and focuses on building confidence and trust over time.

Most training programs are $1,200, and that includes daycare on every training day. Add-ons like Level 1+, Kinder+, Training Assessment, and Grooming Desensitization range from $10 to $25.

Each program runs three consecutive weeks on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. You can also choose four consecutive weeks on Tuesday and Thursday.

Yes. Dogs who have completed Level 1 can add Level 1+ to any weekday of daycare or boarding for $25. Puppies in Puppy Kindergarten can add Kinder+ the same way.

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