pre-puppy advice and support in and around crawley

Whether you’ve just decided to get a puppy and don’t know where to go next, or you’ve chosen your puppy and are busy preparing for their arrival, getting professional advice and support ahead of time can help you make the right decisions to set you both up for success in the future.

Get in touch

crawley

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horley

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charlwood

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smallfield

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copthorne

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crawley down

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east grinstead

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haywards heath

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cuckfield

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lindfield

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ardingly

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balcombe

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crawley ~ horley ~ charlwood ~ smallfield ~ copthorne ~ crawley down ~ east grinstead ~ haywards heath ~ cuckfield ~ lindfield ~ ardingly ~ balcombe ~

how i can help

  • Brown curly haired puppy sitting on a blanket

    Happy First Steps

    CHOOSING THE RIGHT PUPPY FOR YOU

    Help with choosing the right breed to fit in with your family and lifestyle, as well as finding an ethical breeder or rescue and picking the perfect puppy for you.

    first steps

  • Happy Welcome Home

    PREPARING FOR YOUR PUPPY’S ARRIVAL

    An individual session to take place before you bring your puppy home. Covering everything you need to know to feel prepared for your new puppy’s arrival.

    Welcome Home

We did a course of private puppy training classes with Jenny for our Bichon Frise puppy Betsy, and so glad we did! She gave us a really good grounding to build on, plus how to help her integrate with our cats. Her sessions were patient and calm and involved our kids too - and Betsy absolutely loved her! Highly recommend Your Pet Mentor!

Kayla & Betsy

happy first steps - £45

When you book a Happy First Steps session, I will help you choose the right puppy to fit in with your family, lifestyle and the time you can dedicate to them. The time is all yours to brainstorm, ask questions and get professional advice about how to find the best puppy for you.

Here’s what we can cover:

  • Guidance for choosing a suitable breed type that will match your lifestyle and family.

  • Help with selecting the right breed for you, based on their exercise, grooming and training needs.

  • Advice for choosing an ethical breeder or rescue organisation.

  • Questions you can ask a breeder to make sure they are setting their puppies up for success.

  • Red flags to look out for with breeders and rescues.

  • Reality check: what it’s really like to have a puppy so that you can be sure now is the right time for you.

Choosing the right breed and puppy for your lifestyle can prevent future problems.

As a Dog Behaviour Technician, I am often contacted for help when dogs start to show problem behaviours. Sometimes these are things that could have been prevented with the right advice and support in the early stages. This could be because there is a mismatch with what the puppy needs in terms of routine, exercise or home set up and what their family are able to provide. Or it could be because of the puppy’s early experiences and learning history before they even went home to their new family. Your puppy is hopefully going to be part of your family for a decade or more, so getting the right advice at the start will set you up for a long and happy life together.

happy welcome home - £45

When you book a Happy Welcome Home session, I will offer you advice and the opportunity to ask any questions you have about bringing your new puppy home and what happens next. The session is completely tailored to you, so we can cover the specific things that you need help with or are worried about.

Here’s what we can cover:

  • How to set up your home for your puppy - puppy-proofing, where they will sleep, eat, toilet and play.

  • How to introduce your puppy to your baby, children, elderly or disabled family members, cats or other animals.

  • What you need (and really don’t need!) for your puppy’s arrival, including advice on walking equipment like harnesses and leads.

  • Advice for bringing puppy home, what to take with you and how to look after them during the journey.

  • What to prioritise in your first day together once they are home.

  • How to handle the first night’s sleeping arrangements.

  • How to get off to a good start with toilet training and teaching them their name.

  • Ways to prevent future behaviour problems from developing.

Getting ready for your puppy in advance means you can enjoy your time together.

Many people don’t think of contacting a trainer until they want to book puppy classes and often this isn’t until the puppy has been in the home for a few weeks already. By this time, you will have probably both picked up some bad habits that will make training harder later on. The first few days with a new puppy can be very overwhelming for new puppy owners, so getting professional advice before your puppy even comes home means that you can feel fully prepared and you will have somewhere you can turn if things don’t seem to be going quite as planned.

how it works

  • brown and white dog walking next to a person wearing jeans in a sports hall.

    get in touch

    Contact me by email, WhatsApp, through my contact form or book a free introductory call with me. Head to Get in Touch for my contact details.

    I will let you know my availability so that we can agree a date and time for the session, then I will ask you to complete my booking form so that I can prepare for our training.

  • Brown curly haired puppy sitting on a blanket

    in the session

    The session will last for 60 minutes. Whichever session you choose, we will start by getting to know each other better so that I can make sure my advice is right for your home and family.

    The session can be either online or in person, but Welcome Home sessions are best in person so that we can include your home setup.

  • Large black, brown and white dog wearing a purple harness and sniffing coloured cones.

    resources

    During the session I will provide you with a physical copy of your new puppy booklet as a reminder of what we have discussed in the session.

    After the session I will also provide you with access to additional handouts and resources with more detailed guidance for anything we covered.

  • ongoing support

    Following the session I will provide ongoing support through email or WhatsApp so you can ask any questions that come up.

    You may find you need ongoing support with your puppy’s training once they are home, in which case you would be welcome to book either group or individual puppy classes.

take the first step

what’s included

  • One 60 minute session either at your home or online using Google Meet.

  • A puppy welcome booklet including tips for new puppy owners, local recommendations and places to record your progress.

  • Additional handouts and reliable resources.

  • One to one advice and support via WhatsApp, phone or email, whichever is easiest for you.

I’m jenny,
your pet mentor…

I’m an ABTC registered Animal Training Instructor and Animal Behaviour Technician and a full member of PACT and the APBC.

My knowledge of canine behaviour has helped me to understand what a huge impact a puppy’s early experiences can have on who they grow up to be. My goal is to help families get things right from the start, so that they don’t need me for help with problem behaviours later on.

I will help you to understand the puppy you are bringing home; their needs, motivations and how to live happily together.

qualified dog trainer

  • animal behaviour and training council registered animal training instructor logo

    registered animal training instructor with the animal behaviour and training council (abtc)

  • Registered animal behaviour technician with the animal behaviour and training council (ABTC)

    Registered animal behaviour technician with the animal behaviour and training council (ABTC)

  • Professional association of canine trainers logo

    Full member of the professional association of canine trainers (pact)

  • full member of the association of pet behaviour counsellors cic (APBC)

    full member of the association of pet behaviour counsellors cic (APBC)

  • Full member of the canine behaviour and training society (TCBTS)

    Full member of the canine behaviour and training society (TCBTS)

  • Dog first aid training logo

    certified dog first aider

faqs

  • Honestly, as soon as you’ve decided you want a puppy! once you’ve seen a puppy it is much harder to walk away, so taking the time to question whether you are able to meet a puppy’s needs and choose the right breed for you will set you both up to succeed. If you’ve already reserved your puppy it’s not too late to get early professional help as the first few days and weeks are key for preventing future behaviour problems.

  • Yes of course! It’s great to get the whole family involved, especially when it comes to choosing a breed and deciding on your routine and home setup.

  • I will travel to you for one to one training. I cover Crawley and the surrounding areas including Horley, Smallfield, Lingfield, Dormansland, Copthorne, Crawley Down, Turners Hill, West Hoathly, Sharpthorne, Balcombe, Cuckfield, Haywards Heath, Felbridge and East Grinstead. If you’re outside of these areas, please do still get in touch and I will let you know if I can cover your area. The puppy prep sessions can also be run online if you would prefer.

  • All you have to do is get in touch to let me know that you’re interested and we can take it from there. Click the link at the bottom of this page for all the details of how you can contact me. If you have questions, you can book a free no obligation introductory call with me to find out more before you commit.

get in touch to find out more

get in touch