Animal Alliances Dog Training School

Animal Alliances Dog Training School Group manners classes for puppies, adolescent, and adult dogs
In-home classes
One-on-one training
Be

The Animal Alliances staff is: Caroline Moore (owner), Alex Wise, Kristin Neal, and Darcy Clifford. All of our trainers have been certified by the Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers and actively pursue continuing education to expand and improve our knowledge base. Animal Alliances uses only scientifically based, force-free methods to teach behaviors and to manage and modify your p

et's issues. Our focus is on helping dogs become happy, eager learners who cooperate willingly with their humans.

Nail trimming, like reactivity work, is more about how the dog is feeling than any specific behavior (or lack thereof). ...
06/01/2025

Nail trimming, like reactivity work, is more about how the dog is feeling than any specific behavior (or lack thereof). The thing that makes my heart the warmest about this picture is that after our nail trimming session was over, she chose to stay and keep snuggling with me. No matter how many nails actually get trimmed, preserving and strengthening our relationship is my main goal.

If you’re struggling with nail trims, brushing, tooth brushing, ear cleaning, vet visits, or other husbandry tasks, I highly recommend the book Cooperative Care: Seven Steps to Stress-Free Husbandry by Deb Jones, PhD, as well as the associated FB group. Having trouble working on your own? Our trainers are here to support you!

05/29/2025

When I adopted Tiny Toni a couple of summers ago, she was TERRIFIED the first time I ran the blender. She bolted across the house and hid, trembling. I immediately launched a plan to help her overcome her fear of the blender noise: every time I was about to run the blender, I would loudly say, “LOUD SOUND!” I’d then turn the blender on and off, say “YAAAAAAY!!!” and start handing out treats like they were going out of style. Pretty soon, all of my dogs would come running when I said, “LOUD NOISE!” To this day, the beagle will come sprinting from across the house or yard if she hears me using the blender or food processor! 😂🥳🐶

Happy birthday to one of the greats of animal training, Karen Pryor! This video is a great demonstration of how clicker ...
05/15/2025

Happy birthday to one of the greats of animal training, Karen Pryor! This video is a great demonstration of how clicker training works.

My very first exposure to clicker training was Karen Pryor’s book “Getting Started: Clicker Training For Cats.” It unlocked for me the absolute magic of learning how to communicate kindly with animals. I had the good fortune of seeing Karen talk at several ClickerExpo conferences over the years and reading all of her books. She may be gone, but she has left an indelible mark on the world by bringing humane, science-based training to the public. Thank you, Karen!

05/01/2025

Welcome to the Greenfield Recreation Department. We create community through people, parks, and programs!

04/29/2025

Spring has sprung, and Outdoor Etiquette classes are here! Practice your dog's manners in the real-life setting of Child's Park!

This is just as true with dogs (or any other species) as it is with horses or humans. Respecting the other party’s asks ...
04/09/2025

This is just as true with dogs (or any other species) as it is with horses or humans. Respecting the other party’s asks and boundaries and getting active consent for touching builds strong, healthy, trusting relationships. Learn to read your dogs’ body language and how they tell you what they want and don’t want. Invite them to come and be touched instead of moving in and touching them. Pause in your touching and see if they ask you to continue by leaning in. Be patient. Let them initiate contact. The relationship you’ll build is worth the patience you put into it.

INAPPROPRIATE TOUCHING

I'm reading an amazing book called Amphibious Soul by Craig Foster, the Academy award winning documentary film maker of "My Octopus Teacher".

If you haven't read it, I highly recommend it, it is simply profound.

In the book he says "As a rule, I never touch an animal unless they touch me first".

In my work building relationship with horses, I do this too. Most times a horse will touch you with their nose/muzzle first, and matching that greeting (versus labelling the horse as a biter) is a game changer.

But there's a phenomenon I have noticed going on with people trying to build relationship with their horses that I have labelled "inappropriate touching", and it looks a bit like the photo below.

This picture was taken at a horse expo in Pennsylvania recently, where I worked with a demo horse who has a "biting issue". He would reaching out in a way that his owner was termed as nipping, whereas I interpreted as him saying hello, similar to reaching out to shake hands with someone.

When he reached out I would greet him with a flat hand that he is able to to nuzzle, lick or even scrape his teeth on. After doing this a while his snappy acting motions got less so, and he was no longer needing to say "hey, pay attention" , but was more "hey, how's it going". I was explaining to the audience that I was meeting him in the way that he was meeting me (with his muzzle) and that it's not an invitation to touch other parts (yet).

I then said that it's many people's default to reach up and rub a horse between the eyes, whether that's what they are offering or not, and that if you do, it's inappropriate touching and it gets in the way of connection. It doesn't meet their needs, and is all about yours.

With the horse in the picture, he'd been engaging me with his muzzle, and I said to the audience "watch what happens when I try to rub him between the eyes". As you can see in the photo, he has raised his head up and is clearly indicating "No, not there, on my muzzle".

We had a Connection And Attunement retreat here at the Journey On Ranch a week ago, and I used my wife Robyn to illustrate this point to the participants. I said "imagine I'm at a gathering and meeting Robyn for the first time". We walked up to each other in that way people do when they see someone new and they can tell an introduction is shaping up, Robyn reached out with her hand to say hello and instead of me reaching out to shake her hand, I gently reached up and lightly brushed a wisp of hair from her cheekbone and tucked it behind her ear.

The participants all gasped and the ick factor was high.

Even though it was caring, and gentle, it was inappropriate at that moment.

Now Im not saying you can't rub your horse on the forehead. I'm saying if your horse has a disregulated nervous system around humans because they don't feel seen (and safe), try to meet their needs first, before trying get get yours met.

I recently saw an instagram post from a University in the UK, and the professor was explaining that they were doing studies on horses to determine levels of stress. In the background a horse was standing with his head out over a Dutch door. While he was explaining their investigations on stress, a female student (or maybe another professor, I don't know which) walked up to the horse. The horse reached out with his muzzle to greet her.

She ignored this and reached up to rub the horse between the eyes.

He turned his head 90 degrees to the left to communicate that wasn't what he was offering.

Her hand followed him and kept rubbing.

he then turned his head 180 degrees to the right, saying "No, not like that".

Smiled, gave him another pet between the eyes, and walked of camera.

While the professor was saying that they are doing experiments determining the amounts of stress horses are under, someone in the background was actually creating stress, without either of them even knowing it.

Once you understand how sentient horses are, and how subtle their communication, you can't unsee it.

03/20/2025

What are your dog’s breed instincts? What activities do you do with your dog to make sure those instincts are fulfilled?

My border collie LOVES to run around things in circles. One of his favorite activities is running after/around other dogs while they run, so we have friend-dogs over and play fetch with them while Rye runs after and around them. The joy on his face makes my heart warm!

My beagle loves to sniff, so we do long sniffy walks in the woods every day. If she needs to sniff a spot for longer than the other dogs do, I do little training games with them to give the beagle the time she needs to get her sniffs in.

How do you meet your dog’s instinctive breed needs?

Are you looking for a way to do some good in the world right now? This is a non-profit run by a dog trainer to take in a...
03/12/2025

Are you looking for a way to do some good in the world right now? This is a non-profit run by a dog trainer to take in and care for elderly dogs so they don’t have to spend the end of their lives in a shelter. They could use help right now. Can you donate a few dollars? Every bit helps!

Folks, we need help. We are at the bottom of the barrel financially right now and need help. We cannot take in or help any more old dogs until we are above water and it’s been an incredibly expensive and exhausting few months. Between diagnostics and end of life care and all the medications on top of overhead we are really struggling.

If you can’t donate - can you share our mission? Every penny goes towards the care of these discarded, surrendered or transferred senior hospice animals and giving them the best possible end of life they could ask for. It’s a labor of love and passion and we would do anything for them.

If youve done facebook fundraisers we only get those at the end of every month, in one lump sum.

Funds we can access immediately can come through PayPal on our site -

Www.olddogsgotohelen.com/donate

You can also mail any donations to

83 range road, Epsom, nh 03234

Thank you so much❤️
- Helen and Jake

Canine Nosework in action! I think of Nosework as dogs getting to use their “superpower:” their amazing sense of smell. ...
02/28/2025

Canine Nosework in action! I think of Nosework as dogs getting to use their “superpower:” their amazing sense of smell. Nosework can be a fun game, or dogs can learn to sniff out diseases, cancer, blood sugar changes, drugs, produce, wildlife being smuggled, endangered species being studied and protected, and invasive species being battled. Your own dog can learn to sniff out your keys and wallet!

To get started in this fun dog activity, sign up for a beginner Nosework/Scentwork class!

FREE WEBINAR this Wed 2/26! Join the staff of the Integrity Veterinary Center for an overview of the conditions that are...
02/21/2025

FREE WEBINAR this Wed 2/26! Join the staff of the Integrity Veterinary Center for an overview of the conditions that are common in older dogs and cats, including muscle loss, osteoarthritis, kidney disease, and increased risk of cancer. We will discuss what you can do when your pet is younger to minimize risks and talk about certain breed-related problems.

For more info & to sign up: https://rivervalley.coop/event-details/caring-for-pets-in-their-golden-years-2-26-25

Looking for a new family member? Maybe one of these cuties is for you!
02/21/2025

Looking for a new family member? Maybe one of these cuties is for you!

The hound and beagle mix dogs range in age from 1 to 10 years old, according to the MSPCA-Angell.

Address

Northampton, MA

Opening Hours

Monday 5:15pm - 8pm
Tuesday 5:15pm - 8:30pm
Wednesday 5:15pm - 8:30pm
Thursday 5:15pm - 8:30pm
Friday 11:45am - 3:30pm
Saturday 11:45am - 5pm
Sunday 12pm - 8pm

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Our Story

At Animal Alliances, we offer force-free group dog training classes for dogs of all ages and breeds. Our goal is to give humans the tools to communicate effectively with their dogs and to enhance the bond between each human and dog.

Caroline Moore, the owner and head trainer of Animal Alliances, took over the dog training school from Kelley Bollen, founder of Animal Alliances in 2018 when Kelley moved across the country. Kelley is very much missed, and we strive to continue her legacy of providing excellent dog training to the Pioneer Valley.