Puppy Bridge Program
The gap between leash walks and off-leash freedom
Most puppies aren't ready for off-leash group hikes at 6 months — but they're too energetic and curious to thrive on basic neighbourhood walks. The Puppy Bridge Program is designed to fill that gap and prepare your puppy to join our off-leash Sniffari Adventures.
I'm not a certified dog trainer — this program is focused on preparing your puppy for off-leash Sniffaris, not standalone training.
How it works
Your puppy starts with 1-on-1 leashed hikes with me, building recall skills, trail confidence, and focus on the same secluded forest trails our adult dogs explore. As they progress, I'll introduce a calm, experienced adult dog as a hiking companion — but your puppy stays on-leash even as the other dog explores off-leash.
That in-between phase is where your puppy learns to stay focused around another dog, practice recall in a real-world setting, and build the social confidence they'll need for group adventures. The program continues until they're fully ready for off-leash Sniffaris.
What to expect
You'll get a detailed post-adventure report after every hike — photos, a map of the route, and notes on how your puppy is progressing. Recall practice on a real trail beats backyard repetitions, and you'll see the difference in their confidence week over week.
Most puppies graduate within a few months, but every puppy is different. The pace is set by your dog, not a calendar.
