About Us
Who is Mary Puppins?
The most obvious benefit of a socialization program is a friendly, confident dog.
I’m an accredited pet trainer who has worked for years with a large retailer teaching classes, private lessons, and in-store board-and-train sessions. I started Mary Puppins after seeing the challenges presented by a corporate setting – mainly that we were only able to work with the dogs in one environment, the store, where the dogs’ behavior was significantly different than at home or outdoors. I also found that many of my students were having trouble finding the time needed to help their dogs master the lessons taught in class. Through Mary Puppins’ unique day-training program, I strive not only to teach the pet parent how to train, but to actually do the training – something that could never be accomplished in an hour a week.
How does the program work?
We begin with an interview to find out what progress has been made, what challenges you are facing, and what your goals are for training, specifically the types of activities you would like your dog to participate in. Mary Puppins will then create a personalized curriculum based on your dog’s needs.
The program includes three sessions a week: two 1-hour sessions in the home or neighborhood to teach new behaviors and curb bad habits, and one 2-hour socialization session that includes a field trip to a distracting location, such as a park, café, or pet-friendly retail store. The socialization session is the key to ensuring consistent behavior no matter where you go with your pet.
At the end of each session, I will record a short video explaining how you can reinforce the lessons for your dog. Since this program is designed with busy people in mind, most pet parents choose not to be present for the training sessions, so the videos provide needed demonstrations of hand signals and luring techniques. Even if the pet parent is available to participate in the lesson, the videos are a helpful tool for reviewing with the rest of the family.