DOGGY BOOT CAMP

After over a decade of dog training, Doggy Boot Camp is still by far my most requested service. Clients range from owners who may feel helpless and out of options to the standard American family that is simply too busy to train its dog. While Beyond The Leash does specialize in aggressive and/or dominant dogs, dogs of any nature and training background seem to benefit from Doggy Boot Camp.

I think the success of the program is largely based in the fact that the dogs are removed from the environment where they lost some of their control for a minimum of two weeks. During the time the dogs are with the trainers, they are only rehearsing the correct way of doing things (i.e., waiting at the door to be released, being quiet and clean in the crate, coming when called each and every time, etc.). This type of structure allows for a great deal of clarity for the dog and is the first step to rebuilding the history of bad behavior that was displayed in the owner’s home.

The dogs that are enrolled in this board and train program live in my home. We do not have a kennel type of set up, so the problem behaviors the owners are dealing with day in and day out at home, we are able to see first hand. Addressing the dog’s issues early on and providing the dogs with alternate behaviors is our recipe for success. If you would like to set up a consult at your home to see if your dog would be an eligible candidate for Boot Camp, click here. Make 2014 your dog’s best year yet! For more information on this service, please contact us today at 866-957-3647.

2013 NARA Championships

The Patriot Ring Club is honored to be hosting the 2013 NARA (North American Ring Association) Championships. The event will be held October 19th-20th in Wrentham, MA on a beautiful Schutzhund field often used by the Inner City Working Dog Club. To download the registration form for this event, click here.

Hotel accommodations and event details will be available soon. To stay up to date with all the latest information on this event, Like us on Facebook. We hope to see many of you at the Championships this fall!

Fall Events & Winter Class Schedule

Canine Good Citizen Test Sunday, October 28th at 3PM

$10 charge for CGC Testing or Bring a Pumpkin or Dress Up in a Costume for No Charge

Free Practice Days are Sunday, October 21st from 3PM-6PM and Friday, October 26th from 5PM-7PM

Worried that your dog doesn’t have all that it takes to become a Canine Good Citizen this month? Click here to learn about all of the elements and see a video of a Practice CGC.

Sniff Through

October 21st at 1oAM; NW1 and NW2 Offered; Interior and Container Searches; Birch and Anise

$15 for one element or $20 for both; Pre-registration is recommended. Contact us at seespotsniff@gmail.com for more details on how to enroll.

Winter Schedule

Puppy Preschool
Monday 6PM (starts 11/5)
Jess Ritchie & Scott Williams- 5 weeks for $125

Basic Obedience (6 months or older)
Monday 7PM (starts 11/5)
Instructor Scott Williams- 5 weeks for $125

Wag It Games
Wednesday 6PM (starts 11/7)
Instructor Jess Ritchie- 5 weeks for $125

Tricks
Wednesday 7PM (starts 11/7)
Instructor Jess Ritchie- 6 weeks for $150

Body Awareness 2.0 (need instructor approval)
Thursday 7PM (starts 11/8)
Instructor Jess Ritchie- 5 weeks for $150

Tricks
Friday 2PM (starts 11/9)
Instructor Jess Ritchie- 6 weeks for $150

Agility Level 1
Friday 6:30PM (starts 11/9)
Instructor Jess Ritchie- 6 weeks for $120

Agility Level 2
Friday 7:30PM (starts 11/9)
Instructor Jess Ritchie- 6 weeks for $120

Beginner Agility
Saturday 12PM (starts 11/10)
Instructor Jess Ritchie- 6 weeks for $120

New! Structured Daycare Now Available!

Structured Day Care
ALL Dogs Welcome!
Daily activities to include
•Treadmill work out
•All stages of Nosework 
•Basic Obedience
•Crate Training
•Down Time/Rest
•Controlled Socialization 
Hours 7am to 7pm 
Monday through Friday
$40 per day, 2 day minimum
3,500sqft indoor facility
Located in Lowell, Ma.
Call Scott: 818.974.9354

3 Reasons to Take Training Classes With Your Dog!

1) Training builds better behavior.

While this may seem obvious to many, some dog owners expect the dogs to just become more well trained with age. Through training classes, your dog becomes a pleasure rather than a pain. The guests who previously avoided your house because of your poorly trained dogs will now enjoy visiting. And while some people think training only puts stricter rules on your dog, your dog actually has more freedom because he knows how to behave himself!

2) A trained dog is welcome in more places.

Especially during summer and fall, dog owners consistently become disappointed with how much they have to leave their dog. Wouldn’t it be great if your dog was well behaved enough to come to your kid’s soccer game with you or even join along on the fun of camping for a weekend? Better yet, wouldn’t it be great to be able to have your dog stay in a hotel room with you? Training classes are the answer to these types of issues. Start including your dog in more family activities rather than just thinking of him as another hassle to have to come home to let outside.

3) It can be fun for all involved!

Admittedly, some weeks I feel like we laugh more during class than actually train, but I’m sure that can’t be the case because all the dogs go home looking so good after our five or six weeks together. However, training truly can be fun for the entire family. You are allowed to bring your kids to class and sometimes depending on the situation other dogs from home, and the best part of all is that you’re all learning some important techniques to transfer over to real life situations once you leave.

Listed below is our fall group class schedule, but as always, if you are more interested in doing private training, feel free to contact me personally at scott@beyondtheleash.com. You can check out my website to find out more information about my history and training style and feel free to check out Jess as well at her website. We hope to have the opportunity to train with many of you this fall.

Puppy Preschool (up to 6 months old)

Monday 6PM (starts 9/10*)

Instructors Jess Ritchie & Scott Williams- 5 weeks for $125

Group Obedience

Monday 7PM (starts 9/10*)

Instructor Scott Williams- 5 weeks for $125

Scentwork

Monday 8PM (starts 9/10*)

Instructor Scott Williams- 5 weeks for $150

*Monday classes begin a week later than the rest of the session

Wag It Games *new class*

Tuesday 6PM (starts 9/4)

Instructor Jess Ritchie- 6 weeks for $135

Tricks Level 1

Tuesday 7PM (starts 9/4)

Instructor Jess Ritchie- 6 weeks for $150

K9ProFit (fitness class)

Thursday 6PM (starts 9/6)

Instructors Jess Ritchie & Scott Williams- 5 weeks for $125

The Art of Shaping

Thursday 7PM (starts 9/6)

Instructor Jess Ritchie- 5 weeks for $150

Beginner Agility

Friday 6:30PM (starts 9/7)

Instructor Jess Ritchie- 6 weeks for $120

Agility Level 1

Friday 7:30PM (starts 9/7)

Instructor Jess Ritchie- 6 weeks for $120

Beginner Agility

Saturday 12PM (starts 9/8)

Instructor Jess Ritchie- 6 weeks for $120

Randy Hare is coming to New England!

Seminar Location: 850 Lawrence St., Lowell, MA 01852

Dates and Hours: July 6th-8th; Friday, Saturday, & Sunday 9AM-4PM

Description: Randy has 25 plus years of experience in K9 Law Enforcement as well as detection dog training. Residing in Jackson, Mississippi, he is owner and lead trainer of Alpha K9. He created his own detection training method known as the On Target technique, which teaches the dog to make odor association while utilizing positive fight drive using an oral response. Within the seminar, there will be a detailed look at the theories and principles of traditional detection dog training as well as the On Target technique. Both odor recognition and the dog’s final response, whether it be a passive or active alert, will be shaped through the use of a Randy Hare rack. Furthermore, Randy will put an emphasis on teaching dogs to work independently of their handlers and resisting distractions and temptations while searching. Dogs will work both indoors and outdoors and will be encouraged to troubleshoot puzzles in order to strengthen their ability to locate odor. This 3-day seminar is ideal for anyone interested in or anyone who is already heavily involved in detection training. Randy is internationally renowned for his knowledge and skill in canine detection.

Pricing (coffee and donuts as well as lunch will be provided for all three days):
$250 3 day working spot LIMITED (dog needs to display strong toy drive)
$150 3 day auditing spot
$100 per day for working spot LIMITED (dog needs to display strong toy drive)
$75 per day for auditing spot
*10% discount for active Police or Military attendees

Please contact Scott Williams at info@beyondtheleash.com for a registration form. Please reserve your spot as soon as possible if you plan to attend because availability is limited. Hope to see many of you there!

Dog Training near Boston!

dog training

New Training Facility Opening in Lowell, Mass!

We are pleased to announce the opening of our brand new 3,500 square foot dog training facility at 850 Lawrence Street in Lowell, Massachusetts. Scott Williams of Beyond The Leash and Jessica Ritchie of Cookie That! dog training have formed a strategic alliance in able to provide a richer experience to local dog folk.

Together these two companies will offer classes in Agility (coming soon!), Tricks, Competitive and Basic Obedience, Detection Dogs, Weight Pulling, K9 Fitness and more. Our current spring schedule is as follows:

Beginner Scentwork click to enroll

Sunday 10AM

Instructor Scott Williams- 5 weeks for $150

Advanced Scentwork click to enroll

Sunday 11AM

Instructor Scott Williams- 5 weeks for $150

Tugging Class

Monday/Friday 1 PM

Instructors Jess Ritchie & Scott 
Williams– 6 sessions for $120

Puppy Preschool (up to 5 months old)


Tuesday 6PM

Instructors Jess Ritchie & Scott Williams- 4 weeks for $100

“Get on Your Bed” Class

Tuesday 7PM

Instructors Jess Ritchie & Scott
 Williams- 5 weeks for $125

Tricks Level 1

Wednesday 6PM

Instructor Jess Ritchie- 6 weeks for $150

Group Obedience click to enroll

Wednesday 6PM

Instructor Scott Williams- 5 weeks for $125

Tricks Level 2

Wednesday 7PM

Instructor Jess Ritchie- 4 weeks for $100

The Art of Shaping

Thursday 6PM

Instructor Jess Ritchie- 5 weeks for $150

K9ProFit (fitness class)

Thursday 7PM

Instructors Jess Ritchie & Scott Williams- 5 weeks for $125

Tricks Level 1

Friday 6PM

Instructor Jess Ritchie- 6 weeks for $150

Tricks Level 2

Saturday 3:30PM

Instructor Jess Ritchie- 4 weeks for $100

Located just thirty minutes from Boston, the Lowell, MA dog training location is easily accessible from the 495 highway. And it’s just minutes from Southern New Hampshire as well as a short drive from most of the North Shore.

If you are interested in establishing better control of your canine companion or simply looking for new, stimulating activities to do with your dog, give us a call! We are offering introductory specials on most classes and look forward to meeting everyone. Call 866-957-DOGS (3647) today!

Aiming For a More Frugal 2012? Try Switching Your Dog’s Diet…

Happy New Year to everyone! We hope that you all had a wonderful and restful holiday and you are looking forward to the New Year as much as we are!

Santa was very good to all of our dogs this year! Pictured here is Cane from Beyond The Leash holding his very own stocking.

A few month’s ago, we sat down at Beyond The Leash to budget what we were spending on dog food and wanted to share our findings with you. With 7 of our own personal dogs, we averaged that we were spending approximately $350 per month on kibble. After factoring in supplements, we decided that spending close to $5,000 per year on our dogs’ diet probably wasn’t the most prudent idea in this economy.

As a result, we decided to switch all of the dogs over to a raw diet. Not only do they LOVE their new meals, this decision has also saved us large quantities of money and has cut down on the amount of waste in our yard a considerable amount! With premium kibble costing $1.50 per pound or more, we are able to save lots of money and feed our entire pack a raw diet for only $100 per month now! We highly recommend Adams Chapman Co for meat in downtown Boston for great meat prices and have been very happy so far supplementing their meat with The Honest Kitchen’s Thrive and Animal Essentials’ Seaweed Calcium.

We began feeding raw when turkey prices were so low around Thanksgiving. Here is what our bathtub looked like then.

Though we do realize that part of the reason this decision has proved to be SO cost effective for us is because we are feeding in bulk. We even purchased a separate freezer on Craigslist for $180 exclusively for our 30 and 40 pounds boxes of duck necks, chicken backs, etc. in order to have the required storage space. It is obvious that all of you don’t own as many dogs as us and understandable that you don’t want to go through all of that trouble. Not to mention, feeding raw can be a bit of a nauseating task at times. Don’t worry, we have a great option for all of your households as well, which is home cooking.

If a diet is healthier for your dogs and better for your wallets, why not at least try it out? The issue of all of the processed foods and vitamins that come along with feeding kibble is no longer a problem with home cooking your dog’s meal! Furthermore, because you are feeding a healthier diet, your dog isn’t excreting as much waste. Literally, you don’t have to clean up as much poop because your dog’s stool will likely be much smaller and should be very nicely formed. Sounds pretty nice, doesn’t it?

Of course you need to be careful of food allergies much like you have to be with any other diet and you want to ensure that your dog’s meal is well-balanced, but why not give it a whirl? All of us out there who are trying to cut costs and doing our best to set ourselves up for a financially successful 2012 have likely not thought of changing our dog’s diet to save money. We recommend you speak to your veterinary professional if you have questions about switching if and when you decide to make the leap, but there are also many great online resources to consult if you are merely trying to gather information in the meantime. Some of which include some nice blog posts about home cooking by Suzanne Clothier, an article in the New York Times published a year ago about cooking at home for your pets, and some informative books out by Dr. Billinghurst if you are considering feeding raw.

No matter what you decide, we wish you and your pets a very healthy and happy year. And if you happen to be looking for some fun new training ideas, check out our website for new class postings. We have scentwork, group obedience, and trick classes starting this month and plan to add Puppy Preschool, Recall Refresher, and K9ProFit courses early spring. If we can be of any service to you in 2012, don’t hesitate to set up an appointment at our Andover location. Call us toll free anytime at 866-957-DOGS(3647) or drop an e-mail to scott@beyondtheleash.com. We are excited about pursuing many new training and business goals this year and hope to be able to include you in them! Now, go find some great meat deals at your local grocery store and plug in your crock pots…

Happy Halloween from Beyond The Leash!

What an AMAZING fall it has been at Beyond The Leash! September was a very busy month. After hosting a successful French Ring Regional, we participated in the New England Pet Expo and ended the month by presenting a seminar near Buffalo, New York.

The New England Pet Expo was a huge success with an estimated 10,000 plus attendees! Our booth featured our pet dog training program as well as the famous DogTread treadmills. Their treadmills come in small, medium, and large sizes and are a fantastic way to keep your dogs conditioned during inclement weather, especially throughout the winter months, and are ideal for owners with limited time.

Dogs at the expo were able to give the DogTread treadmills a test drive, and the positive feedback was overwhelming. If you think one of these treadmills may be a nice fit for your household, check out Beyond The Leash’s website to find out more about this awesome product! Many of our current clients have decided to bring a DogTread into their own homes, and not only are they enjoying the physical perks, they are surprised at the mental benefits provided to anxious or hyper dogs as well.

And then to add to the excitement, on October 1st, Scott Williams, owner and lead trainer of Beyond The Leash dog training, presented an Introduction to Scentwork seminar at Southtowns Dog Training Club in Hamburg, NY. With nearly 20 working spots, we were able to get much accomplished with some of the area’s finest dogs. Handlers were able to experience firsthand many different approaches to detection work and see some of our own bed bug detection dogs demonstrating their skills.

While we are thankful for a wonderful fall, the weather tells us that winter is right around the corner. Our busiest season for Doggy Boot Camps is between the end of November and the beginning of January, so be sure to book sooner rather than later if you need quality care and results-based training for your furry friend over the upcoming holidays.  Contact Scott Williams at 866-957-DOGS(3647) or feel free to e-mail him at scott@beyondtheleash.com for more details. And lastly, we hope everyone has a safe and happy Halloween with their pooches this year. We’d love to see what kind of costume ideas you have come up with, so please feel free to post pictures of your dogs in costume on our facebook page by clicking here. Become a fan of Beyond The Leash today if you haven’t already!