Dog Training Academy

The Academy

Serving the Pioneer Valley with
Behavior Modification & Rehabilitation; Obedience;
Off-Leash Reliability & Tail Waggin’ FUN!

Inspiring Dogs & Their People to Get Their Wag On!

It’s never too late to teach an old dog new tricks, and we believe it’s never too late to train any pet. Our services are designed with you and your pet in mind, and we believe in working as much with you as with your animal. We are proud of our high success rate and the level of satisfaction our clients, and their pets, come away with every time – guaranteed.

Licensed, Bonded & Insured for your piece of mind.

A staple of Dog Training, walking politely on a leash, is a skill that all dogs and their handlers must master. The leash walk is a bonding exercise that improves the dog-human relationship, and it is of course a safety issue for both dog and walker. We also know the dog who walks politely gets longer walks, which is also mutually beneficial to all involved.

The Leash Manners 101 course is a private two-session course sequence scheduled over two weeks; the first week introduces the requisite skills and protocols, and after practicing for a week we meet again to fine-tune the experience. A major improvement is guaranteed!

Tuition for the 2-week sequence is $195 with corrective collar additional (If Required).

Call us and get on the road to a drama-free dog walking experience!

The Academy

Basic Obedience is not only the starting point in Dog Training and on the journey to a well adjusted and well mannered dog, it is also a critical aspect of the deep and respectful bond we all aspire to have with our family pets. Here at The Academy we show you step by step, exactly how to achieve the reliable obedience that fosters that loving & respectful bond.

We offer private “in-your-home” lessons as well as small group classes at Wagging Tails Pet Resort in Hadley MA. We also offer the coveted AKC Canine Good Citizen certification.

All Basic Obedience Training packages result in the establishment of a life-long communication system, an unparalleled education in dog training protocols and Behaviorology, and your dog learning the skills requisite to having a happy life in our human dominated world.

Below is a list of dog training classes offered with The Academy at Wagging Tails Pet Resort. Classes meet once each week for one hour. Classes are offered in a group format at Wagging Tails Pet Resort, 220 Russell Street, Suite #500, Hadley, MA 01035 or can also be arranged as private in-your-home classes for aggressive, fearful or timid dogs or simply for your convenience. In-your-home lessons can be arranged within a 30 minute drive from Hadley MA, or throughout Southern New England for a small Travel (gas) fee.

If you would like to register for a class please go to the Book Now button and set up your profile in our customer portal or call 413-322-3333 or send an email to info@waggingtailspetresort.net

AKC S.T.A.R. Puppy Training Class

For Pups from 2 – 6 months old

Allows (in any position) petting by a person other than the owner
Grooming-Allows owner handling and brief exam (ears, feet) Walks on a Leash-Follows owner on lead in a straight line (15 steps)
Walks by other people-Walks on leash past other people 5-ft away
Sits on command-Owner may use a food lure
Down on command-Owner may use a food lure
Comes to owner from 5-ft when name is called Reacts well to Distractions-distractions are presented 15-ft away
Stay on leash with another person (owner walks 10 steps and returns)

From socialization to bonding and foundational concepts, this information packed class is for puppies. Get an early start on training and relationship building and learn to inspire your new pup to be a happy and an integral part of your family! Pups learn their name, as well as focus and orientation skills; we play confidence building games and work on some basic obedience skills. Puppy handlers learn about crate training, house-training, bite inhibition, dog handling and the importance of proper play behavior, socialization and more!

The AKC S.T.A.R. Puppy program focuses on all the things every puppy and owner needs to have a great start together.

STAR stands for Socialization, Training, Activity and a Responsible owner and in addition to teaching and testing a variety of owner and puppy behaviors this six week long STAR puppy class, teach the following puppy behaviors and skills:

AKC S.T.A.R. Puppy prepares pups to move on to the AKC Canine Good Citizen training. For example, in STAR, puppies must walk on a leash in a straight line. In CGC, the task becomes more advanced with dogs walking in a pattern that includes right and left turns and stops.

The skills in AKC S.T.A.R. Puppy classes are practical and functional. Teaching puppies to tolerate grooming, handling, and basic exams of the ears, feet, and mouth will result in well-mannered puppies that veterinarians are happy to see.

This class meets once each week for 6 consecutive weeks, from 7 pm to 8 pm for one hour. And you can bring the kids too as long as they are over 12 years of age, but NO CELL PHONE USE PLEASE!
Tuition: $195/Puppy
In-Your-Home Tuition: $900/6 Classes

Upcoming Course Dates

January 9th

March 1st

April 17th

To schedule please click here

or call to schedule today at 413-923-7034

AKC Canine Good Citizen PLUS

(Basic through Intermediate Obedience)

This class focuses on improving the bond between you and your dog through effective communication and basic obedience. Through an understanding of K9 Learning Theory and correct and consistent communication, you will learn why dogs do what they do and how best to inspire them to do what you want them to do! And your dog will learn to be a well-behaved member of the family through the use of basic to intermediate commands which will engender confidence, impulse control, focus and proper socialization. For pups with the requisite temperament this class also earns the coveted AKC Canine Good Citizen certification! Bring the whole family, including children over 12 years of age, but NO CELL PHONE USE PLEASE.

The AKC Canine Good Citizen Program teaches good manners to dogs and responsible dog ownership to their owners. The 10-step CGC test is a non-competitive test for all dogs, including purebreds and mixed breeds. It is a prerequisite for many therapy dog groups and some homeowner’s insurance companies encourage CGC testing. There are also an increasing number of apartments and condos that require resident dogs to pass the CGC test.

Per the Canine Good Citizen curriculum, this course teaches and tests:

Test 1: Accepting a friendly stranger
Test 2: Sitting politely for petting
Test 3: Good appearance and grooming
Test 4: Out for a walk (walking on a loose leash)
Test 5: Walking through a crowd
Test 6: Sit and down on command and Staying in place
Test 7: Coming when called
Test 8: Good reaction to another dog
Test 9: Good reaction to distraction
Test 10: Supervised separation

In addition to the above-mandated commands (Sit, Down, Stay, Come and Walk on a leash) we will add Touch, The name game or Look, Off, Leave-It, and Go-To-Place!

This class meets once each week for 6 consecutive weeks, evenings from 7 pm to 8 pm for one hour.

Tuition: $195/dog

In-Your-Home Tuition: $900/6 Lessons

Upcoming Course Dates

January 11th

February 27th

April 26th

To schedule please click here

or call to schedule today at 413-923-7034

Canine Good Citizen Certification Test (CGC)

Any dog/handler team can schedule and take the CGC test, if you believe you are ready.

For details on the test please follow this link: https://www.akc.org/events/cgc/training_testing.cfm

Testing is scheduled directly through the Evaluator at 413-923-7034, takes place at Wagging Tails Pet Resort, 220 Russell Street, Suite #500, Hadley, MA 01035, and the cost for the test is $100

Agility Training Class

Looking for a fun way to bond with your dog and put his natural instincts to work? Check out dog agility training.

Dog agility is a popular canine sport in which a handler directs a dog through a variety of obstacles such as a tunnel, teeter-totter, tire jump, weave poles, pause table, and standard jumps. During competitive agility events, handlers attempt to navigate dogs through a course as quickly and as accurately as they can.t 413-322-3333

For Upcoming Course Dates

Please check our events page

To schedule please click here

or call to schedule today at 413-322-3333

The Academy

Achieving extremely high level obedience results takes a great deal of effort and a serious time commitment. For those with busy schedules or for whom spectacular dog obedience is desired or required The Academy offers our completely customizable Obedience Training Camps. From basic obedience encompassing name recognition, focus and confidence building games and exercises as well as basic commands to advanced on and off leash obedience under high distraction, with full

The Academy

reliability, The Academy offers standardized Basic, Intermediate and Advanced training camps or will customize a program for your specific needs and desires!

Additionally, through our Obedience Training Camps The Academy offers your choice of the AKC STAR Puppy, Canine Good Citizen, Community Canine and/or Urban Canine certifications.

Dependent upon desired results The Academy offers 5 Day, 12 Day and 19 Day Board and Train as well as “Day-School” programs. All camps begin on Monday and culminate with a Saturday “graduation” where the Hoomans are taught the skills and protocols requisite to maintain their pup’s awesome skills and behaviors.

Tuition & Curriculum are as follows:

5-Day Associate’s Level Training Camps mirror our Basic Obedience and Puppy courses.

Tuition starts at $995

12 Day Bachelor’s Level Training Camps mirror our Basic + Intermediate Obedience courses.

Tuition starts at $1995

19-Day Master’s Level Training Camps mirror our Basic + Intermediate + Advanced Obedience courses and includes the AKC Canine Good Citizen certification.

Tuition starts at $2895

***Our Off-Leash Reliability Training can be added to any of the above programs for an additional tuition of $795 plus the cost of an E-Collar ***

For clients of Wagging Tails Pet Resort who would like to have their pup’s learned behaviors reinforced or specific problem behaviors addressed and mitigated or solved, we offer our Daycare-Academy Program.

Some examples of behaviors that may be addressed during the Daycare-Academy Program are as follows;
Walking politely on leash

Jumping on People

Door/Guest etiquette

Off-Leash refresher

Basic Obedience Cues such as:
Sit

Down
Stay/Wait
Go-To-Place
Off
Leave-It
Drop-It Or add distraction, distance or duration work to any known cue

This is a great way to have your pup’s good behaviors reinforced or to have a professional trainer work to extinguish unwanted behaviors.

Daycare-Academy tuition is added to your daycare fee and secures a minimum of 2-30 minute sessions for $100 of training.

Call Greg at 413-322-3333 to discuss your specific needs and/or to book your training sessions today!

To schedule please click here

You must be an existing customer who is scheduled for Daycare or Boarding

Agility

Looking for a fun way to bond with your dog and put his natural instincts to work? Check out dog agility training.

Dog agility is a popular canine sport in which a handler directs a dog through a variety of obstacles such as a tunnel, teeter-totter, tire jump, weave poles, pause table, and standard jumps. During competitive agility events, handlers attempt to navigate dogs through a course as quickly and as accurately as they can.
Although each performance is timed, having a good race time is not the goal; it’s all about working as a team while performing the skills, with the dog under control. It’s about having fun t-o-g-e-t-h-e-r while learning new skills t-o-g-e-t-h-e-r.
Prerequisites: Dog must know basic commands, i.e., sit, down, come, stay. Dogs must be at least 6 months old and provide proof of current Rabies and Distemper inoculation. It’s a perfect way for you to develop the focus that is so important between you and your dog, and a great starting point for those who are new to canine sports. If you never want to compete, that’s okay. You’ll have fun learning along the way. If you decide that you would like to compete, we’ll get you ready.

Prerequisites: dog must know basic commands, i.e., sit, down, come, stay. Dogs must be at least 6 months old and provide proof of current Rabies inoculation.

Looking for a fun way to bond with your dog and put his natural instincts to work?Check out dog scent work training.

Scent Work is a sport that mimics the task of working detection dogs to locate a scent and communicate to the handler that the scent has been found. Real-life detection dogs are trained to search for a variety of things–drugs, explosives, human remains, currency, other contraband, living humans (such as for Search and Rescue), and much more. Scent Work takes this amazing working relationship and turns it into a fun game that any dog can play. It’s about having fun t-o-g-e-t-h-e-r while learning new skills t-o-g-e-t-h-e-r.

Prerequisites: dog must know basic commands, i.e., sit, down, come, stay. Dogs must be at least 6 months old and provide proof of current Rabies inoculation.

This is a six week course on Mondays from 5:30 pm – 6:30 pm

Jim Helems

Jim’s life is all about dogs. He currently shares his home with his wife, four Australian Shepherds, has cats, plus raises Nigerian Goats, Runner ducks, turkeys, chickens and guinea hens.

Our Training Philosophy

I strongly believe that the relationship with your dog can be as strong as any human to human relationship can be. In such, I believe the training between you and your pal should include:

Bonding Games
Building trust between you and your pal
Mental games for your dog
Physical games for strength building
Socialization, to make your friend comfortable in our strange and noisy world
Recall Training (come when called)
Raising your pup as holistically as you can through nutrition, appropriate vaccinations, timely spay/neuter and raising your dog as a dog.
And most importantly, training should be fun for both partners; human and canine alike. If either of you are frustrated or the training feels like work then the training will not be as effective as it should be.

Jim’s Experience

Jim has been training dogs all his life, but after retiring from the U.S. Air Force, (Field Medic), he started working with dogs in Behavior Modification, Dog Sports and in basic dog training skills (from puppies to adults)

But Pyro, one of Jim’s dogs has helped him learn more than any formal training class could ever do. Pyro is an Australian Shepherd, a herding breed, that has dog to dog issues, hyper anxiety levels and is hyper vigilant. Jim wanted to help him to live in our human world and in this effort he traveled, with Pyro throughout the U.S. working with some of the best trainers.

Some of this training included your basic dog dog training techniques but also included:

Dog working camps
Clicker training
Dog Comminicators
Dog Reiki sessions
Holistic Methods (Food modifications)
And more

Although Pyro is not cured he is now living comfortably in our human society and travels wih Jim to Adventure Dogs USA events, Dog Parks, seminars and more.

This experience can know help you with your dog behavior and training needs.

Qualifications:

APDT Canine Life and Social Skills Evaluator, #E750511
Adventure Dogs USA Founder
Certified Canine Nutrition Specialist
Good Canine Citizen (CGC) Evaluator, #84710
Certified Dog Trick Instructor
Canine Conditioning Coach
Certified Master Pet Tech Pet First Aid and CPR Instructor, #1613
Certified American Red Cross Pet First Aid and CPR Instructor
Therapy Pets Unlimited Evaluator
Service Dog Trainer for “Train A Dog – Save A Warrior”
Certified K9 Fit Trainer
Judge AKC Farm Dog
Judge AKC ScentWork
Judge Performance Scent Dogs
Judge Do More With Your Dogs – Stunt Dogs
SOLO Wilderness Medicine Instructor
Leave No Trace Master Instructor
Massachusetts Certified Animal Control Officer
Massachusetts Pilot/Animatch Evaluator
Appalachian Mountain Club Hike/Backpack and Canoe Leader
Licensed Presenter for Dogs and Storks
Presenter for “Be A Tree” Dog Bite Prevention programs
Reiki Level 2

Other Affiliations and Experience:

Member of The Association of Pet Dog Trainers
Past Troop Leader Dog Scouts of America Troop 211
Radio host of Canine Conversation
Team Leader All-Star Performance Dog Team
Training Leader Hampshire Emergency Animal Response Team (H.E.A.R.T.)
Member State of Massachusetts Animal Response Team (SMART)
Member Berkshire Disaster Response Team (BDART)
Member Central Massachusetts Disaster Response Team (CMDART)
National Responder for the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW)
National Responder for the American Society of Prevention Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA)
Volunteer at Dakin Pioneer Valley Humane Society (Vet Clinic)
Volunteer New Spirit 4 Aussie Rescue

Dog Day Care

Dog Grooming

Dog Day Care