When it comes to transforming your dog’s behaviors, repetition is everything. Private lessons and group obedience classes can be extremely helpful in building your bond with your dog and teaching them new skills – but what about finding time to practice that training throughout the day?     

We got you! We are here to help reinforce good habits you want to build in your dog, in a way that fits your schedule, through our Day School add-on service. When your fur-baby is here for PLAYtrain® Doggie Daycare, you can add Day School to their day and our trainers will take your pooch for a one-on-one training session to work on specific behaviors you’d like to improve.     

Day School gives your pup an opportunity to practice good manners in a real-life setting, while they’re already here with us for daycare! Here are a few of the most common skills and behaviors that Day School sessions can help with.     

Basic Obedience Training

If your new puppy (or adult dog!) is working on basic commands (like sit, stay, and recall) Day School is a great option to give them some extra practice. In a personalized session with one of our trainers, your pup will study up on their commands and rehearse them in a variety of settings such as our Retail Store, the halls of the facility, and out in the yards.      

Leash Walking

If your pup is walking you more than you’re walking them, we are here to help. Day School is a perfect addition to daycare for dogs who need practice walking politely on leash. One of our trainers will take your pooch for a walk around our Resort, through our Retail Store, and outside. Throughout this session, we use treats and praise to motivate your dog to keep a loose bend in the leash and to pay close attention to their human handler for directions. We’ll even work to get your fur-baby comfortable wearing a Halti if you’d like to use this training tool at home.      

Excessive Barking

Excessive barking can stem from many sources – fear, alert barking, demanding (“pay attention to me right now!”), and more. The right approach to address your dog’s excessive barking will depend on why your pup is barking in the first place. During a Day School training session, one of our trainers will work individually with your dog using positive reinforcement techniques to reward quiet, calm behavior around their particular bark triggers.     

Appropriate Meet ‘N Greet (With People/Dogs)

Does your pup get way too excited when meeting a brand new person or dog? They may pull at their leash, bark and whine excessively, or jump up in their excitement to meet new friends. In a Day School session, our trainers will work with your dog to practice greeting other humans and/or dogs on leash using treats, praise, and basic obedience commands to reward your pup for calm, relaxed behavior.     

Dog-on-Dog Aggression

If your dog shows reactivity around other dogs, Day School can supplement your formal training with additional positive social experiences during their day. Our trainers will work with your dog one-on-one to gradually expose them to other dogs at varying distances, building their trust in their human handler and helping to desensitize them to the presence of other dogs nearby.     

Fear Aggression

Many aggressive behaviors we see in dogs are based in fear, and the answer to fear-based aggression is to build your dog’s confidence in himself and in you, as his human guardian. During Day School, our trainers will take your pup for a confidence-building session. This may include walking your dog on leash around our Resort and Retail Store, practicing obedience commands in various settings, or teaching your dog to climb on and off of our play structures – all of these activities help them build confidence in themselves and trust in their human handler.     

The Learning Goes Beyond Day School

The best part of Day School is that the training doesn’t end when your pup finishes their session. Our motivation-based training philosophy is the foundation of everything we do at JM Pet Resort. It’s woven into all of our services that make up 360° of Happy Health® for your fur-baby     

This means the skills and behaviors your dog works on with our trainers will be reinforced by every staff member who cares for them at our facility, from our PLAYtrain® Specialists out in the yard, to our Health4PETS® Liaisons, Animal Care, and Client Care team members. We’re here to help support your lifelong relationship with your pet, by reinforcing the training work you put in at home, to bring out the best version of your fur-baby.     

Ask one of our Client Care Representatives to add a Day School session the next time you drop-off your pup for PLAYtrain® Doggie Daycare.      

Looking for more in-depth training support? Learn more about our Private Training and Group Obedience Classes.