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Monday 10am - 5pm Tuesday 10am - 5pm Wednesday 10am - 5pm Thursday 10am - 5pm Friday 10am - 5pm

Best Paw Forward

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United States
Hartland, WI
Best Paw Forward

Best Paw Forward trains dogs of all ages, size, and breeds. What can I say....we just LOVE dogs! We We have 2 locations ~ Hartland and Pewaukee.
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Best Paw Forward offers a variety of classes on different days and at various times. To find the class that best fits your schedule, please visit www.bestpawforward.net or call us at 262-369-3935.

11/16/2024

Congratulations to the dogs and their guardians who graduated from Level 2 Manners Thursday evening in Hartland. Each week brought new challenges for them. They worked hard on recall, on gaining focus and on walking nicely on a leash. The last two weeks they enjoyed bringing their dogs through some rally and “road rally” courses, to further strengthen their bond and teamwork. We hope this class has helped each of you advance toward achieving your goals. 🐕

11/15/2024

I read an article recently regarding exercise as a treatment for (human) depression. It suggested that while it should not be a substitute for clinical treatment, in particular, endurance or high-intensity aerobic exercise is beneficial for creating resilience against stress-induced depression. The specifics are a little too deep for this brief post, but basically, studies have shown that certain molecules that are mood-enhancing are impacted by exercise. These molecules trigger the feel-good effects of exercise, may prevent or manage depression, and can create the “runner’s high” phenomenon. So why bring it up here? The same studies in animals demonstrate that exercise also reduces anxiety and pain perception for them as well. While we don’t want to overtax our dogs and have them play harder or longer than they can handle, especially given their age (very young or senior) or breed (think short-nosed or barrel-chested perhaps), regular exercise can be very beneficial to our dogs. It is a natural mood-enhancer and, especially when it involves play or spending time with their favorite human(s), it is just plain fun! As a bonus, I bet you’ll feel better too! Try it and see.

11/14/2024

Congratulations to the teams who graduated from Level 2 Manners class in Hartland on Wednesday morning. Each week brought new challenges for them as they worked on sharpening their skills and taking them to the next level. All these teams progressed very nicely through each of the advanced skills. The last two weeks, they enjoyed bringing their dogs through some rally and “road rally” courses, to further strengthen their bond and teamwork. Hope to see each of you in the future. Whatever you decide to do, keep having fun with your dogs! 🐾

11/13/2024

Wednesday ~

“We loved our class at Best Paw Forward! The instructor was knowledgeable and helpful, and my pup loved to be there. I preferred the positive approach compared to a corrective approach for unwanted behaviors. We’ll definitely be back for more!”

Karyn & Zoey
(Puppy Kindergarten, graduation date 11/3/24)

11/12/2024

🐾Spots Available in Puppy Class Beginning Sunday, November 17th at 4pm🐾

Do you have a new puppy but are already very busy with weekday evening activities? Would you like your school age children to be able to attend class with you and your puppy? Our next Sunday afternoon Puppy class starts this week! There are still a couple of spots available in the Puppy Kindergarten class, which begins on Sunday, November 17th at 4pm in our Hartland location. Please call 262-369-3935 to register for this class.

Please note that class will not be held on December 1st due to the Thanksgiving holiday but will still run for the full six class periods.

This six-week class, for puppies 9 to 15 weeks of age at the beginning of class, teaches you how puppies learn and communicate. You will learn the fundamentals of becoming a benevolent guardian for your dog. Puppy classes include the basics of crate training, house breaking, nipping, chewing, jumping, separation anxiety, basic cues, confidence building exercises and more. There is ample time in each class for the puppies to work on socialization to people, objects, sounds, a new environment and to other puppies, which is a critical part of your puppy’s development. For more details, please visit https://www.bestpawforward.net/manners.html

Puppy Orientation is also available online for registered students if you are not able to make the first class this Sunday.

11/12/2024

Congratulations to the graduates of the Wednesday morning Basic Manners class in Hartland. These teams made incredible strides in building their relationship, improving their communication skills and in learning how to teach their adolescent dogs basic manners skills. We are so proud of how far they have come. Their dedication to helping their pups live their best life is amazing. Keep having fun with your dogs. 🐕

11/11/2024

Veterans come in all shapes and sizes (and species). Today, on Veterans Day, we honor and thank all who have served in the Armed Forces, whether they have two legs or four. For your sacrifice and service, we salute you! 🇺🇸

11/11/2024

Congratulations to the dogs and handlers who graduated from Puppy Kindergarten last Sunday in Hartland! These teams learned all about healthy puppy socialization and play. They created positive associations to new dogs, people, sights, smells, sounds and novel items. The handlers learned the importance of strengthening their puppy’s attention and engagement, especially in the presence of exciting new stimuli, building a strong foundation for well-mannered behaviors as they mature. They also learned to manage the environment or redirect attention when common undesirable puppy behaviors do arise. It was so fun watching each of the team’s confidence grow through learning. We are proud to be a part of your journey. Hope to see you all again in the future! 🐶

11/11/2024

“In a recent conversation with a fellow dog trainer, the phrase “creating an environment of success” was mentioned and it really hit home for me. That’s what the power of choice and positive reinforcement is about: creating an environment of success!” – Irith Bloom, The Sophisticated Dog, LLC

11/09/2024

Congratulations to the teams that graduated from Basic Manners class Thursday evening in Hartland. They not only learned how to help their adolescent pups to develop their basic manners skills and impulse control, they also learned how to better communicate with them, building trust and confidence in each other. It was evident that they put in the work that it takes to make a great team. We are so proud of how far they have come. 🐕

11/08/2024

Does your dog ever run around your house or yard with a one or two minute random burst of energy and then collapse in a heap while panting heavily? If so, then you have just witnessed ‘the zoomies’ or as they are technically known, Frenetic Random Activity Periods (FRAPs). Zoomies are not a bad thing. They are just the dog letting out pent up energy. Almost all dogs do it – especially puppies and younger dogs. As long as the dog is in no immediate danger, you can just let the zoomies run their course. Generally, there is no need to intervene. If there is some reason you want to prevent the zoomies, perhaps your dog is recovering from surgery or an injury, or there are obstacles or dangers where he usually runs, then try to be proactive and provide another outlet for the energy they would normally burn zooming around. A short training session, an activity toy or puzzle (mental stimulation burns energy too), a game of fetch or tug, or a walk would be a good alternative. Otherwise, just stand by and let them run it out. I loved to watch my dogs tear around with their ears slicked back and their tails tucked for better aerodynamics. It seems to bring them so much joy. Go puppies go! 🙂

11/07/2024

Congratulations to the dogs and their people who graduated from Focus and Control last Monday in Pewaukee! Over the six weeks of class, you worked on teaching your dogs exercises and games to help them deal with distractions in the environment and to help keep them engaged with you. You learned how important it is to practice these things in situations where your dog is able to learn, before challenging them with distractions. You all are doing an amazing job with your dogs and made great progress each week. We really enjoyed having you all in class and hope to see you again. 🐕

11/06/2024

Wednesday ~

“We had a blast learning the basics of agility! I definitely feel like my connection with Layla and her confidence has improved. The instructor kept us focused on making it a positive experience for our pups and I appreciate learning how to make training fun for her. She’s gotten more confident on the trails and we were playing around with logs the other day, the class definitely has practical value as well!”

Hannah & Layla
(Puppy Agility, graduation date 10/22/24)

11/05/2024

The clear choice this year and every year - Vote Dogs! 🗳🐶

11/04/2024

Run free, little Raya!

Last week, Raya, the other half of Best Paw Forward’s inseparable spokesdog duo, was reunited with her brother, Riley, at the Rainbow Bridge. Raya had also been with me since just before I took over the business in 2012. She often served as a model for social media or a demo dog in a photo or video. Besides that, she was always ready to run and play, and constantly made me laugh and smile. I’m so grateful that I was able to share her life. Love you, little princess! 💔

11/04/2024

“Time is both free and the most valuable commodity we have and can give those lovely and magic canines in our midst. “- Kristi Benson

11/02/2024

Congratulations to the dogs and handlers who graduated from Rally Obedience 1 last Thursday in Pewaukee! These teams learned the foundations of the dog sport of Rally-O. One of the main goals of the class is to help both ends of the leash work together at becoming a great team. Each week there is a new course more challenging than the week before. All the teams rose to the challenges and worked at building a wonderful flow as they walked the course together. It was a fun class with great camaraderie! Four paws up to all! 🐾🐾

11/01/2024

Are you familiar with the Betari Box graphic? It is a model that helps us understand the impact that our own attitudes and behaviors have on the attitudes and behaviors of the people around us. It can be applied to our work life, our home life…and I think we could also apply it to dog training. Consider for a moment a typical training session with your dog. Perhaps you’ve had a rough day. Maybe nothing major went wrong, but you were frustrated by snarled traffic or you spilled something on your favorite shirt. You start working with your dog and instead of it being the fun, bonding experience that it usually is, you are irritable and impatient when your dog doesn’t ‘down’ quickly or doesn’t loose-leash walk to the level to which he is capable. The more upset you become, the worse your dog performs. Sound familiar? Now, what if you take a short break and play a fun game of tug or fetch, shake off your case of the grumpies, and try your training session again when you are feeling more relaxed and are expecting your dog to succeed. Productive, meaningful communication can now take place, simply because you were willingly to “press the reset button” and step out of the cycle. Amazingly, it seems like you are working with a different dog…or, at least, the one you usually see. Our attitude and resultant behavior can have a huge impact on our dog’s attitude and behavior. Let’s strive to give them our best so we can see them at their best!

Address

1005 Richards Road, Ste H
Hartland, WI
53029

Opening Hours

Monday	10am - 5pm
Tuesday	10am - 5pm
Wednesday	10am - 5pm
Thursday	10am - 5pm
Friday	10am - 5pm

Telephone

+12623693935

Website

http://www.bestpawforward.net/

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Videos

Everyday Enrichment

There are many easy ways to provide enrichment to our dogs in the ordinary course of our lives. When I come home from teaching a class, or from an errand, I encourage my dogs to sniff my pant legs and any bags or packages that I bring home. In doing so, they are able to find enrichment in the scents that have attached themselves to me while away from the house. Similarly, when I receive a package at home, they sniff it to see what might be inside and who might have interacted with it. When a package containing their daily vitamins arrived this past weekend, Riley was very interested in the box both before and after it was opened and emptied. Little interactions like this are a great, free way to provide interest and mental enrichment. (Riley was even more interested in the package when it first arrived but I didn't think to start filming until a little later.) #enrichment #everydayenrichment #smells #sniffing #scents #odors #package #mentalenrichment

When you're making an educational video demonstrating the leave-it cue but your dog has seen the 'forbidden' object a couple of times and would rather have the treat in your hand now. 🤣🤣🤣 #LeaveIt #WhenLeaveItGoesWrong #EducationalVideo #ForceFreeDogTraining #Dogs #CuesNotCommands #BasicSkills

Rally-O

**Facebook Exclusive** One of our more popular classes actually still has a couple of spots available! Our next Rally-O class begins Thursday, August 12th at 7:40pm in our Pewaukee location. Come on in for a fun class and burn off some energy in a climate controlled, safe environment! Rally is a sport, held in conjunction with obedience training, where the dog and handler proceed at their own pace through a course of directional signs in a manner similar to Agility but with obedience signs at each station instead of obstacles. The dog and handler team heel from sign to sign and perform the exercises indicated on the sign at each station. The goal is that the dog and handler learn to work together and create a beautiful flow as they progress on the Rally course. It is so much fun and a great way to continue working on cues and learning new skills while building your relationship with your dog. Basic Manners 1 is a prerequisite. For more information, please visit https://www.bestpawforward.net/dogsport.html and then call 262-369-3935 to reserve your spot. #DogSports #Rally #ForceFreeDogTraining #Dogs #ConfidenceBuilding

Raya Drying Off in the "Carwash"

What is your dog's favorite thing to do after a bath? Raya likes to use the vertical blinds as a carwash. 😂😂 #BathTime #CarWash

Seeking using a snuffle mat

Rocket Recall Graduation Games

Shortcuts

Our Training Philosophy

Training is the most important thing you will ever do for your dog. How you approach training will forever affect the relationship between you and your dog. At Best Paw Forward, we strive to help you and your dog become a team. We truly believe that a relationship built on trust and cooperation will lead to a solid partnership and a lifelong bond.

We believe in positive, motivational training methods, which have been scientifically tested to show great results. We use a reward-based training approach that makes the learning experience fun for the dog and will ensure that your dog will put his "best paw forward", listening to and following your cues. We keep our classes fun for both dogs and guardians while learning in a friendly, positive environment. No pain, no force, no fear.

Best Paw Forward celebrated its 15th anniversary in the dog training business in 2017. We have been voted No. 1 for Best Dog Training on the Milwaukee A-List for eight years in a row and received First Place in the Pet Training category in the 2016 Milwaukee Journal Sentinel's Top Choice Awards - Best of Greater Milwaukee.