A Friendly Brand Of Training For Man’s Best Friend

By Jan Howard

Dog Smart Dog Training of CT opened for business on June 5 at 36 Grassy Plain Street in Bethel.

It is the first storefront experience for dog trainers Linda Garner of Wilton and Marianna Beard, a 16-year resident of Newtown.

Both women have trained dogs privately at their homes. Ms Beard has been a professional dog trainer for 20 years, and she taught Ms Garner her dog-training skills.

“I knew I wanted to be a dog trainer when I was three years old,” Ms Beard said. “When I could start taking lessons, I learned more about what not to do than what to do. I did research on pack mentality and read lots of books.”

Ms Garner and Ms Beard both show dogs in obedience trials in dog shows.

Dog Smart Dog Training is open on Mondays and Wednesdays, and will open other weekdays and Saturdays as needed. Training sessions are by appointment only.

Classes are held on Monday and Wednesday evenings, and run from six to seven weeks, depending on whether it is a basic obedience class or for competition. Reservations are currently being accepted for day classes.

Ms Garner and Ms Beard offer puppy playgroups, puppy kindergarten, private lessons, basic obedience, advanced obedience including canine good citizen, and natural treats for dogs.

Puppy playgroups are offered by appointment on Saturday mornings. The playgroups, which are limited to five puppies and their owners, are supervised by one of the trainers. They teach social skills and help the dog owners know what behavior is normal when puppies play together. “We keep the ages and sizes of the dogs similar,” Ms Beard said.

“The people love it,” Ms Garner said. “It’s very informal because it’s not a training session.”

In the puppy kindergarten classes, puppies are introduced to basic obedience commands. “Puppies have a time span that’s the best time to learn, between 8 and 14 weeks,” Ms Beard said. “The earlier you start training a puppy the better.”

“We work with owners to learn how to have a good relationship with their dogs,” Ms Garner said.

“We train from the inside of a dog out,” Ms Beard said. “We teach people to relate to the dog and that certain behaviors are normal. There are also certain behaviors that are normal to dogs but are unacceptable. We teach the dog to conform to human standards.”

Through this training, dog owners learn to understand their dogs’ behavior and when to intervene and when to let their dogs alone, Ms Garner said.

The canine good citizen class is an AKC, seven-week course open to all dogs, including mixed breeds. There is a test at the end of the course. “It’s a nice prerequisite to going into competition,” Ms Garner said.

They also offer novice and advanced competition classes. In the advanced class, all training is off leash.

Natural treats and dog cookies, with no preservatives, are also offered for sale.

Ms Garner and Ms Beard advocate the use of treats during training, to give the dog something to work toward.

They never use correction when teaching dogs, according to Ms Beard.

“There is a time and place for correction if it’s needed, but never in the teaching phase,” Ms Garner said.

Only light discipline is advocated, such as restraining the dog lightly by its collar, or through voice correction, she said.

“Dogs cannot learn if they are fearful,” Ms Beard said.

“There is a lot of positive praise and reward in the beginning,” Ms Garner said. “We also don’t use choke collars as a rule.”

Classes are small, with about seven to a class, to give individual attention.

Ms Garner said as their business grows, they hope to offer agility and trick classes.

Because some veterinarians are cautious about a puppy being with other dogs until it has had all its shots, Ms Garner and Ms Beard offer private lessons in a client’s home or at their shop.

“We help the owners get on a program while their puppies are getting their shots,” Ms Garner said. “The earlier you introduce skills, the better for the dog.”

The basic obedience class teaches the five basic commands: heel, come, sit, down, and stay, Ms Garner said.

The shop consists of a reception area and a large room with pictures of dogs and paw prints painted on the walls. One wall has a floor to ceiling mirror, which Ms Garner said “is a great learning experience for the puppies.”

“Most people come in serious and leave smiling,” Ms Beard said. “Everything is explained to the dog owners.”

“You have to laugh and have a happy voice when you are training,” Ms Garner said.

“We’re empowering the owner,” she said. “We make sure they understand what to do when we’re not around. The owners are confident, and the dogs are happy.”

Ms Garner and Ms Beard will present a training demonstration on July 15 from 1 to 2 pm on the Bethel green. In the near future, they hope to sponsor a pet contest, with prizes and training demonstrations.

For information about training classes and fees, call Dog Smart Dog Training at 778-0421.