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.

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

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!