If your dog pulls you around the Common, barks at every dog that passes the yard, jumps on whoever comes to the door, or vanishes down the rail trail after something with legs, you have a Natick dog. Suburban yards and busy paths make for a dog with plenty of freedom and nobody he clearly answers to.
Most Natick dogs have been to a class and come home with a sit. A sit in a church basement is not the problem; the problem is the dog's idea that he and you are equals negotiating terms, and a class with a treat pouch confirms it. What ends the negotiation is a dog who trusts and respects you enough to do what you ask because you asked. Shawn Hines has spent more than thirty years training dogs and more than fifteen running Best Buddy Dog Training, and that is what he teaches Natick owners to build.
Dog Training Problems We See in Natick
The class that did not hold
A dog who performs in one quiet room has learned that room. The obedience that matters is the kind that survives the Common on a Saturday, and it is built where the dog actually fails, not where he is comfortable.
The yard and the fence line
A dog who barks at every dog that passes the yard has given himself a job. When the yard is yours, he lies on the lawn and lets the street go by.
Cochituate in October
A dog who comes back from the trail when the game is over has a habit. The recall that holds when the geese go up was built on a leash, under distraction, first.
Jumping on company
People call it friendly. It is a dog deciding who enters his house, and it is dangerous to a toddler. He goes to his spot while the door opens once the house is not his to run.
The Dogs in the Pictures
Every dog pictured or filmed on this site is a dog Shawn trained or is training. Each is a dog Shawn trained, doing what he was asked because he was asked, with no treat waiting and no collar about to buzz. The videos and the success stories are the proof for anyone who wants it first.
In-Home Dog Training in Natick, MA
The in-home program in Natick is four private sessions at your home and in the places you take your dog, and the whole idea is that you come out of them able to train your own dog. Shawn draws up the plan for your dog and your household in particular. Follow-up by phone and video does not end, and does not cost extra; a household with up to five dogs pays the one price, and no hidden charges; further sessions are included for a household that has kept to the plan. Massachusetts owners pay $2,250.
Shawn has made a believer out of me. In short, he is a super dog trainer!
Board-and-Train
For a dog with a real history, there is a second route. Board-and-train puts the dog in Shawn's home, as part of his pack, for four to six weeks of daily work in real places. It exists for aggression, guarding, hard reactivity, chronic anxiety, and the dogs other trainers sent home. Shawn makes the pickup and the delivery himself, and returns for three optional reintegration sessions at your place; after that, the follow-up is for the dog's lifetime. The program is priced for the dog, from $2,500 to $5,000, and confirmed on the phone.
Natick Owners Ask
How long until we see a difference?
That depends on how consistent the household is between sessions, not on the breed.
We did a class and it fell apart outside.
Expected. A dog who performs in one room has learned the room.
We have two dogs. Is that two prices?
No. One price covers up to five dogs in the same home.
Call Shawn
The consultation is a phone call: (401) 536-7982. Shawn picks up himself, and the consultation is free. Lay out what the dog does, and he will give you a straight answer on program and cost. Phone hours are Monday through Friday 8am to 6pm and Saturday 9am to 5pm; outside them, leave a message.
Who you are to your dog is EVERYTHING
Shawn Hines
Dog Trainer, Best Buddy Dog Training
No charge, no obligation.