If your dog has acres to run and no idea what his name means past the stone wall, charges the driveway at the oil truck, or has a recall that ends the moment a deer moves on the rail trail, you have a Groton dog. Room is not the same as rules, and a dog with a great deal of the first and none of the second makes his own.
A puppy raised on acres gets freedom before he gets structure, and by ten months he is big, fast, friendly and completely deaf to his name. He is not being defiant. Nothing in his life has ever required him to check with anyone, so he does not. Giving him that requirement is the training, and it does not come in a bag or on a collar. Shawn Hines has spent more than thirty years training dogs and more than fifteen running Best Buddy Dog Training, and he teaches Groton owners how to give their dog the half he never got.
Dog Training Problems We See in Groton
The driveway
The oil truck comes, the plow comes, a neighbor walks past with a dog, and yours goes down the driveway at full speed, making the decision on his own. The dog you want stands on the lawn while the plow goes by because you said stay, and the wire can stay in the ground as a backstop he never tests.
The rail trail
Deer, turkeys, and other dogs on the trail do not care how well he comes in the kitchen. A recall worth the name is built on a long line with the distractions present, and it holds when the deer breaks.
The puppy on space alone
A puppy on two acres learns that the yard is his, the door stays open, and coming back is optional. Between eight weeks and six months is when the structure goes in ahead of the freedom instead of behind it.
The Dogs in the Pictures
Not one dog pictured here came from a photo library. Each one was trained by Shawn or lives with him now, and you will not find a treat or a remote anywhere in the frame. For the results, the videos and the success stories are a few minutes well spent before you call.
In-Home Dog Training in Groton, MA
Dog training in Groton is four private in-home sessions with Shawn at your home and in the places you take your dog, and in them Shawn teaches you how to train your dog yourself, which is why the change holds. A plan is put together for your particular dog and household. For the life of the dog, you can call or video Shawn at no additional charge; five dogs in the house cost the same as one, and there is nothing hidden in it; more sessions come with it if you have followed the plan and need them. That comes to
BBDT is well worth the investment! I couldn't be happier!
Board-and-Train
There are dogs for whom the answer is weeks, not hours. Board and train is four to six weeks with Shawn and his pack, working every day in stores, on sidewalks, and in parks. Shawn fetches the dog and returns him personally, and afterward, three reintegration sessions at your house transfer the obedience to you, with lifetime support. It is built for aggression, guarding, hard reactivity, chronic anxiety and dogs with a bite in their history. The price is between $2,500 and $5,000 and depends on the dog; it is agreed by phone first.
Groton Owners Ask
He has never been on a leash.
Then that is where off-leash reliability starts.
We have two dogs who wind each other up.
One price covers both, and the plan treats them as the pair they are.
He has bitten someone. Will you take him?
Usually, yes. Say so on the phone so the first session is planned around it.
Call Shawn
Call (401) 536-7982. Shawn takes the call himself; it is free, and there is nothing to sign. Say what is going on with your dog, and he will say what he would do and what it would cost. Call weekdays 8 to 6 or Saturday 9 to 5, or leave a message and he will call back.
Who you are to your dog is EVERYTHING
Shawn Hines
Dog Trainer, Best Buddy Dog Training
No charge, no obligation.