Dog Training in Connecticut

Connecticut asks different things of a dog depending on where he lives. Greenwich Avenue on a Saturday and a backcountry gate with a landscaper coming through it. Compo Beach in November and Main Street Westport at noon. A Harbor Point elevator, a Litchfield barn with chickens in the yard, the drawbridge in Mystic with the ice cream line out the door. A dog who has only ever behaved in a training hall has no idea what any of those places want from him. Dog training in Connecticut, done properly, happens in those places, because that is where you need your dog to listen.

A dog should not need a cookie in your hand to listen, or a remote on his collar to come when called. Best Buddy Dog Training is relationship-based obedience: your dog learns to trust and respect you, and obedience follows from that. Every program is private, built around your dog and your household, and led by Shawn Hines, who has more than 30 years of hands-on experience training family pet dogs.

Where We Train in Connecticut

In-home sessions and board-and-train pickups run across Fairfield County, the shoreline, Litchfield County and the Hartford area. The towns we work in most often are: Greenwich, New Canaan, Westport, Stamford, Mystic, Litchfield, Hartford and West Hartford.

Windsor, Darien, Wilton, Ridgefield, Fairfield, Madison, Guilford, Old Lyme, Stonington, Avon, Farmington, Simsbury and Glastonbury are routine. If your town is not listed, call anyway.

The Connecticut Dog Problems We See Most

Leash reactivity on a narrow sidewalk

Greenwich Avenue, Elm Street in New Canaan, the lanes of Stonington Borough, LaSalle Road in West Hartford: sidewalks where an oncoming dog passes within four feet and there is nowhere to step aside. A dog who lunges there is not aggressive so much as unprepared, and crossing the street every time teaches him nothing except that the other dog is a big deal. We do not ask your dog to be “friendly” with the dog coming toward him, and we do not ask him to pretend it is not there. We ask him to leave it alone and stay with you, calmly, which is what a well-trained dog can be trusted to do.

A recall that fails the first time it matters

Waveny, Tod's Point, Compo in the off-season, Bluff Point, White Memorial, the MDC reservoir: Connecticut has no shortage of places to let a dog run, and every one of them is where owners find out what they have. A dog who comes when there is nothing else to do has not learned to come when called. Go away from you or anything you choose on command, stay where told, and come when called: a dog who does those three things reliably is better-behaved than most pet dogs you will encounter. We can show you how to have that dog.

The big lot, the invisible fence and the dog who patrols it

North of the Merritt, in New Canaan and Westport, up through Litchfield County and out past Avon, the lots are measured in acres and the fencing is invisible. The fence cannot make a dog peaceful at the gate. Its correction is impersonal and teaches him nothing about what you want; it is simply an invisible way of keeping him on the property. A dog who has learned to be peaceful and obedient with you does not need a wire to be peaceful at the property line.

The household staff and the dog with four sets of rules

A nanny, a housekeeper, a dog walker, two parents who travel, a weekend house in Litchfield and a dog who behaves differently for every one of them. He is not confused. He has worked out who means it, and the person he listens to least is usually the one asking for the most. A well-trained dog is obedient and peaceful for the whole household.

The front door, guests and children

A dog who jumps on guests, strangers or children is not being “friendly.” He is being disrespectful, and it is dangerous behavior. Holding his collar while people come in only manages him. A well-trained, obedient dog will move and stay away until told otherwise, and will go to any spot you choose and stay there until released, with company in the house and children underfoot.

Horses, chickens, deer and the dog who hunts

Litchfield County and the back roads of Fairfield County are full of things to chase, and we do not ask a dog to “ignore” any of them; that is against his nature. The dog must be able to tolerate what he notices without chasing it, because the person he answers to has decided it is not his business.

Results You Can See

Every dog in the photographs on this page, and in every photograph and video on this site, is a dog Shawn has trained or is training now. Calm, peaceful and obedient around people, including strangers, other dogs, and other animals, on leash and off, without e-collars and without treats. Nobody is holding them still for the camera. You can see more on the dog training videos page. Connecticut families describe how it turned out on the success stories page.

In-Home Dog Training in Connecticut

The training happens where the problems happen: the front door, the kitchen, your street, the park or the beach you actually use. Most families notice a meaningful improvement in their dog's calmness, obedience and respect by the end of the first session, and the sessions that follow build on it until the dog is reliable in the places you go.

You receive obedience and behavior training specific to your dog and your household. Lifetime follow-up at no additional charge. One flat price covers up to five dogs in the household, and there are no hidden fees: if you have followed the plan and your dog needs more sessions, they are included.

The Connecticut in-home dog training program is $2,250.

Board and Train for Connecticut Dogs

Some dogs need a fresh start rather than weekly sessions. In our board-and-train program, your dog lives with Shawn for four to six weeks, training in parks, pet-friendly stores, sidewalks and public spaces. Shawn will pick up and deliver your dog so he can see the dynamic in your household before the dog leaves it, and three reintegration sessions at your home transfer the leadership to you. Lifetime follow-up support comes with it. It is the right fit for aggression, resource guarding, severe leash reactivity, chronic anxiety, and dogs who have not responded to anything else. Programs are priced for the dog in front of us, typically $2,500 to $5,000.

Puppy Training in Connecticut

Puppy training is the best money you will ever spend on a dog, and the time to spend it is between eight weeks and six months. A puppy who is never told no learns that he decides, and that buys a pleasant few months and then a hard year. In that window we establish housebreaking on a real schedule, crate time he accepts rather than fights, a name that gets a response the first time, and calm behavior at the front door. The right time to start is right away, and it starts with a phone call.

What Connecticut Owners Say

Common Questions from Connecticut Owners

Do you cover the whole state?
Fairfield County, the shoreline, Litchfield County and the Hartford area, at the same price. If your town is not on the list, ask.

My dog has bitten someone. Will you take him?
Usually, yes. Aggression is a large part of what we do. Say so on the phone so we can plan properly rather than discover it in your living room.

How soon can we start?
In-home sessions usually begin within a week or two. Board and train runs on a waiting list, so call early if you have a date in mind.

Do you train with treats?
Our training does not rely on food. A treat is something we give a dog because we want to, not something he needs in order to listen.

Start with a Phone Consultation

Call (401) 536-7982 and tell Shawn what your dog is doing. It is a straight conversation about your dog and your household, with nothing to sign and no sales script. Phone hours are Monday through Friday 8am to 6pm and Saturday 9am to 5pm; if there is no answer, leave a message and Shawn will call you back. You can also reach Shawn via the contact page.

Who you are to your dog is EVERYTHING

Shawn Hines
Dog Trainer, Best Buddy Dog Training