Private puppy training with Will Atherton in Derbyshire
Get clear, practical help with the puppy challenges making everyday life difficult.
A private, one-hour training session with Will Atherton, dedicated entirely to you, your puppy and the areas in which you need support.
Understand what is driving the behaviour, learn what to focus on first and leave with a practical plan you can continue confidently at home.
Private one-hour
Session with Will Atherton
£250
Per session
Church Broughton
Derbyshire
Pay when booking
Address sent after confirmation
See how the Perfect Puppy Clinic works.
Watch Will explain what happens during your private session, the types of challenges you can bring and how the clinic helps you leave with greater clarity and confidence.
One-hour private session with Will Atherton — £250.
When puppy life does not feel as easy as you expected
You do not need fifteen different opinions. You need to know what to do next.
Puppies can be wonderful. They can also be exhausting.
The biting becomes more intense than you expected. The crate training is not progressing. Toilet accidents keep happening. Your puppy will not settle. Walks feel chaotic. Recall disappears the moment something interesting appears. Or perhaps nothing is going dramatically wrong, but you are constantly questioning whether you are making the right decisions.
Bitting
Crate Training
Toiler Accidents
Will not settle
Chaotic walks
Recall disappears
Questioning decisions
The more advice you receive, the less certain you feel.
01
One person tells you to ignore the behaviour
03
Somebody else tells you your puppy will simply grow out of it
02
Another tells you to interrupt it
04
Meanwhile, you are still living with the same problem and worrying that every day it continues is another day it becomes more deeply established
You search online. You watch videos. You ask friends, family and other puppy owners. And somehow, the more advice you receive, the less certain you feel.
The difficulty
No two puppies, homes or families are exactly the same.
A piece of advice that worked brilliantly for somebody else may not address what is happening with the puppy in front of you.
The clinic
The Perfect Puppy Clinic gives you the opportunity to stop guessing.
Will can observe your puppy, listen to what has been happening, identify the areas that need attention and help you understand what to prioritise.
Small puppy problems are often much easier to address before they become established adult habits.
You do not need to wait until the situation feels serious before asking for help.
Private, bespoke puppy training
One hour focused entirely on your puppy, your routine and the life you want to build together.
The Perfect Puppy Clinic is a private, one-hour session with Will Atherton at the Will Atherton Canine Centre in Church Broughton, Derbyshire.
The session begins by listening
Your puppy is an individual. Your family, your routine, your home and your goals are individual too. That is why the session begins by listening.
Understand what is driving the behaviour
Will will then assess the puppy in front of him and help you understand what may be driving the behaviour. That might include excitement, frustration, uncertainty, overstimulation, inconsistent communication, a lack of structure or simply a puppy who has discovered that a particular behaviour works. Once the likely cause becomes clearer, the training becomes much easier to prioritise.
The purpose is to coach you
The session is not about Will making your puppy behave beautifully for one hour. You will practise the exercises, improve your timing and communication and leave understanding how to continue the work when you return home.
01
You will talk through what has been happening
03
What you have already tried
02
When the behaviour tends to appear
04
The aim is to help the dog in front of us become more fulfilled, more responsive and more excited to work with their owner.
The goal is not to give you another tip. It is to give you clarity.
Bring us the challenge you are dealing with right now.
Your session can focus on one particular problem or help you create a wider plan for raising your puppy properly from the beginning.
Puppy behaviour at home
Create a calmer, more manageable home life.
We can help with challenges such as:
What this can include
- Puppy biting
- Inappropriate play
- Jumping up
- Stealing objects
- Chewing
- Difficulty settling
- Overexcitement
- Boundaries within the home
- Place training
- Calmness around family members
- Appropriate behaviour around visitors
- Helping your puppy learn how to switch off
You may be dealing with one very specific frustration.
Routines and independence
Build habits that support confidence and calmness.
Your session can also focus on:
What sessions may include
- Crate training
- Toilet training
- Sleeping routines
- Settling at night
- Being left alone
- Building appropriate independence
- Creating a more predictable daily routine
- Balancing rest, play, training and exercise
You may feel overwhelmed by several different challenges.
Training and the outside world
Help your puppy listen when life becomes more exciting.
Depending on your goals, we can work on:
What we are aiming for
- Engagement
- Recall
- Lead walking
- Heel foundations
- Impulse control
- Appropriate greetings
- Nervousness
- Confidence
- Socialisation
- Neutrality around dogs and people
- Settling in public
- Responding around distractions
Or you may simply want an expert to look at what you are doing and make sure you are heading in the right direction. The session will be shaped around what will provide the greatest value for you and your puppy.
A clear, practical process
From confusion to a plan you can confidently follow.
Rather than trying fifteen different things, you will know what deserves your attention first.
Understanding the situation
Will will listen to what has been happening, when the behaviour occurs and how it is affecting everyday life. You will be able to explain what you have already tried and what you would most like help achieving.
Assessing your puppy
Will will observe your puppy’s behaviour, communication, engagement and response to you and the environment. The purpose is to begin understanding why the behaviour may be happening rather than immediately applying a generic technique.
Establishing the foundations
Will will identify the most important area to address first. That may involve communication, structure, calmness, engagement, boundaries, timing or a particular practical skill.
At the end of the session, you will have a clearer understanding of
What is driving the problem
What needs to change
What to focus on first
What to practise at home
How to progress the exercise
What signs of improvement to look for
Communication
Structure
Calmness
Engagement
Boundaries
Timing
Practical demonstration
Where appropriate, Will will demonstrate how he would approach the exercise with your puppy. You will see what the communication should look like and why each part of the process matters.
You will practise the exercises yourself while Will coaches your timing, handling and communication. The aim is for you to leave able to recreate the work independently.
One hour. Completely focused on you and your puppy.
The clarity and coaching to move forward with confidence.
Bespoke Guidance
The session is shaped around your puppy, your circumstances and your goals rather than following a generic group-class plan.
Direct Access to Will
Work privately with Will and benefit from the judgement he has developed through years of working with real puppies, dogs and owners.
Understand Why It Is Happening
Training becomes much clearer when you understand what is driving the behaviour and what your puppy may be communicating.
Practise With Your Own Puppy
You will not simply watch a demonstration. You will practise the exercises yourself and receive direct coaching on the details that make the difference.
Focus on the Right Priority
Stop jumping between disconnected pieces of advice. Leave knowing which area deserves your attention first and what can wait.
Prevent Problems From Growing
Addressing a behaviour during puppyhood can be much easier than trying to change the same pattern after months or years of rehearsal.
Is the Perfect Puppy Clinic right for you?
The clinic is designed for puppy owners who want private, practical help and advice tailored to their individual circumstances. You do not need to wait until the situation becomes severe. The clinic can be equally valuable for an owner dealing with a difficult behaviour and an owner who simply wants reassurance that they are building the right foundations.
The club may be right for you if:
- You are struggling with one particular puppy behaviour
- Several different issues are making puppy life feel overwhelming
- You have received conflicting advice and do not know what to follow
- You want help with biting, crate training, toilet training or settling
- You need support with lead walking, recall or socialisation
- Your puppy appears nervous, overexcited or difficult to engage
- You want to address a small issue before it becomes a bigger habit, or want a complete foundation plan rather than help with one problem
- You want direct, private coaching from Will and are prepared to practise the training after your session
Suitability note
The Perfect Puppy Clinic is focused on puppy training and early behaviour support. If your dog is older or the case involves more established or serious behavioural concerns, the Perfect Canine Companion Behaviour Clinic may be the more appropriate service.
Simple, private and personalised
How to book your Perfect Puppy Clinic.
01
Choose Your Appointment
Select an available appointment through the online booking system.
02
Pay at Booking
The session costs £250. Payment is taken in full when the appointment is booked.
03
Tell Us About Your Puppy
Complete the requested information about your puppy, the behaviour you need help with and the goals you would like to work towards. This helps Will understand the situation before you arrive.
04
Receive Your Appointment Details
Your session will take place at the Will Atherton Canine Centre in Church Broughton, Derbyshire. The full address, directions, parking details and preparation information will be sent after booking.
05
Attend Your One-Hour Session
Bring your puppy to the centre and work privately with Will on the priorities most relevant to you.
Membership summary
Perfect Puppy Clinic
£250
per session
Private session with Will Atherton
One-hour appointment
Payment taken at booking
Bespoke assessment and practical coaching
Church Broughton, Derbyshire
Full address sent after booking
Cancel more than seven days before for a refund
Cancellations made more than seven days before the appointment are eligible for a refund.
Work on the behaviour in an environment that makes sense.
The Will Atherton Canine Centre includes purpose-built environments that allow Will to recreate and work through many of the situations owners face in everyday life.
The exact environment used will depend on your puppy, the behaviour and what can be achieved appropriately within the session.
Living-Room Training Environment
Work on the behaviours affecting life at home, including calmness, place training, boundaries, appropriate play, puppy biting, settling, visitor behaviour, impulse control and switching off.
Coffee-Shop Training Environment
Help prepare your puppy to accompany you into everyday public life. This can include settling beneath a table, calmness around people, appropriate greetings, ignoring movement, neutrality around distractions and learning that public environments do not require constant interaction.
Secure Training Paddock
Work practically on recall, lead walking, engagement, obedience, greater distance, outdoor distractions and becoming more relevant to your puppy when the environment becomes exciting.
When appropriate and useful for the goals of the session, training may progress into the surrounding private countryside. This allows the work to begin moving beyond a controlled training space and towards the real environments in which you want the behaviour to succeed. The goal is not a puppy who only listens inside a quiet building. It is a puppy developing the skills required to become a calm, confident and well-mannered adult companion.
Private guidance built from years of real-world experience.
Will Atherton is a clinical canine behaviourist, the founder of WA Academy and one of the world’s most recognised dog-training educators.
His work has helped owners around the world better understand their dogs, communicate more clearly and build calmer, more reliable behaviour.
But the Perfect Puppy Clinic is not an online course or a generic training plan. It is an opportunity for Will to look at the puppy standing in front of him, understand what is happening in your particular situation and coach you through an appropriate way forward.
That real-world experience matters. Will has seen the mistakes good owners commonly make. He understands how small puppy habits can grow. He knows where owners often become confused and which foundations tend to make the biggest difference.
The session gives you direct access to that experience, focused entirely on helping you and your puppy.
What happens after your session?
Leave with a plan—and a clear route for continued support.
The purpose of the Perfect Puppy Clinic is to give you the understanding and practical skills required to continue making progress at home.
For some owners, one focused session may provide the clarity they need to move forwards independently. Others may decide that ongoing training and regular coaching would be valuable as their puppy continues to develop.
Suitable puppies aged between three and nine months may have the opportunity to continue their training through Perfect Puppy Club Live: weekly in-person training focused on manners, obedience and calm, confident socialisation. The club allows you to keep practising, ask new questions and raise the standard as your puppy develops.
Related training
Perfect Canine Companion Club
Once your puppy reaches nine months, suitable dogs can continue building calmness, reliability and everyday obedience within our adult-dog training club.
If behaviour is in the way
Country Canine Companion Club
Suitable dogs may also enjoy gundog-inspired outdoor training focused on retrieving, searching, recall, steadiness and breed fulfilment.
Will and the team can help you understand which next step is most appropriate for your puppy and your goals.
Real puppies. Real owners. Real progress.
See what happens when owners have a clear plan.
A weekly, in-person training club for owners who want to raise their puppy properly—and enjoy the process.
Calmer walks in 2 weeks
“We tried everything before this. The structure was exactly what we needed. Highly recommend to anyone struggling.”
Sleeping through night
“We tried everything before this. The structure was exactly what we needed. Highly recommend to anyone struggling.”
Can visit parks again
“We tried everything before this. The structure was exactly what we needed. Highly recommend to anyone struggling.”
Ready for weekly coaching that grows with your puppy?
£75 per month, per person · Max 10 owners · Saturdays 09:30
Questions, answered clearly.
Everything you need to know before you book.
How long is the Perfect Puppy Clinic?
No. The Country Canine Companion Club uses gundog-inspired exercises for training, fulfilment and relationship building. We do not use live game, and the purpose is not to prepare dogs for real hunting.
How much does the session cost?
No. The club may be particularly well suited to retrievers, spaniels and other dogs with strong retrieving or searching instincts, but suitable dogs of any breed can take part.
Who will conduct the session?
No. You can begin with the foundations. The training team can help build enthusiasm for the activity, improve the return and gradually develop the retrieve into a more complete exercise.
Where does the clinic take place?
No previous experience is required. Exercises will be explained and adapted around your current level.
What problems can I bring to the clinic?
Training may include retrieving, searching, steadiness, recall, heelwork, whistle cues, memory exercises, directional handling, impulse control and teamwork. More advanced exercises may be introduced as you and your dog progress.
Does my puppy need previous training?
No. Every dog will progress according to their ability, confidence and enjoyment. Success is measured against the dog’s own starting point rather than expecting every dog to reach the same standard.
What age should my puppy be?
Suitable dogs may have the opportunity to take part in carefully managed water introduction and retrieving exercises. This will only be offered when appropriate for the dog and the training conditions.
Can you guarantee that the problem will be solved in one hour?
There is no live shooting. Suitable dogs may be gradually introduced to controlled sounds as part of preparation for advanced dummy-launcher exercises. This will only take place under guidance and at a level appropriate for the individual dog.
Will Will train my puppy for me?
Every dog must be able to train safely within the club environment. Dogs displaying uncontrolled reactivity, aggression or significant anxiety may require private assessment through the Perfect Canine Companion Behaviour Clinic before joining.
Can my partner or another family member attend?
Membership costs £75/month.
What should I bring?
Sessions are limited to 10 dogs. This helps maintain a safe environment and allows the team to provide meaningful coaching.
What is the cancellation policy?
The club takes place across the outdoor training areas and private countryside surrounding the Will Atherton Canine Centre in Derbyshire located in Church Broughton, Derbyshire. The exact address will be shared after booking.
What happens if I arrive late?
Each session will last 1 hour.
What if my puppy is unwell?
You will receive a full preparation list before attending. This may include suitable outdoor clothing, appropriate footwear, your dog’s lead, food rewards, water, a towel and any training equipment specified by the team. Specialist gundog equipment is not required when you first join unless stated otherwise.
What vaccinations does my dog need?
We will endeavour to give as much notice as possible for any sessions that have to be cancelled due to poor weather. As this is an outdoor club, owners should arrive prepared for normal countryside conditions.
Stop guessing and get a clear plan for the puppy in front of you.
Book a private Perfect Puppy Clinic with Will Atherton and receive one hour of bespoke assessment, practical training and direct owner coaching. Understand what is happening, learn what needs to change and leave knowing exactly what to focus on next.
£250 per session
Private one-hour session with Will Atherton
Church Broughton, Derbyshire
Payment is taken at booking. Cancel more than seven days before the session to qualify for a refund.