Urban-Suburban Board and Train Program

In addition to training your dog, we also provide a 4-6 week board and train program that includes your dog experiencing real-life Brookline situations as part of their daily training. We do not train in empty rooms, we train where it counts. That means we work with your dog on the busy sidewalks during rush hour commutes, we work with your dog in the busy shopping districts of Coolidge Corner and we work with your dog in Brookline's many parks with varying amounts of activity.

The majority of dogs from Brookline, struggle with very specific things. Such as, navigating the tight sidewalks of Brookline, to keep your dog away from the crowds of people and restaurants on the patio areas, to keep your dog calm when seeing buses, joggers, bicycles, and other dogs constantly coming and going in the neighborhood. We teach your dog to ignore distractions in real life Brookline scenarios, by using positive reinforcement and reward-based training methods. Your dog will learn to follow a lead, obey commands off-leash through the use of electronic collars, become socialized with our pack, and become conditioned on a treadmill. We train your dog using slippers and longlines, not relying on food or toys to motivate your dog.

By the end of your dog's training program, your dog will have been trained in numerous real Brookline situations with a professional trainer guiding them through each scenario. In addition, after training is complete, you will receive continued coaching to assist you in maintaining the skills your dog has learned, as well as having lifetime access to our boarding program should you ever require additional care for your well-trained dog.

Lead Training: Walking in Brookline

Are you tired of your dog pulling towards every outdoor cafe or restaurant patio area, or are you embarrassed by your dog reacting poorly to other dogs on the narrow sidewalks of Brookline? Our lead training will transform every walk in Brookline into a controlled experience.

Through years of working with numerous Brookline families, we have determined that what really works in this type of environment is what we call a blend of urban and suburban characteristics. The narrow sidewalks, pedestrians constantly crossing the sidewalk, proximity to other dogs, create problems that standard suburban training cannot solve.

We practice lead training with your dog on the same routes you would normally take, the same streets, parks and areas that you encounter on a typical walk in Brookline. Your dog will learn to focus on you rather than the surrounding distractions. We will practice lead training in busy areas of Brookline, such as walking your dog past the entrance of a busy Trader Joes, as well as practicing lead training in quiet residential areas of Brookline, where different types of challenges may occur.

Our monthly group classes rotate through various areas of Brookline, allowing dog owners who live in Brookline to connect with one another while providing socialization for your dog. For example, one month may focus on teaching your dog to behave properly in the crowds of Coolidge Corner, and the next month may focus on teaching your dog to remain calm in the less populated residential areas of Brookline.

Private Day Train Program: Designed for Brookline's Working Professionals

For many Brookline families, managing demanding careers and actively raising a family while responsibly caring for a pet is a common challenge. Based upon our experience of training dogs for professionals, educators and healthcare workers throughout Brookline, we developed the private day train program to fit the way Brookline families manage their lives.

Your dog spends the day with us learning important skills through balanced training methods, and then returns to your home each evening to reinforce what was learned that day. We may work on helping your dog to remain calm in the midst of heavy pedestrian traffic in Brookline Village, or we may work on developing patience in your dog during the longer walks that Brookline's many beautiful neighborhoods encourage.

At the conclusion of each training session, we will provide you with hands-on instruction demonstrating exactly what we were practicing and how to continue making progress at home with your dog. This type of training works particularly well for dogs that are adjusting to the urban-suburban mix of Brookline, or dogs that have specific issues relating to the high-density nature of Brookline's neighborhoods.

An anxious rescue dog that was part of a Brookline family, learned to differentiate between normal street noises and situations that required attention, a vital skill to achieve a happy and comfortable life in the busy residential neighborhoods of Brookline.

Behavior Modification: Brookline Specific Solutions

Dogs living in Brookline experience a unique set of behavioral challenges due to the distinct density and constant activity of the town. Narrow sidewalks with little room for movement, restaurant patios bringing strangers and their dogs close to your dog, and frequent interactions with other dogs in tight spaces.

Behavior modification begins by determining what specifically triggers your dog in your Brookline environment and daily routine. Rather than giving you generic advice, we design customized solutions using balanced training principles tailored to your real living situation in Brookline.

While dogs living in the urban areas of Brookline, dealing with urban reactivity, will require different strategies than dogs living in the quieter Brookline Hills, struggling with off-leash reliability in the parks, we work closely with your family to create practical management tools that fit with your daily routines.

Rather than simply correcting unwanted behaviors, we will help your dog develop confidence and learn proper responses to Brookline's character, creating positive changes that allow your family to enjoy community living together.