Puppy Training in Rhode Island
Our puppy training in Rhode Island turns a nippy, wild puppy into an obedient, well-mannered dog.
- Listens and comes when called
- No more biting, jumping or chewing
- Potty and crate habits from day one
- A calm, confident puppy in public
Click the button below and fill out a quick form to get started with a free consultation.
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The Puppy You Were Hoping For
Puppy training isn’t about tricks. Here’s what our puppy training in Rhode Island gives your family.
A puppy who listens
Coming when called, walking on a loose leash and lying down to settle, with sit, down and place as the shared language between you and your puppy.
Nights you sleep through
The crate becomes your puppy’s calm place to rest, so bedtime is quiet and everyone wakes up rested instead of counting the hours until morning.
A clean house
A potty schedule your puppy follows, so you stop checking the rug every time you walk into the living room.
A gentle mouth
No more sharp teeth on your hands, sleeves and ankles. Your puppy knows what is for chewing, and playtime stays calm.
Polite hellos
Four paws on the floor when guests, kids and grandparents come through the door, instead of a puppy launching at their faces.
A confident young dog
Relaxed around strangers, traffic, other dogs and new places, so your puppy can join you on errands, outings and family trips.
From Nipping and Puddles to Good Manners
These are the struggles new puppy owners in Rhode Island describe most, next to what daily life looks like once the foundation is in place.
Your puppy right now
- Bites your hands and pant legs
- Pees on the rug the minute you look away
- Cries all night in the crate
- Jumps on guests, kids and the counter
- Chews shoes, cords and table legs
- Pulls and zig-zags on every walk
- Tunes you out once something is exciting
- Nervous of strangers, trucks and noise
After puppy training
- Gentle play and the right chew toys
- Potty breaks outside, on schedule
- Quiet, settled nights in the crate
- Four paws down for every greeting
- Shoes and cords left alone
- Loose-leash walks right beside you
- Comes back when called, even at the park
- Relaxed and curious in new places
Puppy Training in Rhode Island, Start to Finish
Free Consultation
Bobby meets you and your puppy, shares a few training tips you can use right away and designs a custom training plan built around your puppy and your goals.
Structure from the first day
House rules, a daily routine, crate and potty habits and clear expectations go in place right away. Your puppy learns how your home works instead of guessing.
Manners out in the real world
Once the basics stick, practice moves to sidewalks, stores and busy places, so your puppy stays calm and listens anywhere.
A session in your home, then lifetime support
Every program finishes at your house with the whole family. Bobby shows you everything your puppy learned and sets up the crate and the daily rhythm with you. After that, you have support and guidance from Bobby for the life of your dog.
Three Ways to Start Your Puppy
Each option gives your puppy the same solid foundation. At your free consultation, Bobby builds your custom plan around the one that suits your puppy, your schedule and how hands-on you want to be.
Puppy Foundations
One extended foundation session sets your house rules, routines and expectations, then follow-up lessons carry those manners into real-world situations and daily life. Best for families who want to learn alongside their puppy, and the gateway into the Grey Standard Canine Training system.
Puppy board and train
Your puppy lives and trains with Bobby, with structure around the clock that covers potty and crate habits, manners and calm exposure to the world. Pickup and drop-off at your home are included anywhere in Rhode Island and southern Massachusetts. Best for busy households who want the routine built for them.
In-home lessons near East Greenwich
One-on-one coaching at your home and around your neighborhood for families near our East Greenwich base, such as Warwick and North Kingstown. Best for owners who will practice between sessions; check on your call whether your town is within reach.
Early Structure, Lifelong Calm
Reyna, Bobby’s own Australian Shepherd, comes from working lines bred in Newport, Rhode Island. A high-drive herding puppy is not an easy start, and she was not a naturally easy puppy. Her structure began at four months old.
Before she turned six months, she was traveling internationally with Bobby, holding a calm down in busy airport terminals and staying neutral around wildlife and crowds. It wasn’t luck. It was structure, applied early and consistently.
That word, neutral, is what most owners miss about socialization. It isn’t a race to meet every dog at the park and every stranger on the sidewalk. A puppy who learns that each new face means a wild greeting grows into a dog who drags you toward people and barks when it can’t reach them. Bobby’s goal is a puppy who sees people, dogs, bikes and traffic, takes it all in and stays relaxed next to you.
Our puppy training in Rhode Island follows the same approach, adjusted to your puppy and your family.

Puppies Mirror the Home They Live In
Puppies copy the energy around them. If one person lets the puppy on the couch and another pushes it off, or every arrival at the front door turns into a party, your puppy learns that the rules change depending on who is home.
Bobby marries psychology with dog training. He looks at how your household really runs, then gives every person the same simple rules and words, so your puppy hears one clear message. That’s also why every Grey Standard Canine Training puppy program is one-on-one.
Ready to give your puppy the right start? Click the button below and fill out a short form for your free consultation. Bobby will ask what you want your puppy to do, share a few tips you can try this week and build a custom training plan around your puppy and your household.

The Puppy Stage Is Hard on Everyone
You pictured cuddles on the couch. Instead you’re up at 2 a.m. cleaning the crate, your forearms are covered in tiny scratches and there’s another puddle on the rug you cleaned an hour ago. Some days you wonder if getting a puppy was a mistake.
It wasn’t. Almost every new puppy owner hits this wall, usually in the first few weeks. Puppies bite, cry, chew and have accidents because they’re babies, not because you did something wrong or picked the wrong dog.
What’s missing is rarely love or effort. It’s a clear plan the whole household can follow.
Most owners tell Bobby on the first call that they just want a puppy who listens and is easy to live with. That’s a very reasonable goal, and puppyhood is the best time to start on it.
Why Puppies Bite, Cry and Have Accidents
Puppies explore the world with their mouths. Biting is how they play, test things and soothe sore gums while adult teeth come in. Without direction, nipping turns into a game, and a game with sharp teeth gets rougher as your puppy grows.
Accidents come from a small bladder and a brain that hasn’t yet linked the outdoors with the bathroom. Young puppies usually need to go after waking, eating, drinking and playing, often with very little warning. A puppy with the run of the house and no schedule simply picks the nearest quiet corner.
Crying at night is usually a young animal alone for the first time, without its littermates. A predictable bedtime and a calm crate routine turn the crate into somewhere to rest.
Then comes the teenage phase, often somewhere after six months, when many puppies test every rule. Puppies with a solid foundation still test, but they come back to the routine quickly.
Every puppy learns at its own pace, so the plan is customized to yours. The skills come in small steps, and the payoff is a well-mannered dog who listens and knows the house rules long before the teenage months arrive.

When Puppy Training Can’t Wait
Every puppy is a handful. These signs tell you the habits are starting to set, and the sooner a routine goes in place, the easier the fix.
If this sounds like your dog, you’re in the right place. Bobby has helped hundreds of dogs with problems just like these. Click the button below and fill out a quick form to get started with a free consultation.
Puppy Training Questions
How young can my puppy start training with you?
Structure starts the day your puppy comes home, since where they sleep, when they eat and where they go potty are all lessons from day one. Puppy Foundations and puppy board and train are one-on-one, so there’s no need to wait for a certain birthday or a class start date. At your free consultation, Bobby asks about your puppy’s age, temperament and what your vet has said about outings, then tells you when and how to begin.
Do you run group puppy classes?
No. Every Grey Standard Canine Training puppy program is one-on-one, so the whole session goes to your puppy and your household. That’s how Bobby gives every person at home the same simple rules and words, and your puppy hears one clear message.
Can you help with puppy biting?
Yes, biting is one of the first things families bring up. Puppies bite because they’re babies, not because you did something wrong. Bobby shows your family a short, calm signal everyone uses the same way, then how to show your puppy what to do instead, like a chew toy in place of your hand, and reward that.
Should my puppy do Puppy Foundations or puppy board and train?
Puppy Foundations suits families who want to be hands-on and learn the routines alongside their puppy. Puppy board and train suits families who want Bobby to build the routines first, around the clock, and hand them over in a session at home. At your free consultation, Bobby builds a custom plan around your puppy and your week, using whichever format fits best.
How long does puppy training take with you?
There’s no fixed number of sessions, because it depends on your puppy, your goals and how consistently the routine is followed at home. If your puppy reaches the standard sooner, great; if it needs more time, Bobby takes the time.
How much do you charge for puppy training?
That comes down to your puppy, your household and what you want your puppy to do. A mostly easygoing puppy who needs a few house rules and a puppy with a long list of struggles need different amounts of work, so every program is tailored and there’s no single flat rate. At your free consultation, Bobby gets to know your puppy, builds a custom training plan around your goals and gives you an exact quote, with no pressure to sign up.
Do you pick up puppies in Warwick, Providence and the rest of RI?
For puppy board and train, yes. Bobby collects your puppy at your front door and brings them home again anywhere in Rhode Island and southern Massachusetts, from Warwick and Cranston to Bristol, Wakefield and Newport. We’re based in East Greenwich. Puppy Foundations lessons and private lessons are for families closer to our base, so mention your town on the call.
Why choose Grey Standard Canine Training for puppy training?
Bobby sets up your whole household rather than teaching a few commands, and he coaches you as much as your puppy. He is the only trainer, holds a 5.0-star Google rating and gives you lifetime support and guidance for the life of your dog. Every puppy program finishes with a session in your home.
Explore Other Programs
Board & Train
Your dog lives and trains with Bobby and comes home obedient, reliable and calm, with pickup and a final session at your house.
Potty Training
A potty schedule your puppy or older dog actually follows, so the accidents stop and the rugs stay clean.
Crate Training
Quiet nights and a dog who walks into the crate on their own, whether you have a puppy, an adult dog or a rescue.
Get Started Today
Claim your free consultation for puppy training in Rhode Island. Tell Bobby about your new puppy, pick up a few tips for the week ahead and get a custom training plan built around your goals.