Across BlueDog training and walking services, we use positive reinforcement training via marker training. We love using clickers and teaching handlers how to build value in behaviors they want to see more of! Our students use treats, praise, toys, and other types of reinforcement to build positive associations, strengthen bonds, and ensure sustainability. Alongside training games and activities, our trainers recommend management strategies to ensure success and confidence throughout the training journey.
While we absolutely encourage the use of clickers, we understand they may not be for everyone. As explained in Kim’s Clicker Tutorial, you can use a verbal marker in place of the clicker.
Our program is similar to a gym membership: once you’ve purchased your membership, you are enrolled in an auto-pay/auto-renewal program that grants you unlimited access to classes throughout the month. We ask for a two month commitment to develop new habits and begin to see progress with your training! New puppies under 6 months old enter our Puppy School program, and pups over 6 months old join us in Elementary School.
Our focus in the puppy classes is different from that for older dogs. While all classes will work on manners, when your puppy begins classes at a younger age, they can acclimate to the training space, learn how to learn alongside their handlers, and build confidence to set them up for future learning in the adult program. Additionally, we address questions that are specific to raising puppies in these classes.
Our Elementary School level is for dogs over 6 months old, which can include adult or even senior dogs with different learning histories and needs. The manners curriculum is designed with a focus on clear communication and cooperation for you and your dog.
Keeping dogs together based on size and age when they’re in their critical stages of life can help ensure as positive an experience as possible for your dog.
Your puppy can begin classes as soon as he comes home with you! We welcome all puppies 8 weeks and older to attend. We encourage you to begin your puppy’s education as soon as possible in order for us to take best advantage of his important developmental stages. The American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior has a great statement explaining the importance of proper socialization.
A position statement on early socialization of puppies from the American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior encourages veterinarians to recommend puppy socialization before the vaccine series is complete. The guideline states that puppies can begin dog training classes as early as 8 weeks. For puppies, we simply require that your puppy has received at least one round of his distemper/parvo vaccination. We do not require the rabies vaccine until your puppy is 6 months old per Massachusetts law.
Absolutely. Our membership students gain access to our homework pages, YouTube videos, and Pawgress Report cards for each level. With step by step instructions, video tutorials, and reminders to train at home, it’s like you have a trainer in your pocket!
Through our class membership, students receive discounts on Puppy Socialization Sessions and Study Hall Sessions. These are great ways to work on specific skills, aid your puppy’s confidence and play skills, or get advice from a trainer for something going on at home. For any behavior modification work, we recommend private training.
Yes! You will be notified when your puppy is a week away from moving up to our adult program. Our administrative team will update your class permissions, and send you the Elementary School Pawgress Report when your pup turns 6 months old. No action is needed on your part!
Yes. We ask that you register for each class you plan to attend as we only allow so many students per class. You can visit our calendar to view and register for individual classes, or use your ZenPlanner Members app on your smart phone or tablet. Registration is allowed up to 7 days prior to the class date. If you find that you cannot attend a class that you have reserved, we kindly ask that you please cancel your registration so that any students on the waiting list can attend.
However many you can attend throughout the week, we encourage you to join! We do ask that you attend one class per day to keep your puppy successful and allow for other students to get a spot.
Puppy School students (under 6 months old) can sign up for Puppy School and Big Siblings classes. Elementary School students can sign up for Elementary School and All Adult Level classes.
We encourage anyone and everyone who is handling your dog on a daily basis to join classes! Consistency is key for progress. We do ask that families are capped at 3 attendees per class to ensure clear communication, and accommodate space for training. You do not need to have the same handler attend every class. We do require a parent or guardian 18 years of age or older to attend classes with any little ones!
Our classes are capped at 9 for our Puppy School students and 8 for our Elementary School students per class. These numbers balance efficiency, safety, and optimize learning for our students while allowing for space in the facility.
Each class is 45 minutes with a 5 minute break halfway through class.
Nope! However, if you are unsure of the best training program for your dog, please feel free to call us at 978-208-7933 or fill out our inquiry form so that we can discuss your goals and help you determine what type of training is best for him. We recommend our Private Training pathway for dogs struggling with behavioral issues such as reactivity, separation anxiety, aggression, resource guarding, stranger danger, or extreme fearfulness.
We absolutely welcome people to observe a class prior to purchasing a membership! If doing so, we ask that you please leave your dog at home so as to not disturb the current students. You can watch the class to see if it’s the right fit for you and your dog, and at the end our teachers will gladly answer any questions you may have.
Yes! Our program is rolling enrollment, so you can begin attending classes any day of the week and month, and begin immediately after purchase of your membership. Your renewal date will be the same day each month. If you purchase your membership but would like to begin classes on a future date, just let us know and we can adjust your start date.
Our program is designed to accommodate our students’ busy lifestyles. If you are to miss some time, we recommend that you make it up by attending more classes the week prior or after which is a great way to make the most out of your unlimited classes. You can also reach out to our administrative team to put your membership on hold if you have upcoming travel, your dog is being spayed/neutered, or if there is sickness or injury keeping you from attending.
The idea of our program is to offer a continued education for your puppy for as long as you’d like. Just like children, we can’t expect our puppies to learn everything after 8 weeks, especially when they still have a number of developmental stages to go through. So we allow and encourage you to continue taking classes for as long as you see fit for your puppy! However, if you would like to cancel your membership anytime after the first 2 months you can do that by contacting us.
If you want to attend a class that is full, you can register for the waiting list. If a student drops out and you are moved into the class, you will receive a text message notifying you that you can attend. Our rolling enrollment and membership style program requires that we constantly keep an eye on our numbers. If classes are consistently full, we find a way to add more classes or shuffle the schedule to ensure our students can make the most out of their membership time! Enrollment for classes opens a week ahead of time at the end of the class. We recommend signing up as soon as you know you’re able to attend.
We require your pup to attend classes on a flat leash and collar or harness - please no retractable leashes, slip leads, or flexi-leads. Please do not bring your dog in on a choke, prong, or e-collar; if this is something you use with your dog at home, you can let us know ahead of time and we’d be happy to discuss alternatives for classes! A 6 foot leash is perfect. We also ask that you bring three different varieties of treats in different baggies. A treat pouch is also recommended to store all the goodies! You will receive a BlueDog treat pouch at your first class, but if you have one at home you prefer, we encourage whatever is most successful for you. While we provide beds or platforms at each class, it can be a great idea to bring a bed or mat from home that you want to generalize relaxation to. Similarly with enrichment, we provide chews like antlers and hooves, and lick mats, but encourage students to bring their own items like bully sticks, lick mats, snuffle mats, or whatever your dog enjoys at home!
We recommend bringing a variety of treats and rotating them out frequently each class. For some dogs, this may be their kibble, a soft training treat, and a high value protein such as pork, steak, cheese, etc. This will depend on the dog and what they find valuable and of course considering allergies and GI history. Separating the types of treats into individual baggies will be helpful for handlers to switch between treats as needed throughout class. Just like us, our dogs can be hangry! We don’t recommend empty belly training, however you can feed them half of their meals to finish off the rest in classes.
For classes, please use a flat collar or harness attached to a standard 6 foot leash. We recommend a Y fronted chest harness so there are no straps of fabric under your dog's arms. Check out the Canuzzo harness for shape reference. We also recommend Blue-9 Balance Harnesses, or PerfectFit Harnesses.
Yes, and no! Your puppy needs repetition and positive experiences to learn. Therefore, many of the behaviors you work on will be worked on in each class. Keep in mind that as your puppy progresses and learns these behaviors, his teacher will begin to challenge him by asking him to perform them with distractions and with less reward. As well, there will be many times when your teacher will introduce a new behavior to your puppy. In order to help your puppy excel with his learning, we recommend that you practice all of the behaviors you learn at home, on walks, at the pet store, at the vets, and everywhere else you can. The key to his education is lots of practice, consistency and positive experiences!
We love when our students bring multiple dogs to classes! This is how it works: Each dog receives his own membership. This ensures that a proper education is experienced by both individual dogs. If you plan to register two dogs, we recommend reaching out to our administrative team as they will help you set this up! Once the two memberships are purchased, you can begin attending class with both dogs. Each dog will need their own handler to attend and participate in classes with.
Have a question not answered in our FAQ? Contact us!