Behavior & Training

Here at Dogology our philosophy is to fulfill the “whole dog”. Just like the body needs good nutrition in order to function at its best, the mind needs stimulation in order to thrive. Training your dog is about much more than just teaching them basic commands. It is about developing a deep bond between you and your dog. One of love, trust, respect and understanding that will ultimately make you and your dog's life easier.

Whether your goal is to modify unwanted behaviors, prevent bad behavior, provide mental exercise, or to learn to communicate more effectively, we can help.

Just like every human is unique, so is every dog. At Dogology we tailor the style and methods of training to suit you and your specific situation. The goal should not only be to make a better dog, but also, to make a better human.

Come by, email or call our facility for more information about our classes, private sessions and in-home training.

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Private One-on-One Training:

In Home Private Training Sessions- Dog behavior is context specific, meaning that a dog will behave completely different depending on the persons involved or the location you are working in. Private one on one in-home sessions between trainer and family is the most effective way to address your dogs behavior because you are addressing it in the setting with which it exists. Instead of bringing the dog to us, we come to you and work with you in the comfort of your own home. Whether you are getting a new dog and want to prepare your family or are looking to modify existing behaviors, in your home sessions are ideal. Please call for scheduling or to speak directly with our training department about the specific issues you would like to address.  Prices vary and discounted packages are available. Standard prices are based on a 20 mile radius, locations beyond our 20 mile radius may require additional cost.  Please contact our training department to discuss travel that necessitates airfare and lodging.   

On Site Private Training Sessions- Come work one-on-one with our professional trainers in our beautiful 1,000 sq ft training room. There are many scenarios that are best suited to this type of personalized training, including: socialization, leash work, treadmill training, command reinforcement and more. Please call for scheduling or to speak directly with our training department about the specific issues you would like to address.  Prices vary and discounted packages are available. 

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Puppy Training Classes:
*all Puppy classes are held at our Canton location

Puppy Class for Young Puppies 
Age grouping 9 weeks to 20 weeks
4 weeks  |  Mon or Tues 6pm or Sat 9am or 10am  |  $200

Everything you need to know about how to relate to your new best friend. Topics will include potty training, mouthing, commands, mental vs. physical exercise, teaching calm, socialization, problem prevention and building positive relationships. This class is much more than your typical obedience based puppy class and is the foundation for a lifetime of good behavior and effective communication. One hour, small classes, over a four week period held in our climate  controlled, safe 1000 sq ft training room. Please call our training department or click the "register online" button for class schedule and to sign up.  *Take both puppy classes and save $25 on Older Puppy Class

Puppy Class for Older Puppies 
Age grouping 6 to 12 months 
4 weeks  |  Wed 6pm, Thurs 6pm or Sat 10am  |  $200

Whether this is your puppy's first training class or they are continuing on from our younger class, make sure your puppy is on the path to good behavior. Topics will include leash walking, recall, potty training, mouthing, commands, mental vs. physical exercise, teaching calm, socialization, problem prevention and building positive relationships. This class is much more than your typical obedience based puppy class and is the foundation for a lifetime of good behavior and effective communication.  One hour, small classes, over a four week period held in our climate  controlled, safe 1000 sq ft training room. Please call our training department or click the "register online" button for class schedule and to sign up.   
*Take both puppy classes and save $25 on Older Puppy Class

Puppy Beyond-Socialization Class 
Age grouping up to 20 weeks 
Rolling Class  |  Sundays at Noon  | $25/class

Socialization and building positive associations with adolescent dogs is one of the most crucial elements to their proper development and, is one of the few things that is very difficult to recreate once a dog is past a certain developmental age. At Dogology we have created a special drop in class to work in tandem with our normal puppy classes to specifically address this part of a dogs development. Socialization class is meant to expose your puppy to as many different elements that they may encounter now or in the future in order to build confident and positive associations during this crucial stage. Do you want a puppy that is able to handle even the most unique situations? Do you want to lay the foundation for your puppy to someday be a service or therapy dog? Maybe you just don't want to make the same mistakes that led a previous dog to be reactive or fearful. Whatever your reasons, prevention is the key to successful training and socialization is all about preventing the common negative associations that lead to unwanted behaviors. Drop in class is held every Sunday in our Canton location training room from 12pm-1pm and sign up is required. Please call our training department or click the "register online" button to sign up. Cost is $25/class however if attending both that Sundays puppy playgroup and socialization class a $5 discount will be applied to puppy playgroup

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Puppy Playgroup:

Ages 9 to 20 weeks
Sunday |  10:30-11:30am  |  $10

Puppy socialization is essential to the proper development of your dog. The more exposure your puppy has to different experiences the better socially equipped your adult dog will be later in life. One crucial area of proper socialization is their relationship to other dogs. Between the ages of 3 and 20 weeks old, your puppy will be far more accepting of new experiences. Past the period of about 20 weeks, it becomes increasingly more difficult to redefine a negative association into a positive one. Unfortunately, not all socialization is equal and placing your puppy into an unknown environment can just as easily establish a negative relationship with that experience if not handled correctly, as it can a positive one. That’s why at Dogology we have developed puppy playgroups with experienced handlers who will monitor play so that each puppy can express their feelings and be guided through them in order to develop a positive link with all different types of canine personalities.  Playgroups are held in our 1,000 sq ft training room and are limited to the appropriate number for the different sized groupings. Cost is $10/puppy or $5/puppy if attending both that Sundays puppy playgroup and socialization class 

Puppy Playgroup Requirements: 
Puppies aged 9 to 20 weeks  
Up to date on age appropriate core vaccines  
Healthy, friendly, and social puppy

It is very important that proper socialization not be limited to simply our puppy playgroup and our experienced staff will be happy to discuss with you other ways in which to build on their development. 

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Puppy Daycare: 

​Every Tuesday and Thursday we offer a day drop off opportunity to puppies up to 20 weeks of age. While at daycare our trainers work on socialization, basic commands, appropriate play, polite behavior, crate games and more.  It's a full day of fun and learning for your puppy whether you are at work, need time to yourself or want your puppy to start off on the right foot. Prevent problematic behaviors from developing by exposing your puppy to positive play experiences and group training during this crucial period. A tired dog is a good dog so bring home a tired puppy! $30/day. Please call our training department for more information or to sign up.

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Pre-Dog Ownership Consultation:

Thinking about getting a new dog? Bringing a new dog into the home can be an exciting time but it can also come with a lot of questions, even for previous dog owners. The relationship you build with your dog begins the minute you first meet them and even in a matter of days, behavioral patterns can be established. Whether you are considering a new puppy or an adult dog, be confident you have the tools to make the right choice for your home. A one-hour consultation is offered, please call for scheduling. 

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Pack Walk:
*For Clients who have worked with our trainers previously

 Sundays from 10am to 12pm meet with Ben and Mike, our behavior modification specialists, at varying locations for a structured pack walk. These walks are well paced, multiple miles, and in scenic surroundings. What better way to spend your Sunday morning than reconnecting with your dog for some walking therapy. This is a relaxing training session on the move. This is the perfect opportunity once a week to not only mentally and physically exercise your dog but to expose them to other dogs in a safe and controlled walking environment that is comfortable for both you and them. Because this group will contain owners and dogs who may be insecure or reactive, there will be specific etiquette that must be followed to allow individual owners and dogs to build confidence at their own pace. These rules will be laid out at the beginning of each walk or during discussions prior and for the comfort and safety of everyone, must be followed at all times. Come practice your training in a judgement-free and controlled environment with lots of comfortable exposure to other dogs and people. Call Dogology for rules of joining and to be added to the email list. Cost is $20/dog

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Corporate Seminars:

Every year companies have to account for their employees to sustain dog related injuries even though the companies function has little or nothing to do with dogs. Postal workers, utility workers, or any job that requires an employee to enter a clients property or home will put their employees at risk of a dog bite. These preventable injuries can cause a company productivity loss, monetary loss, and legal issues. At Dogology we offer companies a unique way to minimize these incidents by educating your employees on the proper way to handle the most common dog and human interactions. Our one hour seminar will cover body language cues, appropriate reactions to aggression and fear, a basic explanation of dog psychology and will dispel some of the common misconceptions we hear often from those working in the field. Although it is difficult to eliminate these incidents altogether, companies who have participated in our seminars have seen drastic reductions in the number of incidents per year. If you are interested please contact our training department by phone or email to set up a seminar or for more information.

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Pet Industry Seminars:

Understanding some basic behavior prevention and modification concepts is not just useful to the general public but also to any occupation that deals with the treatment and handling of dogs or education of their owners. For this reason we offer veterinary clinics, dog daycares, boarding facilities, or any dog related businesses the opportunity to have one of our trainers come to your facility and educate your staff. Our goal is to enhance your client experience by improving your staffs ability to handle canine interactions and speak more eloquently on the subject of training. In doing so it is our belief that we are doing a service to educate and improve the overall dog community. For scheduling or more information please contact our training department by phone or email.

With our award-winning training department and limited class size, our classes fill up very quickly (about a month in advance) so sign up today!

Register Online

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Training Department 
​Booking Hours:

Mon-Fri: 10am to 4pm 
Closed: Saturday & Sunday

Email the Training Department

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In Home Training 

Now serving all of CT and beyond. Please call for scheduling and pricing

Testimonials

"I have had dogs all my life and thought that I knew what I was doing...after all experience equates to knowledge, yes? No...I learned that
experience only equates to knowledge when your experiences are based in fundamentals that are born from success. 
I adopted a puppy (Louie) from Louisiana after we lost our dog in the fall. And until Ben came to our home two days ago, my home had become a disaster area, my furniture chewed, my throw pillow chewed, my plants chewed, anything within puppy reach was fair game. I battoned down the hatches and it looked as though I lived in a bunker (chairs on couches to protect the couches and floor plants etc), desperately trying to protect what was left of my favorite things and my sanity. I started yelling and crying when my second pair of prescrption glassed were chewed to ribbons. Enough. While I had an appointment with Ben for February, I called and thankfully there had been a cancellation a few moments earlier. 
Ben came over and in a little over an hour I learned more than all my years of dog ownership. It has been 2 days since Ben gave my dog and me our first lesson. I have had a calm house, he sits and stays (lots of practice) he has rarely jumped, time outs are working and my home is slowly becoming a home again. We have lots more work to do, but there is definitely light at the end of the tunnel.

I am so very thankful and Louie and I are both looking forward to our next session and what we can learn together. 
Most sincerely,
-Sherry H., West Hartford

""I want dogs like yours!" People tell us this all the time.  We tell them all the same thing.  Call Ben! A well-trained dog is a happy dog, and everyone loves a happy, well-trained dog!  These are facts.  The breed doesn't matter.  The size doesn't matter.  We have four very different dogs ranging in size from 14 - 80 lbs.  They all have one thing in common. Ben! Whether you have behavior issues, or just want to teach your pooch basic commands, we highly recommend you call Ben.  You will be amazed, and your dog will be the happy, well-mannered pooch you always wanted."
  
 ~John and Kimberly G.
   New Hartford, CT.

"Ben is amazing. After going through two other 'dog trainers', we thought it was hopeless. Ben fully explained  the what, why and how while teaching us to fix our dogs issues.  We now have a total understanding of not only our dogs behavior but of our dog. Thank you Ben!"

-Lisa R. 
 Farmington, CT

Read more Testimonials here....