NJ's Trusted Puppy Whisper Since 1993
Puppy Head Start™
The Most Important Weeks of Your Puppy’s Life Start at Home
Your puppy doesn’t arrive knowing the rules.
They don’t understand where to go to the bathroom, why shoes aren’t toys, why jumping isn’t always appreciated, or why the entire family keeps making different sounds at them.
They’re not being stubborn.
They’re brand new.
Puppy Head Start™ is my private, at-home puppy training program designed to help your puppy—and your entire family—begin communicating clearly from the very beginning.
I’m John Wasilishen, New Jersey’s trusted Puppy Whisperer and Master Trainer.
Since 1993, I’ve helped thousands of families raise confident, well-mannered dogs by teaching the lessons that matter most before unwanted habits have a chance to take over.
Your Puppy Is Learning Every Minute
Puppy training doesn’t begin when your puppy is six months old.
It begins the moment they enter your home.
Every interaction teaches them something.
When they jump.
When they bite.
When they cry in the crate.
When they follow you from room to room.
When they ignore you.
When they make a mistake on the carpet five minutes after being outside.
Your puppy is constantly learning—even when nobody believes a training lesson is happening.
Puppy Head Start™ helps make sure those early lessons are building the dog you want to live with.
More Than Puppy Obedience
This program is not about creating a tiny robot.
It’s about creating understanding.
Your puppy needs structure, boundaries, affection, confidence, patience, and clear communication.
Your family needs to understand how puppies think, why certain behaviors happen, and what to do before small puppy problems become adult-dog habits.
I teach both sides of the leash.
Because when the family understands the puppy, the puppy has a much better chance of understanding the family.
What We Can Work On
Every Puppy Head Start™ program is personalized around your puppy, your home, and your family.
Lessons may include:
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Housebreaking and creating a reliable bathroom routine
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Crate training and reducing unnecessary crying
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Puppy biting, mouthing, and chewing
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Jumping on people
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Proper play and safe interaction
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Building attention and engagement
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Introducing sit, down, place, come, and stay
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Beginning leash communication
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Calm greetings
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Handling food, toys, paws, ears, and grooming
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Building confidence around new sounds and environments
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Preventing separation-related habits
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Establishing household boundaries
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Teaching children how to interact safely with the puppy
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Creating consistency between family members
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Preventing unwanted behaviors before they become established
We focus on what your family actually needs.
Not a generic classroom checklist.
Why At-Home Puppy Training Works
Your puppy’s real education happens inside your home.
That is where they sleep.
Eat.
Play.
Chew.
Jump.
Have accidents.
Meet visitors.
Interact with your children.
And learn how your family lives.
Training inside your home allows me to see the real environment, identify what is contributing to the behavior, and create a plan that works with your daily routine.
Your puppy learns where life actually happens.
Your family learns together.
And nobody has to load an excited puppy into the car just to practice behaving at home.
The Family Is Part of the Program
Dogs don’t view families the way humans do.
Your puppy doesn’t see “Mom,” “Dad,” “the kids,” and “the person who keeps dropping food from the highchair.”
Your puppy sees pack members.
Every person in the home is communicating something through their voice, movement, timing, energy, and consistency.
Sometimes those messages match.
Sometimes they don’t.
I teach your family how to create one clear, fair, and understandable language.
That is when confusion begins to disappear.
That is when communication begins.
Choose Your Puppy Head Start™
Best Start
2 Private At-Home Sessions
Ideal age: 8 to 12 weeks
The Best Start program gives new puppy families the essential foundation needed during the first few weeks at home.
We focus on immediate priorities such as housebreaking, crate training, biting, chewing, household structure, early communication, and creating a daily routine.
Investment: $375
Designed for Success
4 Private At-Home Sessions
Ideal age: 8 to 16 weeks
Designed for Success gives your puppy more time to develop early manners, confidence, attention, and reliable communication.
Along with puppy foundations, we begin building practical obedience and addressing behaviors as your puppy grows, explores, and becomes more independent.
Investment: $795
Ultimate Puppy Head Start
6 Private At-Home Sessions
Ideal age: 8 to 20 weeks
The Ultimate Puppy Head Start is my most complete early-development program.
It is especially valuable for advanced, highly intelligent, energetic, powerful, and working breeds—or for families who want the strongest possible foundation.
We move beyond basic puppy management and begin developing greater focus, self-control, household manners, leash communication, confidence, and real-life obedience.
Investment: $1,200
Ideal for Advanced and Working Breeds
Some puppies are naturally more intense.
They may be highly intelligent, physically powerful, extremely driven, unusually independent, or constantly searching for something to do.
German Shepherds.
Belgian Malinois.
Dobermans.
Rottweilers.
Cane Corsos.
Boxers.
Huskies.
Australian Shepherds.
Cattle Dogs.
Terriers.
Retrievers.
And many mixed breeds with strong working instincts.
These puppies aren’t bad.
They often need more direction.
The earlier that energy receives a purpose, the easier it becomes to develop focus, confidence, and self-control without taking away the personality that makes the puppy special.
What Makes My Approach Different
I’ve been opening the lines of canine communication since 1993.
I don’t send a different trainer to your home.
I don’t follow a corporate script.
And I don’t force every puppy into the same training system.
I personally work with your family and adjust each lesson based on your puppy’s age, breed, temperament, development, and home environment.
Some puppies need confidence.
Some need boundaries.
Some need help settling.
Some need a job before they invent one.
Experience teaches you how to recognize the difference.
Lifetime Consultation Is Included
Your puppy will continue growing long after our scheduled lessons are complete.
New behaviors may appear.
New questions may come up.
Adolescence will eventually arrive—and adolescence has a way of humbling even the most confident puppy parent.
That’s why every Puppy Head Start™ program includes lifetime consultation.
I remain available to help guide your family as your puppy develops.
Because my relationship with a family doesn’t end when the final lesson is over.
The Bond Between Puppies and People
The bond between a canine and a human is something beautiful.
Dogs can teach us patience.
Consistency.
Forgiveness.
Living in the moment.
And sometimes the importance of putting our shoes somewhere higher.
People often call dogs pets.
Sure, I guess.
I see them as family.
But our dogs can only understand us through the language they know.
I’ll teach your family that language.
Puppy Head Start™ FAQs
When should puppy training begin?
Training begins the moment your puppy enters your home. Puppies are already learning from every interaction, response, routine, and boundary. Starting early allows us to shape good habits before unwanted behaviors become established.
Is eight weeks too young for training?
No. Eight weeks is an excellent age to begin age-appropriate training. Lessons are kept positive, clear, realistic, and appropriate for your puppy’s stage of development.
Should my puppy finish all vaccinations before beginning?
Because the lessons take place privately inside your home and around your property, many families can begin before their puppy is ready for public group environments. You should always follow your veterinarian’s guidance regarding vaccinations and exposure.
Can my children participate?
Absolutely. I encourage the family to participate whenever appropriate. Children should learn how to communicate with the puppy safely, calmly, and consistently.
Can you help with puppy biting?
Yes. Puppy biting is normal, but that doesn’t mean it should be ignored. I’ll show your family how to manage biting, redirect it appropriately, and avoid responses that accidentally make it more exciting.
Can you help with housebreaking?
Yes. We’ll look at feeding, water, supervision, crate use, timing, outdoor routines, freedom inside the home, and how your family responds to accidents.
Will my puppy learn obedience commands?
Yes. Depending on the program and your puppy’s development, we can begin building sit, down, place, come, stay, leash communication, attention, boundaries, and calm behavior.
What happens if my puppy behaves differently when you leave?
That is exactly why I teach the family—not just the puppy. My goal is to give you a communication system you can continue using between lessons and throughout your puppy’s life.
Is this good for first-time puppy owners?
Yes. Puppy Head Start™ is especially helpful for first-time owners because it replaces online confusion, conflicting advice, and guesswork with a personalized plan.
Is the six-session program only for working breeds?
No. It is excellent for advanced and working breeds, but it is also ideal for any family wanting the most complete puppy-training foundation.
Give Your Puppy the Best Possible Beginning
You don’t have to wait for problems to become serious.
You don’t have to hope your puppy simply grows out of them.
And you don’t have to figure everything out through videos, internet forums, and advice from the person at the dog park whose dog is currently dragging them across the field.
Start with communication.
Start with structure.
Start at home.
Give your puppy a real head start.
Puppy Head Start™
Private At-Home Puppy Training Since 1993
John Wasilishen
Owner • Master Trainer • NJ Puppy Whisperer
Kindergarten for Puppies. A Master’s Class for Families.™
Opening the Lines of Canine Communication Since 1993
AT-HOME PUPPY CLASSES NEAR ME
MONMOUTH
COUNTY
OCEAN
COUNTY
MERCER
COUNTY
BURLINGTON
COUNTY
UNION
COUNTY
MIDDLESEX
COUNTY
"After spending just one hour with John, our 4 month old English Bulldog, George, has shown great improvement in his behavior."
~ John & Jessica