Dog Training in Cranston, RI

Cranston runs from the river to the woods, and the dogs change as you go. Along the Pawtuxet and in Edgewood they live close, with the neighbor's dog one fence over. Out past Oaklawn the houses sit on an acre or two and the fence is a wire in the ground. In between is Garden City, where a dog gets taken on a Sunday to prove he can behave and usually proves the opposite. Cranston dog training, the way we do it, comes down to the one thing those dogs share: nobody has shown them who decides.

That is not a criticism of the owner. Most people have been told to redirect, distract, reward and avoid, have done all of it faithfully, and the dog is still pulling, barking and jumping. A dog obeys a person he trusts and respects, and once that relationship exists the obedience is not hard. Building it is what Best Buddy Dog Training does, as part of dog training in Rhode Island led by Shawn Hines, with more than thirty years training difficult dogs—fifteen of them leading Best Buddy Dog Training.

Where Cranston Dogs Tell You the Truth

Garden City and the dog who greets everybody

Garden City is outdoor shopping with wide walkways, patio tables and a steady supply of people who want to meet your dog. The dog pulls toward every one of them, plants both feet on anyone who stops, and the owner says he is “friendly.” He is not. A dog who jumps on strangers, guests or children is being disrespectful, and it is dangerous. We do not ask a dog to greet people. We ask him to leave them alone until told otherwise, to lie where you point and stay put while you finish your coffee, and to walk the length of the place beside you without the leash going tight.

Pawtuxet Village, Stillhouse Cove and the narrow sidewalk

Broad Street through the Village is old, close and busy, and the sidewalk leaves no room to step aside when another dog comes the other way. Down at Stillhouse Cove the lawn runs to the water, the geese own it, and owners drop the leash because it looks like the kind of place where you can. The sidewalk produces the dog who lunges; the cove produces the dog who will not come back. They are the same dog, and he has learned that in the moments that count, he decides. A dog who respects you passes the other dog quietly because you kept walking, and leaves the geese because you called him.

Western Cranston, the big lot and the wire

Out in Western Cranston the lots are large, the driveways are long and the fence is invisible. The dog runs the line at every car, walker and deer, and because every one of them keeps going, he counts it as a win. Then the owner tries to walk him past the same people on a leash and discovers a dog who has been practicing for a year. The electronic fence is impersonal and teaches the dog nothing about what you want; it is simply an invisible way of keeping him in the yard. What stops the charging is a dog who looks to you before he looks at the road.

Edgewood, the small lot and the park next door

Edgewood and the streets off Cranston Street are close-set houses on small lots, a dog in most of them, and a fence between every pair. Running the fence with the neighbor's dog is the morning's entertainment, and the walk to the Cranston edge of Roger Williams Park is his chance to haul you toward every dog he has been shouting at through the chain-link. That is not energy that needs burning off. It is a dog with a job nobody gave him, and the fix is a different job: stay where told, come when called, and go away from the fence and the other dog when you say so.

Trained Dogs, Not Stock Photos

Be suspicious of trainers' websites, and start with ours. Every dog you see here, in a photograph or a video, was trained by Shawn or is in training with him now. None are models and none are being held in place. They are off leash around strangers and other dogs, quiet near animals, on a slack leash through places full of distraction, with no treat pouch and no remote. The videos show what we mean by trained; Rhode Island families say the rest in the success stories.

In-Home Dog Training for Cranston Families

The in-home program is four private sessions with Shawn, at your house and wherever your dog gives you trouble, whether that is the fence line in Western Cranston, the walkways at Garden City or the sidewalk on Broad Street. It is $2,000 anywhere in Rhode Island, one price for as many as five dogs in the house. You get a customized obedience and behavior plan for your dog and your household, lifetime follow-up at no additional charge, and no hidden fees. The bar we set is on the philosophy and benchmarks page.

Board and Train for the Hard Cases

A dog who has bitten, who guards food or furniture, or who cannot see another dog without losing himself sometimes needs more than visits. Board and train is four to six weeks in Shawn's home, working daily alongside his pack in parks, stores and on public sidewalks, so the calm he comes home with has already held up around real distractions. Shawn handles the pickup and the delivery himself, follows with three reintegration sessions at your house so the respect transfers to you, and stays available for life. Aggression, resource guarding, severe reactivity and chronic anxiety are what it is for; $2,500 to $5,000 depending on the dog, agreed on the phone.

Puppies in Cranston

The easiest window is eight weeks to six months. A Cranston puppy who learns in that window to hold still at the door, settle in a crate, come the first time and walk past the neighbor's dog without a word is a dog you will enjoy for fifteen years. The right time to start is right away. One phone call starts it.

Cranston Owners Ask

Will you come to Garden City with us? That is where he is worst.
Yes. Working at the kitchen table on a problem that lives at Garden City would be a strange use of your money.

Our last trainer used treats and he did fine until the squirrels showed up.
A squirrel is more interesting than a biscuit. He has to listen because you asked, not because you are holding something.

We have a rescue who came to us afraid of everything.
Fear is not a reason to ask less of a dog. It is a reason to give him a leader he can trust.

Start the Conversation

The next step is a free phone consultation at (401) 536-7982. Describe the dog, the house and what happens at Garden City or at the fence, and Shawn will tell you which program fits and what it costs. 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.

Who you are to your dog is EVERYTHING

Shawn Hines
Dog Trainer, Best Buddy Dog Training