From new puppy
to AKC certified.
Our 6-week AKC S.T.A.R. Puppy Class builds the socialization, obedience, and confidence your puppy needs to grow into the dog you have always wanted.
Puppyhood is harder than you thought.
Sharp teeth and lost shoes
The biting is wearing you out. Your hands are scratched up, your slippers are gone, and you are starting to wonder if you signed up for something you cannot handle.
Your puppy is in charge
They pull on the leash. They ignore you when called. They jump on every guest. You love them, but you are losing the structure of your house one chewed-up couch leg at a time.
You only get one puppyhood
The first six months shape who your dog becomes. Miss the window for socialization and obedience now, and you spend the next decade trying to undo it.
A puppy you are proud to show off.
The biting and jumping stops
Your puppy learns appropriate ways to interact. The mouthing fades, the calm returns, and your hands finally get a break.
A puppy that listens
Sit, down, come, settle, loose-leash walking. Your puppy learns the basics and you learn how to teach them properly.
AKC S.T.A.R. certified
Pass the AKC S.T.A.R. evaluation at graduation and earn an official certification recognized by the American Kennel Club. A real credential, not a participation ribbon.
A foundation that prevents future problems
Real-world neutrality, confidence in new places, and household manners that hold up. We build the skills now so you are not undoing them later.
Not just puppy socialization. A real foundation.
Most puppy classes are just playtime with a few cues thrown in. We build something that lasts. Confidence, neutrality around other dogs, real-world obedience, household manners, and the relationship that prevents future reactivity. Plus your puppy earns an official AKC S.T.A.R. Puppy certificate at graduation, administered by an AKC Certified Evaluator.
One cohort. Spots are limited.
Classes meet once a week for 6 weeks. Only a small number of puppies per class so every dog gets individual attention.
Your puppy's training timeline.
A structured curriculum that builds on itself week by week. You leave each class with new skills and the homework to practice them.
Building Engagement
Marker words, food rewards, name recognition, focus around distractions, and proper socialization.
Homework: 5 minutes, 3 times daily
Sit, Down, and Place
Luring, reinforcement timing, and puppy management.
Homework: Place work and duration building
Leash Foundations
Preventing pulling, proper leash handling, and confidence building.
Fun exercise: Puppy obstacle course
Household Manners
Crate training, potty training, puppy biting, and jumping.
Real World Puppy Skills
Public manners, greeting people, and calmness around dogs.
Class moves to walking trails or busier park areas
AKC S.T.A.R. Evaluation & Graduation
Your puppy takes the official AKC S.T.A.R. Puppy evaluation administered by Maddie, an AKC Certified Evaluator.
Graduation day: certificate, bandana, photo opportunity, social media spotlight
Everything you need to know.
Investment
$349
Financing available
Duration
6 weeks
Weekly classes
Ages
8 wks - 6 mo
Puppies only
Location
Greer City Park
Real-world environment
Everything your puppy needs to start strong.
No surprise add-ons. Show up, do the work, and walk away with a certified puppy and the resources to keep going.
- 6 weeks of expert instruction with an AKC Certified Evaluator
- AKC S.T.A.R. Puppy evaluation and official certification
- Printed puppy handbook and training guide
- Weekly homework plans to practice at home
- Real-world socialization at Greer City Park
- Graduation day bandana, photo, and social media spotlight
To keep every puppy and family safe.
A few simple guidelines so the class works for every puppy in it.
- Puppy between 8 weeks and 6 months old
- First round of vaccinations plus Bordetella required
- No active aggression or bite history
- Owner attends every class with their puppy
- Commitment to daily homework practice
Your next step is built in.
Every AKC S.T.A.R. Puppy graduate gets a clear path forward into the rest of Southern Hounds. The foundation you build here unlocks the rest.
A graduation gift toward the next phase of your dog's training.
Skip the waitlist. Graduates get first pick of the next cohort.
Boarding is reserved for Southern Hounds clients. You are in.
Your Southern Hounds journey.
A clear path from puppyhood to a dog that listens for life.
Real training. Real results.
Maddie Powers is the owner and head trainer of Southern Hounds LLC and an AKC Certified Evaluator. She has spent 7 years helping puppy parents across Upstate South Carolina raise the kind of dogs they hoped for when they brought them home.
Because Maddie is AKC certified, she administers the S.T.A.R. Puppy evaluation directly. Your puppy gets the foundation and the official credential, in one program.
$349
First class starts June 29. Spots are limited.
Sign up todayFinancing available through Affirm, Klarna, and Afterpay.