Puppy Play n’ Learn + Learn to Train Your Dog: Level 1. Cost: $375  Savings: $40
Please note: Puppy Play n’ Learn is held on Saturday afternoon in Waltham. Most students start with Puppy Play n’ Learn, and then move on to Learn to Train Your Dog: Level 1 so you do not need to select your Level 1 class at this time.

Puppy Play n’ Learn + Learn to Train Your Dog: Level 1 + Level 2. Cost: $560   Savings: $60
Please note: Puppy Play n’ Learn is held on Saturday afternoon in Waltham. Most students start with Puppy Play n’ Learn, and then move on to Learn to Train Your Dog: Level 1 so you do not need to select your Level 1 class at this time.

Purchase Puppy Package 2

Puppy Home Start + Puppy Play n’ Learn. Cost: $415  Savings: $45
Please note: Puppy Play n’ Learn is held on Saturday afternoon in Waltham.

Purchase Puppy Package 3

Puppy Home Start + Puppy Play n’ Learn + Learn to Train Your Dog: Level 1. Cost: $630  Savings: $80
Please note: Puppy Play n’ Learn is held on Saturday afternoon in Waltham. Most students start with Puppy Play n’ Learn, and then move on to Learn to Train Your Dog: Level 1 so you do not need to select your Level 1 class at this time.

Purchase Puppy Package 4

Learn to Train Your Dog: Level 1 + Level 2. Cost: $410  Savings: $45

Purchase Adult Dog Package

Learn to Train Your Dog: Level 1 + Level 2 + Canine Good Citizen Prep. Cost: $595  Savings: $65

Purchase Canine Good Citizen Package

Two advanced (Level 2 Obedience or beyond) classes. Cost: $370  Savings: $40

Purchase Adult Dog Advanced Package

Clients who have taken five or more class sessions at MSPCA are eligible for ongoing discounts. For example, if you have taken Puppy Play n’ Learn and Learn to Train Your Dog: Level 1, you have completed two class sessions. Known as “Frequent Flyers,” they enjoy 25% off each future class session. Contact our Training Coordinators to enroll if you are eligible.

Research has shown that the early weeks of a puppy’s life are crucial to social development, both with other dogs and with people; every day that goes by without socializing and training your young pup is a day lost to his or her social future. For that reason, this class is especially for puppies who are 8-20 weeks old. You will pay $165 for four classes and attend for four consecutive weeks — please pick your start date with this in mind! Puppies will get to socialize and spend time learning to learn; you will get training tips and will learn how to teach your puppy to grow up to be a good dog. Your puppy should have been seen by a vet and be deemed healthy before you bring him/her to class. Puppies in class may not have received all of their vaccinations; if you are concerned about this, speak to your vet before enrolling and read this recommendation from the American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior. For more info on what to expect in puppy class, watch this video! Additional classes can be purchased in blocks of two or four classes as long as your puppy is under five months old at the time of attendance. $165 for four classes. Puppy Play n’ Learn is held on Saturday afternoon & Tuesday evening in Waltham.

Please note: Unless you have a note from your vet showing a medical reason your puppy could not attend, we do not give refunds for PPNL classes if you do not bring your puppy to class. Make up classes are not generally available due to high demand.

Purchase Puppy Play n’ Learn

Need a little extra help at home with your new puppy? Whether you’re a first-time puppy raiser, or it’s just been a long time since you had a puppy, we can help! This series of two one-hour, in-home sessions provides hands-on guidance for puppy management, housetraining, and more with one of our experienced puppy trainers. Decisions such as where to put the crate and how to puppy-proof your home are enhanced by having the on-site trainer’s help. $295 for two in-home classes.

Purchase Puppy Home Start

In this class, you will learn how to teach your dog to work for you for fun rewards, and the behaviors that will be taught in class are:  sit, stay, lie down, come when called, leave it, go to your mat, and loose-leash walking. These are the foundation behaviors that make your dog a good and well-behaved family member. Please note that dogs do not attend the first week of class; it is orientation, for humans only! $250 for seven classes.

See Dates & Enroll in Level 1

Longer stays, better recalls, better attention to you, and adding distractions so your dogs (and you) can continue to be challenged. Prerequisite: Level 1 or; if your dog has been trained using rewards and can sit or lie down on a verbal cue only, hold the position while you walk around them, and take ten consecutive steps in heel position at your left side in the presence of other dogs, you may enroll in this course. If you have any questions about these requirements, email Waltham Training Coordinator. $205 for six classes.

See Dates & Enroll in Level 2

Looking to strengthen your dog’s basic training even more, and learn how to teach them some new behaviors? Learn to Train Your Dog: Level 3 continues to enhance your dog’s loose leash walking, stay, recall, greetings, and mat behaviors. We also introduce some new behaviors to work on your dog’s core strength (tuck sit, kick back stand, back up) as well as ones that are useful in an emergency (come front, stop on recall, moving stand.) Prerequisite: Level 2 or; if your dog has been trained using rewards and can sit, lie down, and stand in heel position; walk on a loose leash past other dogs; and walk on a loose leash past a container of food, you may enroll in this course. If you have any questions about these requirements, email Waltham Training Coordinator. $205 for six classes.

See Dates & Enroll in Level 3

If your dog is very social and you want them to visit nursing homes or hospitals, they should get their American Kennel Club Canine Good Citizen certification. This involves being able to be well-behaved while being handled by strangers, sitting quietly near other dogs, staying calm when there are loud noises, walking through crowds quietly, and six other requirements. You can see all ten exercises here. The CGC test is given several times a year at our Boston facility; email the Training Coordinator if you would like to be notified when the next CGC test is scheduled. Prerequisite: Level 2 or permission of the Training Coordinator. $205 for six classes.

See Dates & Enroll in CGC Prep

Does your dog pull more than you’d like? For some people, this pulling is more than an annoyance, it is causing injury to themselves and/or their dogs. In this focused class, you will work only on loose-leash walking and related behaviors. Prerequisite: None. Please note that this is NOT a reactive dog class; dogs who lunge and bark at others will be referred for a consult with a behaviorist. $145 for four classes.

See Dates & Enroll in Loose Leash Walking Clinic

Older dogs have special training needs! In this class, you will learn to teach your dog some skills that will help deal with any present or future physical disabilities, as well as keeping their dog senses enriched as they age. Curriculum items include:

• climb a ramp
• crate training
• “place” training (lie quietly on a mat)
• “scent” work (“find the treat/scent!”)
• “recipes” for food enrichment toys
• loose-leash walking

Please note that though the class is primarily for seniors (ages 6+), dogs undergoing physical rehabilitation may join the class with their vet’s permission. $145 for four classes.

See Dates & Enroll in Senior Skills

Agility’s popularity is skyrocketing and while it is certainly lots of fun and excitement, it’s also the highest level of Obedience training. To work on some of the foundational skills, consider this 30-minute long, 4-week class that will focus on attention, body awareness, and training concepts to give your dog a head start in Agility. The only prerequisite is familiarity with rewards-based training, ideally using a clicker. This class will not introduce the obstacles used in an Agility course. Successful graduates of this class will be given early notification of the next Intro to Agility session.

Prerequisite: Familiarity with rewards-based training, ideally using a clicker. In order to enroll in this class your dog must be able to eat treats while training and not bark at other dogs, and you must be able to control them without the use of a chain or prong collar — a  martingale or flat collar is fine. (If you have relied on equipment such as a pinch collar or leash corrections and are interested in taking Agility, please email the Training Coordinator.) $75 for four, 30-minute classes. 

See Dates & Enroll in Pre-Agility Foundations

Agility is a dog-training sport where your dog learns how to fly through tunnels and over jumps, and run up and down see-saws! It is the highest level of Obedience training and fun for any dog and handler, whether they want a little exercise with their dog or if their dog needs better responses to training or added confidence. The class is taught indoors in a comfortable, climate-controlled space. Classes run for 6 weeks.

Prerequisite: Learn to Train Your Dog: Level 1. In order to enroll in this class your dog must be able to eat treats while training and not bark at other dogs, and you must be able to control them without the use of a chain or prong collar — a  martingale or flat collar is fine. (If you have relied on equipment such as a pinch collar or leash corrections and are interested in taking Agility, please email the Training Coordinator.) If you have not taken Learn to Train Your Dog: Level 1 at an MSPCA location, you must send your dog’s training history to request permission to enroll in this class. $205 for six classes. 

See Dates & Enroll in Intro to Agility

If you’ve already completed Intro to Agility, this class is your next step! Prerequisite: In order to enroll in this class you must have permission from the Behavior office, as continuing students are eligible to re-enroll before new students may join. If you have not previously taken classes at the MSPCA, please send your dog’s training history to the to request permission to enroll in this class. $205 for six classes.

See Dates & Enroll in Beyond Intro to Agility

“Nosework” is the next big thing in dog training! It is a fun sport that involves teaching your dog to follow their nose to find different scents. Based upon the work that police and bomb- and airport-sniffing dogs do, you dog learns first to find the box that has food in it. Over repeated lessons, the food is then paired with a scent, and the dog continues the hunt! The result is a dog who can search a space for that particular smell. Dogs LOVE this sport, as sniffing is something they were born to do! You will smile with pride as you watch your dog learn how to, well…be such a DOG!

There are three parts to our Introductory Series:
Part 1: Intro to Nosework
Part 2: Beyond Intro to Nosework
Part 3: Intro to Odor

In the first Intro session, we focus on engaging your dog in the search using primary reward — food or toys! We will emphasize the dog’s independence and ability, while also teaching handlers about dog body language as they search. Please note that during class, your dog will wait in your car (weather permitting) or in a crate when it is not their turn to search. Ideally you will be able to watch the other dogs’ turns to enhance your learning, if your dog can tolerate waiting without you. Prerequisite: None. $205 for six classes.

The second Intro session continues building on the skills in the first level, searching in different environments and around various obstacles. We will continue to build your dog’s ability and introduce nose work search elements including continuing to search interiors and containers, but also start on vehicles and exterior environments. Prerequisite: Intro to Nosework. $205 for six classes.

In the third session, we introduce the target odor of birch by pairing their primary reward with the odor. Over time, your dog will learn to search for this specific odor as well as other odors. Prerequisite: Intro to Nosework & Beyond Intro to Nosework. $205 for six classes.

See Dates and Enroll for Intro to Nosework

Once you have completed the three-course Intro sequence, you can join a Novice Nosework class. Dogs may remain in Novice for several sessions before progressing to the Intermediate, and then Advanced, levels. In the Novice level, dogs already searching for birch odor will be introduced to additional target odors including clove and anise. The emphasis for learning will remain on reliability and independence in the search as well as broadening each handler’s understanding of their dog’s body language as they search. This course includes foundation exercises that will continually reward needed skills for competition or fun nose work searching. In the Intermediate level, dogs already searching for all three target odors (birch, anise, and clove) will continue their nose work journey. Emphasis for this course will be on continuing to build ability and independence in searching different environments. Additional challenges will be included which will prepare your dogs for a competition environment or just add to the enrichment value of the activity. In the Advanced level, dogs already searching for all three target odors, and possibly in advanced levels of competition, will be working on challenges to advance their nose work careers. Prerequisite: Intro to Nosework, Beyond Intro to Nosework, & Intro to Odor. $205 for six classes.

See Dates and Enroll for Nosework

Looking for something fun to learn with your dog but not sure what, exactly? Come and try a little Agility, a little Nosework, a little Rally Obedience, and some Trick training. A smorgasbord of training fun! Prerequisite: Learn to Train Your Dog: Level 1 or permission from the Training Coordinator. $145 for four classes.

See Dates and Enroll for Try-It

We offer private training at our facility, as well as in-home training (in some areas; availability is limited.)

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