Training Costs, Franchise Fees, and Earning Potential
What are the costs involved in Puppy School?
The Puppy School Tutor Training Course (and Franchise Fee) is £1,850
An installment plan and 2 scholarship places per course are available - please ask for details at any time in the joining process.
There are no further up-front Franchise costs (as in you don't pay anything further to join the franchise - only the cost of the training).
New from 2025: 25% discount for Registered Veterinary Nurses and Animal Welfare Charity Employees
Please see 'The Tutor Training Process' page for details of what is included in the course.
Accommodation and travel costs for the two residential courses will need to be met (one 2-day held in Worcestershire, England (Introductory Weekend) and one 3-day course held in Gloucestershire, England (Practical Course)). All further training is done online from home.
Some local travel will be needed to find puppies and dogs to train for the coaching and correspondence course, and for visiting puppy classes and for purposes such as research (e.g. when viewing possible venues) and marketing.
Tutors are responsible for running their own business, with full training and backup support provided by Regional Managers and Puppy School Head Office (Associate Tutors work under and for full tutors and so are not required to run their own business).
Membership Contribution
In addition to the initial training fee, Puppy School retains 20% of the fees from Puppy School classes booked through our central booking system. This applies only to Puppy School classes and not to any one-to-one sessions or other training services you arrange independently. The contribution is deducted automatically when a booking is made, with the remaining 80% paid directly to you.
Many people initially compare the 20% with what they might keep if they worked entirely independently. A more useful question is: would you earn more on your own, or as part of a well-established, trusted national brand with expert support behind you? For most of our tutors, the answer is clear.
Your membership contribution funds benefits that would be impossible to access, expensive, or time-consuming as an independent trainer, including:
- Exclusive sponsorship from Natures Menu, providing free treats for your classes together with a client offer worth up to £15 in Natures Menu credits for every puppy attending your course (credits can be redeemed for treats which can be sold in class or to feed your own dogs).
- Access to exclusive supplier discounts and retail opportunities, allowing you to generate additional income from products sold in class.
- Lifetime mentoring and coaching from experienced Puppy School Tutors, with regular class visits and practical feedback to help you continually develop your teaching and coaching skills.
- Ongoing business support from a dedicated central office, so you're never left to solve problems alone.
- A nationally recognised, trusted brand that helps attract clients and gives owners confidence when choosing classes.
- A full marketing package with a professional local website, central booking system and administrative support that save you valuable time and help fill your classes.
- High-quality Continuing Professional Development (CPD) opportunities, 6 x 2 month online courses on puppy behaviour issues given by Clinical Animal Behaviourists (free for anyone running Puppy School classes), and our biennial Puppy School Conference, offered at near to cost price to help you continue developing professionally without excessive expense.
- An experienced network of supportive colleagues who are always willing to share ideas, advice and encouragement.
Perhaps most importantly, Puppy School is unique in continuing to invest in your development long after you've qualified. We don't simply train you, award a certificate and send you on your way. Running exceptional puppy classes is a skill that develops over many years, and having experienced mentors to guide you can dramatically shorten that learning curve and help you build confidence far more quickly. No other education provider offers this.
For new tutors, these benefits are particularly valuable. Building a reputation, attracting clients, creating systems, sourcing suppliers and establishing credibility can take years when working independently. Puppy School provides much of that foundation from day one, allowing you to focus on what you do best—helping puppies and their owners.
Many of our tutors remain with Puppy School throughout their careers because the continued support, professional development, sense of community and business opportunities consistently provide value that far exceeds the membership contribution. The Puppy School network is designed not simply to help you become a qualified trainer, but to help you build a thriving business for years to come.
How much can Puppy School Tutors earn?
The profit you make from classes depends upon several factors including your course fees, the cost of your hall, the size of the hall, the goods you choose to sell in class, and your expertise (dependent on how long you've been running classes, your education and experience) which will affect the number of puppies you take into a course (maximum of 8 puppies per course).
Please check out the table below which gives a rough approximation of what your earnings could be.
When planning your initial outlay, you will need allow a cost for a certain amount of 'equipment' needed to run classes successfully, such as a mop/bucket, a range of toys (see 'Advantages' section for info about free toys from Tug-e-nuff for new tutors), spare bedding/bowls etc.
Additional earnings can be made by encouraging clients to take up the offer from Natures Menu of free food (worth £5 for EVERY bag of free puppy food your clients claim - up to 3 bags per client so potentially worth £15/client) this additional income stream is NOT represented in the table below.
