Home Training

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Private Dog Training Sessions Tailored to Your Home

Prefer personalised guidance in your own home environment? Our in-home dog training is ideal for dog owners looking to solve specific behaviour issues or build better obedience without the distractions of a class setting. We come to you, making it convenient and effective.

Whether you’re dealing with pulling on the lead, barking at the doorbell, or your dog just doesn’t listen to commands – we tailor each session to your needs.

Who’s It For?

Our in-home training is perfect for:

New puppy parents who missed puppy school

Dogs of any age needing targeted support

Dogs experiencing behavioural challenges at home

Families who want the whole household involved in training

Owners wanting a tailored training program at their pace

"We highly recommend Basil and Command dog school for helping your dog learn boundaries and follow rules."

We have had a lot of trouble with our 11 month old Border Collie. Scout has been continually jumping up, not being able to relax when we were around and just general disobedience.

As a result, we got Basil to come for a home visit. Basil helped us by setting the home for success, creating boundaries that Scout needs to follow. This was done through a range of exercises that helped her stay on her bed until giving permission to leave, no jumping on us or others, no entering the kitchen and walking on the leash without straining.

This visit from Basil has completely changed our relationship with Scout. She is much calmer and relaxed in the house, and as a result, is much more obedient.

We highly recommend Basil and Command dog school for helping your dog learn boundaries and follow rules.

Benjamin Rigby

From basic manners to more complex behavioural concerns, we’ll guide you through it step by step – in your environment, at your dog’s pace.

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Locations We Cover

In-home sessions are available across:

  • Melbourne Metro
  • Bayside (Port Phillip)
  • Inner North
  • Blackburn and surrounding suburbs
  • Surrounding suburbs by request

Not sure if you’re in our range? Contact us and we’ll let you know.

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What You’ll Learn

Each home training session is focused on what matters to you and your dog. Common areas we cover include:

Loose lead walking

Reliable recall

Sit, stay, drop and leave it

Settling at the door or when guests arrive

Jumping up or nuisance barking

Reactivity and aggression issues

Toilet training and general household manners

Every session is practical and hands-on. We show you exactly how to train and support you as you practice.

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What to Expect

Sessions typically run for 60 minutes, and you’ll receive:

A personalised training plan

Step-by-step guidance in real time

Practical homework exercises

Follow-up notes and recommendations

Access to additional support if needed

We work with all breeds and all ages using an eclectic method of training.

Home Training Packages

Kindergarten Puppy Training

  • Basic principles of puppy training.
  • Effective Communication, Puppy handling & Socialisation,
  • Problem-solving, i.e. chewing, biting, jumping, toilet training, diet.
  • Walk on lead.
  • Revision & problem-solving.
  • Leash work
  • Basic training – Come when called & Sit, Drop (lie down)
  • Basic Stay.
  • All puppy training exercises are carried out using Positive Reinforcement

Fast Track Obedience (3 sessions)

  • Heel on lead,
  • Social Walking,
  • Sit at Heel,
  • Drop on command with hand signal,
  • Stay, Recall (come when called),
  • Sociability exercises and
  • Home Etiquette training.
  • Behavioural problems such as the dog jumping on people, digging holes, pulling clothes off the washing line will also be dealt with throughout the program.
  • Furthermore if your dog is timid, nervous or anxious, you will be advised and taught how to deal with these problems.

Single Visits - Behavioural Sessions

Our Home Training Service operates within a 5 kilometre radius of our Blackburn office or Abbotsford Venue (Note: Abbotsford Venue is strictly 5 kilometre radius only). Suburbs outside of this area will be attract a Travel Charge as follows:

Venue Blackurn Office OR Abbotsford
0-5 Kilometers from Blackburn Office No Charge
5-10 Kilometers $85
10-15 Kilometers $100
Testimonials

Hear from some of our students and their experiences!

We have many more testimonials spanning 20 years at our office if you wish to visit and review.

Excellent
Command Dog Training School
Based on 96 reviews
Caryl B.
Learning to control my energetic and strong minded Staffy wasn’t easy, but I saw definite improvement in Frankie’s behaviour over the 6 lessons. Basil helped to find just the right collar/halti that would help him become more responsive
Loky M.
SEAN IS ABSOLUTELY INCREDIBLE!!! I had a nervous and timid mini dachshund at the start of the program. But over the course Cleo came out of her shell and was happy to say hi to other dogs and there was a night and day difference to how she walks on leash now. Even when Cleo didn’t want to walk, Sean gave me the tools and tips to help get her walking again
Dale M.
Fabulous obedience classes. Thank you Sean for you patience and guidance over the six classes. I am now looking at enrolling Darcy in the intermediate classes.
Terri T.
We have attended Command Dog Training school for two courses and would highly recommend the programme.Vivienne, a poodle cross commenced the course as an extremely nervous, distracted dog, her confidence and obedience has improved considerably.We can recommend Basil for his caring and patient attitude.
Gabrielle C.
Tucker (2yo Australian Shepherd) has been attending Command classes from Puppy School, to Basic, through to Intermediate and a side order of Agility. He loves it. The trainers are super and it has been brilliant for him to learn but also exercise his brain. He always knows when we are pulling up to Gasworks Park for training and can't wait to see his buddies and Basil. Likewise with Agility where he can catch up with buddies and test himself on the course. Highly recommend 👌🏽
Greg M.
My Springer and I have been attending training with the Command team for 18 Months, having been through obedience basic and intermediate levels we recently tried and can also recommend the formal agility classes. Weve worked with a number of the trainers and had nothing but good vibes and a great outcomes from their professional and personalised approach. The Command team are awesome... highly recommend their traning sessions!
Mary Z.
I just wanted to say thank you SO MUCH for all the
wonderful training and tips you have given me and my dog
Nitro
• You Basil and your trainer's all deserve so much
praise for the love and compassion you have for all of the
dogs who come through your classes. Thanks again to
Command Dog Training School for such a positive and
rewarding experience. I will highly recommend this school
to anyone who is Seeking to raise a happy and well
behaved fur baby
Benjamin R.
We have had a lot of trouble with our 11 month old Border Collie. Scout has been continually jumping up, not being able to relax when we were around and just general disobedience.

As a result, we got Basil to come for a home visit. Basil helped us by setting the home for success, creating boundaries that Scout needs to follow. This was done through a range of exercises that helped her stay on her bed until giving permission to leave, no jumping on us or others, no entering the kitchen and walking on the leash without straining.

This visit from Basil has completely changed our relationship with Scout. She is much calmer and relaxed in the house, and as a result, is much more obedient.

We highly recommend Basil and Command dog school for helping your dog learn boundaries and follow rules.
Alex S.
In 2017, I did the basic trainging and Intermediate course with my two adult Rottweilers through Command Dog Training School. I found their instructors easy to talk to with great advice for all situations/circumstances. So when I adopted a new dog this year I knew it would be a good idea to book in for basic training with them again. And they have proven to be excellent again. Highly recommend.
Michelle C.
We have taken our Aussiedoodle (Bubble) to Command classes in basic obedience and intermediate levels for about 9 months. It has been a wonderful way to socialise Bubble with heaps of lovely and diverse dogs. The sessions have taught her (and us!) some great skills and behaviours which have been reinforced and retained with practice and consistency over the weeks. Thanks to Basil for his inclusive and effective sessions - we have met some lovely new friends (furry and human) and all look forward to our time at school, followed by a lovely walk and coffee in Albert Park 🙂 The sessions are quite full every week lately (popular!) and I reckon Basil could do with a hand from another trainer now and again ...
FAQ

Have Questions? We Have Answers!

A Plea To All Puppy Owners – benefits of starting puppy training as early as possible. By Basil Theofanides

I am compelled to write this and convey my despair, frustration and anger at the continuous misadvise that many puppy owners receive from so-called professionals in the pet industry. This includes some vets and many breeders who for some reason think that puppies should be isolated until their final vaccinations and never be allowed to venture out from their owner’s home until then. I’ll site a recent case-in point. A puppy owner booked her 8 week pup to start one of our Kindergarten Puppy Training programs. I outlined the benefits of starting as early as possible due to the critical periods of development (between 8 – 16 weeks of age ) to which she replied that although she was “very keen to start ASAP” the vet told her not to until after its final vaccination (anywhere between 12 – 16 weeks). I advised her that even though her pup was not fully immunised she needed to consider the detrimental impact isolation would have on it I.e. more than likely develop aggression, nervousness, fear, lack of ability to adapt to unfamiliar environments and so forth.

Do we isolate our children from society until they’ve had all their vaccinations and then send them out into the big wide world? I think not. Which is why we should acknowledge the absurdity of isolating pups. Anyway, the puppy owner seemed satisfied with my advice and confirmed her attendance. However, the next day she rang an hour before class commenced. Again voicing concern about the vaccination issue and that now her breeder advised strongly against taking pup to class. I reiterated my advice and also stated that more dogs die each year from euthanasia due to aggression than die from catching parvovirus. To my despair, unfortunately she decided to pull out of the puppy course. I see this situation repeating itself year in year out due to the many vets, breeders et al. who do not consider the importance of the mental development of puppies and strike fear into the hearts of puppy owners with their collective chorus of “do not take the puppy out until after all its vaccinations”! As far as I’m concerned they are partly culpable for the rise in dog attacks within our community, all of which, could have been avoided by using some basic common sense.

Hence, if you know anyone with a baby puppy urge them to enrol in puppy school by 10 weeks of age for the pup’s and community’s sake.

Basil Theofanides has been a professional dog trainer for 25 years and has worked with guide dog & police dog trainers.

This is a common problem in dogs, that in most cases can be simply fixed. Incessant barking can be a product of:

A dog that is bored.
An untrained dog.
An unexercised dog.
A dog suffering separation anxiety.
If your dog fits any or all of the first 3 categories, then the problem can usually be addressed in a fairly straightforward manner. If however, your dog is suffering separation anxiety, a more detailed approach needs to be undertaken to solve the problem.

A dog is usually bored if it is left in the back yard all the time with minimal contact of family members. Furthermore, boredom can be exacerbated by not walking the dog daily to stimulate it outside its home environment.

To aid in solving the problem, dog owners should ensure the dog is given daily walks and exercise. Bringing the dog inside the house to spend quality time with the family and training it in obedience, will aid considerably, to stop the barking behaviour.

For further details contact our Home Training Service on 03 9877 6522 during business hours.

When a dog jumps up on its owner, it is usually a greeting that has been allowed to develop over the years, unwittingly by the owner.

For example, if the dog has been allowed in the past to jump up for a pat or greeting, then this has imprinted as a normal behaviour pattern in the dog’s mind. Furthermore, if some members of the household encourage the behaviour yet others do not, it will confuse the dog to no end. If the dog does not effectively respond to commands by the owner, obedience training must also be considered to help solve the problem.

To aid in solving the jumping dog problem, never praise or give reward to the dog if it jumps. When you arrive home, ignore it. Do not immediately go out to greet it when it is hyped up. If it does jump, turn away and go inside. By doing so, the dog will learn that its companionship with you ceases, as a consequence of its actions. However, if the problem continues, seek the help of our qualified trainers through our Home Training Service.

Telephone our office on 03 9877 6522 during business hours.

Once again, this is a sign of a bored dog. As mentioned with the incessant barking problem, you need to ensure the dog is walked and exercised daily, obedience trained and allowed to spend time in the house with the owners. However, some dogs, such as Alaskan Malamutes, Siberian Huskies or Golden Retrievers, may dig a hole for themselves to lie in. This is a natural trait in some dogs, as it helps them to keep cool during the warm weather.

A little trick you might try in solving this problem, is to bury your dog’s faeces in the hole it digs. This, in most cases, will create an unpleasant association with the hole digging and hopefully cure the problem. Moreover, if the dog has a tendency to bury bones, ensure you remove the bone from the environment once the dog has stopped chewing it.

There are many ways to solve problem behaviour. However, because dog’s are diverse in character just as people, it is important to always consider your dog’s temperament before embarking on a course of remedial training. Command Dog Training School’s Instructors are able to assess this and advise you on the best methods to suit your pet.

If a problem seems insurmountable, ring Command Dog Training School and find out how our many services can help solve your problems.

Telephone our office on 03 9877 6522 for further information.

No Refunds under any circumstances. We will not refund any portion of fees under any circumstances including if you have a change‐of‐mind and/or return your dog to a shelter, breeder. However, we will provide you credit for any unused portion towards another course. We will not transfer any unused portion to private or home training sessions. If we must suspend classes, your course will resume at the same session (week) it was suspended on.

Bookings will not be held unless payment made prior to course commencement.

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2025 End Of Year Special
20% Off All Basic Obedience & Kindergarten Puppy Courses
Plus Get 1 Free Doggy Daycare Session at Hoochy Poochy Abbotsford On Us!
Offer ends 31/12/25. Book now!