VK Dog Training

11/14/2024

Goose and his owner made the drive from Worcester to the Cape this week to work on off-leash stuff. Lewey was a very patient assistant even though Goose is a large, intact, adolescent male who doesn't really know his size. I think the dogs heard us about 50% of the time over the wind and waves - grateful to have a whistle handy.

(Just a reminder to all my Central Massachusetts clients that beach lessons are an option if you don't mind driving a little bit.)

10/22/2024

She won

10/21/2024

A walk to the ocean, a strange spider that fell on my head, tick hell. We're having a nice time over here.

10/19/2024

Real action packed past couple of days. Group hike with , some refresher lessons for a wiggly lab who doesn't like his nails dremeled - don't worry, he's not being sat on, a wiggly cattle dog who doesn't like getting blood drawn, and (not pictured because I'm horrible about documenting new dogs in training) a first lesson with a timid young dog who happens to love fetch so much so that he interacted with the workmen down the street for the first time when he learned that they could throw a tennis ball. Now we're chilling (sleeping).

10/13/2024

Hi! I'm on the Cape for the winter + spring! Reminder that I train dogs professionally, so tell your local friends and family to reach out to me if they're looking dog-related guidance. (I also do virtual training over Zoom + travel to Central Mass pretty regularly).

I do free phone consultations and despite my best efforts, I tend to give a lot of free advice during those calls.

Here is a painting I found on the internet.

09/14/2024

Thanks everyone who came out today. I really love these group hikes.

08/28/2024

Rocky's the last new client I've taken on before the move. Two lessons in and we've made some huge strides on his various goals. His owners told me at the beginning of lesson two that napping more during the day had reduced his previously frequent hu***ng to almost zero, that made me happy. I've never told a client to make sure their young dog gets more sleep and not had them tell me that it worked like a miracle. Humans and dogs, we're quite alike.

07/17/2024

Chilli and I have been seeing a lot of each other lately

07/05/2024

We have a few guided on and off-leash pack hikes coming up!

The dates are:
July 20th at 10am
July 27th at 10am
August 3rd at 10am

*We may start a hike earlier in the event of hot weather. We will give you plenty of notice if this is the case

The location will be within a 30 minute drive of Worcester and will be sent to attendees upon sign-up.

This hike is open to dogs with reliable off-leash recall, as well as dogs who are able to be on-leash in the presence of off-leash dogs. This does not mean your dog will be pestered by off-leash dogs; we will help you advocate for your dog's space. Let me know if you're unsure of your dog's eligibility.

Space is limited to 6 dogs per hike, the cost is $40/dog.
If you'd like to sign up, just respond to this email.

06/30/2024

Announcement time!

I am both excited and sad to announce that I will be moving out of Central Massachusetts in October. I will be on Cape Cod for the winter and spring, and then will be relocating to the Lakes Region of Maine. While I'm excited for this new chapter and change of scenery, it is extremely hard to think about leaving all of you. All my clients and their dogs have been a big part of why I've stayed in the area so long, and I hope that I find such a vibrant dog community up north. 

What this means for current clients: 

If you are currently in the midst of finishing out a lesson package, I will be reaching out to make sure that we accomplish all our training goals before fall. If you are looking to set up refresher lessons or start a new lesson package, please reach out ASAP so we have enough time to get those in. 

I will be in the area for dog-related activities throughout the winter, so I will still be booking things like off-leash and refresher lessons in person with enough advance notice. I will also be available for lessons if you find yourself on the Cape this winter!

And of course, I'm always a phone call or email away if you need help with anything training-related. I will be offering discounted ($25/hour) virtual refresher lessons for current and former clients to help with the transition. 

What this means for new clients: 

I will still be booking lesson packages given that there is enough time before the first of October to complete them. This means that 6-week lesson packages will not be booked after the end of August, and 12-week lesson packages will not be booked after the first week of July. 

I will be co-hosting a few pack hikes this summer as well, so keep an eye out for those announcements. 

I will be continuing with training during and after the move, and will be expanding my repertoire of services as well, so for those of you with ties to the Lakes Region of Maine, stay tuned!

If you have any questions or concerns about any of this, please reach out! I am extremely grateful to have worked with all of you and to have been a part of your dog's journey. 

Thank you for being a part of what I do. Stay in touch.

05/06/2024

This is Chilli, an 8 month old lab. He loves everyone and everything. We played tug for 40 minutes today during our first lesson. His owners want him to be able to experience all the joys of being doted on by strangers without him knocking them over, and to be able to romp off-leash on all of the nice hiking trails near their house. I think we're gonna have a good time training together and harnessing his unfaltering lab energy.

(Can you tell that he's winding up to jump on me in the second picture 😂 - play now, rules later)

03/01/2024

I have a few pack walks and hikes coming up this month, check them out/sign up here: https://www.vkdogtraining.com/book-online

Pack walks in the city:
Thursday March 14th at 4pm
Saturday March 23rd at 12 noon
$25/dog, 6 dog limit

Pack hikes:
Sunday March 24th at 10am
Saturday March 30th at 10am
$40/dog, 6 dog limit

Group classes are a great way to work with your dog in the presence of distractions. We work on leash walking, obedience, and do fun tricks and play training games.