1 MONTH · $325
4 sessions
The starting program and the required minimum. Four one-hour weekly sessions — enough to build a real foundation and change the behavior driving you up the wall.
Complete within 1.5 months · about $81 / session
One-on-one · in your home · by appointment
Just you, your dog, and Christen — in the rooms where the problems actually happen. One-hour sessions, once a week, positive reinforcement only. Programs of 4, 6 or 8.
AKC
Evaluator
Private in-home lessons are one-on-one dog training sessions taught in your own home by Christen Cupler, an AKC-Approved Evaluator since 2010. Each session runs one hour, once a week, and includes a review, a demo of the new behavior, hands-on practice by you, and weekly take-home sheets. Training is positive reinforcement only — no e-collars, no board-and-train. Lessons are sold as programs of 4 ($325), 6 ($450) or 8 ($575) sessions, by appointment, within about 10 miles of Canonsburg. They are ideal for puppies and for specific issues that are hard to work on in a group.
On this page
Private lessons
Great for puppies too young for a group, and for the specific issues that are hard to recreate — and harder to fix — in a room full of other dogs.
Private in-home lessons are the core of what Smarty Paws does. Instead of fitting your dog into a fixed class curriculum, the program is built around your dog, your household and the exact behaviors you want to change — worked on in the place they actually happen. That is a real advantage for a young puppy who is not ready for the chaos of a group, and for the problems that only show up at your front door, on your street, or with your family.
Every program includes weekly take-home sheets so you always know what to practice between sessions, and the whole approach is positive reinforcement — mostly lure and reward, with a mix of canine enrichment and game-based training. No electronic or remote collars, no prong collars, no board-and-train. From the first session, you handle your own dog, coached, because that is what makes the training stick after the lesson ends.
What to expect
Each weekly session is scheduled for an hour and follows the same reliable shape, so every visit moves your dog forward.
PART 01
The session opens by revisiting last week's work — checking what stuck, cleaning up what got sloppy, and making sure the foundation is solid before anything new goes on top of it.
PART 02
Christen introduces and demonstrates the next skill with your dog, so you can see exactly what good timing and clean mechanics look like before you try it yourself.
PART 03
Then she hands you the leash and coaches while you do it. This is the part that matters most — the dog learns from the person he lives with, not just the trainer who visits.
PART 04
You finish with questions answered and a written take-home sheet for the week: a few specific things to practice, so progress keeps happening between visits, not just during them.
Programs & pricing
A minimum of 4 sessions is required for the best results, so the smallest program is four. Each program has a window to finish it in, listed on the card.
1 MONTH · $325
The starting program and the required minimum. Four one-hour weekly sessions — enough to build a real foundation and change the behavior driving you up the wall.
Complete within 1.5 months · about $81 / session
1 MONTH PLUS · $450
The most popular middle ground. Two extra weeks to proof the basics in harder situations, or to get further into a puppy's foundation or a specific problem behavior.
Complete within 2 months · $75 / session
2 MONTH · $575
The best value per hour and the most complete. Room to build solid manners and take them all the way through to a Canine Good Citizen title if that is the goal.
Complete within 2.5 months · about $72 / session
Every program includes weekly take-home sheets, and all sessions are one hour, scheduled once a week as the calendar allows. AKC testing (S.T.A.R. Puppy, CGC and the rest) is booked separately and is inexpensive — see other services below.
Pricing shown is the current program pricing as listed by Smarty Paws K9 University. Per-session figures are rounded for comparison. Confirm current pricing when you book.
Your trainer
Smarty Paws K9 University is one person. Christen Cupler is the sole owner, operator and trainer. The person you book with is the person at your door every week — no rotating staff, no handoff to an assistant.
Her career formally began in 2009, and in 2010 she earned her evaluator license through the American Kennel Club. Since then she has worked with more than 1,000 dogs of every age and size. Positive reinforcement — lure and reward, with a sprinkle of canine enrichment and game-based training — is the heart of how she works.
She has spent years living with English Mastiffs, a Tibetan Mastiff and a Husky mix, so she knows what real size and real stubbornness feel like on the end of a leash. Today she shares her life with Linc, a titled Goldendoodle she is still competing with, and Armani, a Standard Poodle.
American Kennel Club — approved evaluator since 2010
Do More With Your Dog — Triple Crown Instructor
“Your relationship with your pup is a lifelong bond. My goal is to strengthen that bond by teaching you proper technique and ways to curb behaviors — creating a limitless bond and mutual respect.” — Christen Cupler, Smarty Paws K9 University
Booking & policies
None of this is meant to be rigid for its own sake — the policies exist because private, weekly, in-home training only works when it is consistent. Here is exactly how booking works before you call.
Spots for in-home lessons are limited, so the sooner you reach out, the sooner Christen can fit your dog into the weekly schedule.
Also offered
Prefer to train remotely, or just need a title tested? These are booked separately from the private program.
Online & group options. Zoom private lessons run $30 and are handy for coaching, follow-ups or long-distance help; Zoom group classes are $75–$100; and a one-off online workshop is $15.
AKC testing. Evaluations are inexpensive and booked on their own: AKC S.T.A.R. Puppy and the AKC CGC test are $10 each, and the CGCA & CGCU tests are $10 each or $20 for both.
Photos. Christen also offers pet photography ($35 and up) and photo edits ($15 and up) — a nice way to mark how far your dog has come.
You can also shop for classes online anytime.
Frequently asked
The things people most want to know before they book. Anything else, just call or text 412-568-3139.
Lessons are sold as programs: the 1 Month Program is $325 for 4 sessions, the 1 Month Plus Program is $450 for 6 sessions, and the 2 Month Program is $575 for 8 sessions. A minimum of 4 sessions is required for the best results.
That works out to about $72 to $81 per one-hour session, with the per-session cost dropping the larger the program.
Each session is scheduled for one hour and runs once a week, as the schedule allows. A session includes a review of the last lesson, a demo of the new behavior, hands-on practice by you, and a homework segment.
You get take-home sheets every week so you know exactly what to practice.
Yes. A minimum of 4 sessions is required for optimum results, which is why the smallest program is the 4-session package. Most behaviors need repetition across several weeks to become reliable, so a single session is not offered.
Each program has a completion window: the 4-session program must be finished within 1.5 months of sign-up, the 6-session program within 2 months, and the 8-session program within 2.5 months, unless something else is agreed at enrollment.
The windows keep the training consistent enough to actually stick.
A 24-hour cancellation notice is required. Repeated cancellations will result in forfeiting the training program, because the results depend on steady weekly practice.
Life happens — just give as much notice as you can.
No. Private lessons are by appointment only and not for aggression cases. If your dog has a bite history or serious human-directed aggression, Christen will tell you plainly that you need a veterinary behaviorist first and help you find one, at no charge.
Leash reactivity, fear and anxiety are different and are workable with positive methods.
In-home private lessons are available within about 10 miles of Canonsburg — which covers Canonsburg, Washington, McMurray, Houston, Muse, Cecil and Eighty Four. Beyond roughly 10 miles an additional travel fee applies, and slots are limited, so it is worth calling to check availability.
Yes. Private sessions are ideal for puppies too young for group settings, and for specific issues that are hard to address or reproduce in a group. You get a program built around your dog and your home rather than a fixed class curriculum.
Positive reinforcement only — mostly lure and reward, with a mix of canine enrichment and game-based training. No electronic or remote collars, no prong collars, no board-and-train.
You handle your own dog from the first session, coached, so the results belong to you.
Yes. Christen is an AKC-Approved Evaluator and can prepare and test for AKC S.T.A.R. Puppy, all four Canine Good Citizen levels, Trick Dog, Virtual Home Manners and the Temperament Test.
Testing is booked separately and is inexpensive — most AKC evaluations are around $10.
Private in-home lessons · By appointment
412-568-3139Call or text and tell Christen about your dog. You will get a straight answer about which program fits, how long it should take, and whether private in-home training is the right call for what you are dealing with.