Weekly in-person puppy training at the Will Atherton Canine Centre
Raise a calm, confident and well-mannered puppy—with expert support every step of the way.
Bring the principles of the Perfect Puppy Course to life through weekly, practical coaching with Will Atherton and the WA Academy training team.
Build the manners, obedience and socialisation skills your puppy needs to become an exceptional family companion.
3–9 months
For puppies aged
Max 10 owners
Per class
£75 / month
Per person
Sat 09:30
1 hour sessions
See what Perfect Puppy Club Live is all about.
Watch Will explain how the club works, what you and your puppy will learn, and why ongoing training during these early months can make such a lasting difference.
£75 per month, per person. Class sizes are limited to 10 owners.
Weekly in-person puppy training at the Will Atherton Canine Centre
You imagined the perfect puppy. Then real life began.
Bringing home a puppy should be one of the most exciting experiences in the world.
But it often comes with biting, jumping, accidents indoors, sleepless nights, pulling on the lead, selective hearing and a puppy who seems completely unable to switch off.
Biting
Jumping
Accidents indoors
Sleepless nights
Pulling on the lead
Selective hearing
Can’t switch off
You start questioning…
01
Whether you are doing enough
03
Whether the advice you are following is right
02
Whether you are doing too much
04
Whether this is normal—or the beginning of a much bigger problem
And because puppies change so quickly, it can feel as though every week brings a new challenge. One week it is biting. The next it is lead walking. Then recall disappears. Suddenly your puppy is becoming more interested in other dogs, people and everything happening around them than they are in you.
The opportunity
The good news is that these early months also give you an incredible opportunity. Your puppy is learning constantly.
The routines, habits, boundaries and expectations you establish now can shape the dog you live with for years to come.
The club
Perfect Puppy Club Live gives you somewhere to work through those stages with clear guidance, practical coaching and a team that can help you spot problems before they become established habits.
You do not need to figure puppyhood out alone.
Every week, you will know what to work on, why it matters and how to continue the training at home.
Practical puppy training, every week
The Perfect Puppy Course brought to life in the Centre.
A weekly, in-person training club for owners who want to raise their puppy properly—and enjoy the process.
Weekly live coaching
Practise skills at the right level of difficulty, with Will and the team coaching you in the room—not just demonstrating from a distance.
Built on the Perfect Puppy Course
Each month focuses on different areas of development, following the curriculum and principles of Will’s Perfect Puppy Course.
Small groups, real support
Limited to 10 owners so you get meaningful coaching while your puppy still learns around other dogs and people.
01
As new challenges appear, the club gives you somewhere to bring them.
03
As confidence grows, we introduce more distraction, distance and freedom.
02
As your puppy improves, we can raise the standard.
04
Not a one-off class—an ongoing environment that develops as your puppy develops.
Puppies do not stop learning between training sessions. The club helps make sure they are learning the right things.
The three pillars behind an exceptional family dog.
Every session is built around the three areas that shape how your puppy behaves at home, out in public and around the wider world.
Manners
A puppy who understands how to live calmly in your home.
Good manners make everyday life easier. We will work on the behaviours that help your puppy become calm, respectful and enjoyable to live with.
What this can include
- Place training
- Settling while life happens around them
- Appropriate behaviour around visitors
- Impulse control
- Calmness around food, doors and exciting events
- Appropriate play
- Boundaries within the home
- Learning how to switch off
Your home does not need to become a playground every waking moment of the day. Your puppy can learn when it is time to play, when it is time to engage and when it is time to relax.
Obedience
Clear communication that still works when the world becomes exciting.
A puppy listening inside a quiet kitchen is a good start. The next step is helping those skills work around the distractions they find difficult.
What sessions may include
- Engagement
- Recall
- Loose-lead walking
- Heel position
- Sit, stay and release
- Distance and duration
- Focus around other puppies
- Responding around people and movement
- Building value in staying close to you
Skills are introduced at a level your puppy can understand and gradually developed as their confidence and ability improve.
Socialisation
Confidence and neutrality around dogs, people and new experiences.
Socialisation does not mean allowing every puppy to charge around together and hoping for the best. True socialisation teaches your puppy how to experience the world calmly and appropriately.
What we are aiming for
- Comfortable around other dogs without needing to interact with all of them
- Noticing people without launching at everyone they meet
- Experiencing new environments while still able to think and listen
- Looking to you for guidance under distraction
The goal is a confident puppy who can enjoy the world without becoming overwhelmed or overexcited by it.
Training that develops with your puppy
A different focus as your puppy grows.
Puppy training is never finished after one class—and the club is built around that reality.
They change fast
Between three and nine months, confidence, independence and interest in the world all shift—often week by week.
Skills need upgrading
What felt reliable one month can feel harder in the next stage. The club revisits foundations and raises the challenge.
Monthly curriculum
Each month works through different elements of the Perfect Puppy Course so progress stays structured.
Example training areas
Calmness and settling
Puppy biting and appropriate play
Engagement with the owner
Place training
Impulse control
Lead walking and heel skills
Recall foundations
Obedience around distractions
Appropriate greetings
Neutrality around other dogs
Confidence in new environments
Handling and body awareness
Duration, distance and freedom
No two puppies will be at exactly the same stage. Exercises are adjusted for the puppy in front of us—whether they are learning a basic position for the first time or practising it under more distraction.
That means owners keep progressing without every puppy being forced to work at exactly the same level.
More than a weekly class
Support and structure to keep making progress.
Solve Problems Early
Puppy behaviours are usually easier to address before they have been practised for months. Bring questions to the club and adjust before small frustrations become habits.
Learn With Your Own Puppy
You practise the skills with your own dog and receive coaching on handling, timing, communication and consistency—not just a demo to watch.
Train Around Real Distractions
A carefully managed environment where your puppy learns to listen when other dogs, people and exciting things are nearby.
Stay Consistent
Regular sessions keep you on one clear approach—and make it obvious what to work on between classes.
Build Owner Confidence
Understand what is happening and how to respond—so you become a calmer, clearer leader your puppy can follow.
Prepare for Adolescence
Build foundations before nine months so you are ready for the independence and distraction that can come next.
Is Perfect Puppy Club Live right for you?
Ongoing support while your puppy develops through the most important early stages of life.
The club may be right for you if:
- Your puppy is between three and nine months old
- Vaccinations required to attend safely are complete
- You want practical, in-person coaching
- You want help with manners, obedience and socialisation
- You are dealing with normal puppy challenges early
- You want learning around dogs—without free-for-all play
- You will practise between sessions
- You want a clear path into adult-dog training
Suitability note
All puppies need to be suitable for a small group. Significant fear, aggression or behaviour needing private assessment may be better suited to the Perfect Puppy Clinic first.
Simple, ongoing support
How Perfect Puppy Club Live works.
01
Join the Club
Membership costs £75 per month, per person. Places are limited to a maximum of 10 owners per class.
01
Attend Weekly Training
Join Will and the training team for practical, in-person sessions at the Will Atherton Canine Centre. Each 1 hour session will take place on Saturdays at 09:30.
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Practise Between Sessions
Take the exercises, priorities and guidance from the club into everyday life with your puppy.
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Keep Progressing
Each month introduces or develops different areas of the Perfect Puppy Course curriculum, with exercises adapted around the puppies attending.
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Graduate Into Adult Training
At nine months, your puppy can progress into the Perfect Canine Companion Club or, when suitable, the Country Canine Companion Club.
Membership summary
Perfect Puppy Club Live
£75
/ month, per person
£75 per month, per person
Weekly in-person training
Maximum 10 owners per class
Puppies aged 3–9 months
Coaching from Will and the WA Academy team
Ongoing monthly curriculum
Progression into adult training clubs
Spaces are limited to maintain a small, supportive training environment.
Practise the skills that matter in real life.
Perfect Puppy Club Live takes place inside the purpose-built Will Atherton Canine Centre.
Our training environments allow us to work on the behaviours owners actually need at home and out in the world.
Living-Room Environment
Work on place training, calmness, boundaries, appropriate play, visitor behaviour and helping your puppy learn how to switch off.
Controlled Group Environment
Practise obedience, engagement and neutrality around other puppies and owners without allowing the session to become uncontrolled play.
Secure Outdoor Training Space
Develop recall, lead skills and communication as the environment becomes more exciting.
The goal is not a puppy who only listens in a silent training room. It is a puppy who is gradually learning how to behave calmly and confidently wherever life takes them.
Expert support from Will and the WA Academy team.
Perfect Puppy Club Live is led by Will Atherton and supported by the WA Academy training team.
Will is a clinical canine behaviourist, the founder of WA Academy and one of the world’s most recognised dog-training educators.
His Perfect Puppy Course has helped owners around the world understand how to raise calmer, more confident and better-behaved dogs.
The live club brings those same principles into a practical training environment, giving you the opportunity to apply them with your own puppy under direct guidance.
The team will help you understand what your puppy is doing, where your training may need adjusting and what you should prioritise next.
What happens after nine months?
Puppy Club is the beginning of the journey.
At nine months, your puppy will graduate from Perfect Puppy Club Live. By then, you should have established the foundations of manners, obedience and socialisation.
But adolescence and early adulthood can bring new challenges. Your dog may become more independent. Distractions can become more powerful. Existing skills may need to be strengthened and maintained.
That is why the journey does not need to end when Puppy Club does. Suitable graduates can progress into:
Next Step
Perfect Canine Companion Club
Continue developing calmness, obedience, reliability and everyday manners as your dog matures.
Outdoor Path
Country Canine Companion Club
Use retrieving, searching and gundog-inspired training to build fulfilment, responsiveness and a stronger working relationship outdoors.
You will have a clear route from puppyhood into adult training, with continued support as your dog and your life develop.
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.
What age does my puppy need to be?
Perfect Puppy Club Live is designed for puppies aged three to nine months. Your puppy must also have completed the vaccinations required to attend safely.
What happens when my puppy reaches nine months?
At nine months, your puppy will graduate from Perfect Puppy Club Live. Suitable dogs can then progress into the Perfect Canine Companion Club or Country Canine Companion Club.
How much does membership cost?
Membership costs £75 per month, per person.
How many people are in each class?
Classes are limited to a maximum of 10 owners. This creates a useful training environment around other puppies while still allowing the team to provide meaningful coaching and support.
Does my puppy need previous training experience?
No previous formal training experience is required. Exercises can be adjusted around your puppy’s current ability and stage of development.
Will the puppies be allowed to play together?
The club is focused on calm, appropriate socialisation rather than uncontrolled group play. Your puppy will learn how to remain confident, neutral and responsive around other puppies and people. Any interaction will be managed carefully and introduced only when appropriate.
What will we work on?
The club broadly follows the principles and curriculum of the Perfect Puppy Course. Training may include calmness, place work, engagement, recall, lead skills, obedience, impulse control, socialisation, appropriate greetings and preparing for adolescence. The specific focus will change over time and according to the puppies attending.
Will Will personally teach the classes?
The club includes practical coaching from Will with the support of the WA Academy training team.
What happens if my puppy has a more serious behaviour problem?
Puppies with significant fear, aggression or behaviour requiring a more detailed assessment may need to begin with the private Perfect Puppy Clinic. The team can help advise on the most suitable route before you book.
Where does the club take place?
Perfect Puppy Club Live takes place at the Will Atherton Canine Centre in Church Broughton, Derbyshire. The full address will be shared after booking.
How long is each session?
Each session will last 1 hour.
What should I bring?
You will receive a full preparation list before attending. This may include your puppy’s lead, suitable food rewards and any equipment required for that month’s training.
Can more than one family member attend?
Membership is priced at £75 per month, per dog. A maximum of 2 people per dog can attend the class.
Can I cancel my membership?
Yes, cancel any time with a month’s notice. You will pay for each month in advance and any missed sessions will not be refunded.
Give your puppy the foundations they will carry into adulthood.
Join Perfect Puppy Club Live and train with Will and the WA Academy team every week at the Will Atherton Canine Centre. Build better manners, stronger obedience and calm, confident socialisation while your puppy is at the ideal age to learn.
£75 per month, per person
Puppies aged 3–9 months
Maximum 10 owners per class
Places are limited to preserve the quality of coaching and the class environment.