Stay & Train for Puppies
Keeping Your Puppy On-Track While You Travel
Wishing the dog trainer could just move in? She can!
Stay & Train combines live-in puppy sitting with professional training for peace of mind while you’re away, and lasting relief when you return.
Let Koinonia jumpstart your puppy’s journey from land shark to little charmer so you can send frustration packing and turn puppyhood into a success.
Your puppy’s first few months home are critical, and you want to get it right.
But it’s been harder and more frustrating than you anticipated. You want to succeed, but surviving is all you seem to manage most days.
And now you have to travel!
Who better to stay with your pup while you’re gone, and help tame the chaos during this crucial time than a Certified Professional Dog Trainer!
“Leaving our new puppy alone for the first time felt scary until we knew she would be with Leighann.
We felt like all of our animals would truly be cared for with her and loved receiving the fun pictures and updates she sent.”
- Hannah with Puppy Mipsy
From Discouraged to Delighted
“Sit” is the easy part.
It’s everything else – the biting, potty training, chewing, and puppy energy – that makes raising a puppy hard.
Stay & Train covers it all.
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With multiple formal training sessions every day, your puppy spends his time and energy learning manners instead of getting into trouble.
Skills may include: Eye Contact/Attention, Sit, Down, Recall, Touch, and Relaxation.
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The “everything else” your pup needs to succeed.
Casual training throughout the day educates your puppy on the essentials that make life easier.
Topics often include: no-jumping, crate training, potty training, appropriate chewing, grooming, car rides, leash and harness training, etc.
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The pro jumpstarts the confidence and good manners your puppy needs for life outside your home.
During Field Trips, your puppy practices listening around distractions and walking on a leash while being carefully exposed to a variety of new sights, sounds, and smells.
Field Trip locations vary based on your puppy’s needs; puppies do not visit pet stores or dog parks.
Stay & Train immerses your puppy in a training lifestyle that goes beyond Basic Obedience to give you real relief for real life.
Is your puppy older than 5 months? Check out Koinonia’s Stay & Train for older dogs.

Puppy Training in Four Phases
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Start with an Initial Consultation to set goals and begin getting relief with simple training wins.
90 minutes, virtualFollow up with a Meet & Greet for the trainer to meet your puppy and ensure it’s a good fit for everyone.
20-30 minutes, in your home$245*
*Locations more than 15 miles from Koinonia will incur a travel fee
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Your puppy’s daily routine includes plenty of training, play, napping and appropriate chewing — orchestrated by a professional — so your house and his behavior stays intact.
The adventure continues outside the house with Socialization Field Trip(s) customized to your puppy’s needs.
If you feel overwhelmed by everything your puppy needs to learn, let the professional take over for a few days!
$2,825* per 5 nights
Traveling more than 5 nights? Request a custom quote!
*Locations more than 15 miles from Koinonia will incur a travel fee
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Meet with Leighann for multiple Coaching sessions to ensure your puppy’s new skills become habits for life.
Four Coaching sessions
Meet weekly to bi-weekly following your return; in your home
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You want results that last! Stay & Train includes extended support to help you make it happen.
Unlimited Text and Email Support
Can’t quite remember what to do in a particular situation? Worried your puppy might be regressing? You’ve got a trainer in your pocket!
Text or email Leighann at any point for answers and support.Two Follow-Up Sessions
Schedule these whenever you need them — up to a year following your return!
Roughly 30 minutes each, virtual
Stay & Train Details
Perks
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Stay & Train should be low-stress experience for YOU too.
With daily updates from the trainer, you’re never in the dark about how your puppy is doing.
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More than just the puppy?
In most cases, Leighann can also care for your other pets, plants, deliveries, etc.
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Watch your puppy’s training with regular video updates documenting his progress.
“How many hours does the dog trainer spend at my house every day?”
Leighann moves into your home full-time for Puppy Stay & Train, and will be onsite for 20+ hours each day.
Prerequisites
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Puppy Stay & Train is available in:
North Austin
North-Central Austin
West Austin
Cedar Park
Round Rock
Parts of Pflugerville
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Leighann will spend a minimum of 20 hours per day in your home, but puppies must be comfortable resting alone for 2-4 hours at a time.
Absences are arranged with potty training and puppy activity needs in mind. You may arrange for relief sitters to cover the absences if your puppy isn’t ready to be alone. -
Stay & Train is not available on the following holidays:
Thanksgiving Day
Christmas Eve through New Year’s Day
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Additional dogs in the home must not display reactive or aggressive behaviors towards strangers.
Leighann can stay with shy dogs who hide from strangers on a case-by-case basis.
Relief Without the Risk
At Koinonia, you don’t have to choose between your puppy’s safety and letting a pro take the leash.
Your puppy’s physical, emotional and behavioral well-being are top priority during Stay & Train, so you can get all the benefits of traditional Board and Train and none of the horror stories.
Here’s what you won’t find at Stay & Train:
A crowded kennel environment
Long periods of isolation
Punishment-based methods and tools
Pressure to acquire skills at the expense of emotional well-being
Rigid adherence to a one-size-fits-all curriculum
Lack of trainer communication
Instead, your puppy’s days are filled with the attention, activity, security, and guidance he needs to flourish. And you’re kept in the loop each and every day.
Ready to book your ticket to relief?
Stay & Train FAQs
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Not at all!
Stay & Train is an ideal option for young puppies who are in a critical developmental and learning all the time.
Because she’s living with your puppy, Leighann can provide comprehensive consistency and ensure he’s learning good habits — not bad ones.
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Most puppies a visit to a pet-friendly store like Academy Sports + Outdoors.
These trips allow your puppy to experience the world outside your home while practicing important life skills such as:
wearing a harness
riding in the car
walking on a leash
listening around distractions
Leighann loves puppy Field Trips!
Puppies do NOT visit pet-stores.
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Book your Initial Consultation and Meet & Greet for $245.
If you decide to proceed with the Stay & Train program, that fee is split into two payments:
50% of the total is due to book the dates of your trip
The remaining 50% is due 48 hours prior to your departure
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Not necessarily!
Because your puppy gets so much activity during Stay & Train, she is more likely to rest during confinement and alone time — which is what we want!
Leighann can work on normal confinement fussiness during Stay & Train, but she does not specialize in treating true panic.
Meet the Puppy Sitter-Trainer
Leighann Hurley founded Koinonia Dogs in 2014 and has been a Certified Professional Dog Trainer in the Austin, TX area since 2019.
She's a problem-solver by nature and loves creating cooperation through conflict-free communication so both ends of the leash enjoy an easier life together.