If you are looking for dog training in Massachusetts, you probably have a dog who pulls, barks, jumps, lunges at other dogs or does not come when called, and you have probably already tried something: a class, a harness, a trainer with a treat pouch. The dog may be better for a week. Then he is himself again, because nothing underneath has changed.
Most dog trainers teach the dog to perform for a reward or to stop for a correction. The dog who comes when called in a field full of other dogs, and lies still while strangers pass by—without treats or an e-collar—is not a dog who has learned to expect payment. He is a dog who has been well-trained. Shawn Hines has spent more than thirty years training dogs and more than fifteen running Best Buddy Dog Training, and he teaches Massachusetts owners to train their dogs to that standard, and more.
Where the Trouble Starts
Town by town
Beverly, Boston, Cambridge, Cohasset, Concord, Duxbury, Framingham, Groton, Hingham, Lexington, Natick, Newton, North Andover, Wellesley, Weston, Wrentham, Andover, Marblehead and Worcester. If yours is not on that list, call and ask.
The dog who performs for food
A treat-trained dog has learned a trade: behavior for payment. This style of training can take a very long time. Shawn's dogs are not performing for treats. They are cooperating because they are obedient, and the difference shows the moment something more interesting than a treat walks by.
The dog who stops for a shock
An e-collar can stop a behavior from fifty yards. What it cannot do is tell the dog anything about you, because the correction arrives from nowhere and is impersonal.
The city dog and the country dog
A Boston dog who lunges in the elevator and a Groton dog who runs the deer might look like different problems. But they are the same dog with nobody to defer to, in a small room and a large field. The fix is the same in both places, and it is not more exercise.
The dog who has already been through a trainer or two
A good share of the dogs Shawn sees have failed somewhere else, and their owners expect to hear that the dog is the problem. There's always more to the story. A balanced, healthy and natural relationship between owner and dog is where we begin. Leadership and obedience are the results.
The Dogs in the Pictures
Every dog pictured or filmed on this site is a dog Shawn trained or is training. They were trained by Shawn or are in training with him, and none of them is working for a treat or wearing an e-collar. The videos and the success stories are the proof for anyone who wants it first.
What Massachusetts Owners Say
I am now able to better enjoy my time and my life with Joy. Shawn at Best Buddy Dog Training changed my life for the better.
We tried four different training styles with no results. This investment has been well worth it.
We were so pleased with the strategies and tactics Shawn showed us.
I never thought we could save this pup. This was the best investment we ever made in a pet.
Shawn has made a believer out of me. In short, he is a super dog trainer!
In-Home Dog Training Anywhere in Massachusetts
Across Massachusetts, in-home training is four private sessions with Shawn at your house and wherever you take your dog, and the lessons are aimed at you: by the end you know how to train your own dog. Lifetime phone and video follow-up is part of the price, the fee covers up to five dogs in the home, and no hidden charges; further sessions are included for a household that has kept to the plan. The plan is built around your dog and the way your house runs. The Massachusetts in-home program is $2,250.
Board-and-Train
When in-home training will not be enough, there is another way. Board and train is four to six weeks in which the dog lives with Shawn, runs with his pack, and works every day in public places. It is intended for aggression, resource guarding, severe reactivity, chronic anxiety, and dogs with a bite behind them. Shawn picks the dog up at your door and brings him back the same way, and comes back for three reintegration sessions; support continues for the dog's life. The dog's size and issues determine the price, $2,500 to $5,000.
Questions We Get from Massachusetts Owners
Is a puppy too young to start?
No. We start puppies as young as eight weeks old.
He is good with me and terrible with my husband. Which of us needs this?
The dog has decided who he answers to and behaves accordingly. This is fairly normal. We teach you and your husband how to get obedience and cooperation from teh dog without changing anyone's personality.
Do you use treats or an e-collar?
Neither.
He has bitten someone. Will you take him?
Usually, yes. Say so on the phone so we can discuss the safest and best options.
Call Shawn
The number is (401) 536-7982. No charge, no script, and it is Shawn on the line. Give him the real version of what your dog does, and he will give you a real answer about what to do and what it costs. Monday through Friday 8am to 6pm, Saturday 9am to 5pm; otherwise leave a message and he will call you back.
Who you are to your dog is EVERYTHING
Shawn Hines
Dog Trainer, Best Buddy Dog Training
No charge, no obligation.