Our QK SIGNATURE Obedience Training Programs

Obedience Training for all breeds!

We are advocates of all dogs, breeds, ages, and backgrounds to include rescue dogs, shelter dogs, abused and neglected dogs. We accept most dogs into our training programs – HOWEVER we can no longer accept severely aggressive dogs or dogs with a bite history.

Our Obedience Training specializing in manners, socialization and all around good dog behavior from Connecticut, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New York, all of New England and beyond. Quinebaug Kennel’s 50-acre Canine Campus provides a fantastic venue for the daily care, exercise and rigorous training programs for dogs of all ages, sizes, breeds and temperament levels. From our fenced-in QK Challenge Course in our new covered arena to our patience line area, our vast exercise and play yards to our spacious kennel areas, the entire Campus is set up to keep dogs happy, exercised, safe and structured.

YOUR FIRST STEP: Fill out the Dog Obedience Assessment Form Here

How Can We Help You?

It is important, to be honest, clear and fair with your intentions, expectations and commitment to your dog. While our goal is to train EVERY dog to be obedient, respectful, willing, and polite, we must always take into consideration each individual dog.

The dogs that excel in our Basic Program include the following:

Pups that came from a quality breeder born from a healthy, well cared for Dam.
Pups that have experienced a stable whelping period, have been nurtured, socialized and imprinted for 8 weeks.
Pups that have been socialized to people, places and new situations.
Pups that spend the first year of their lives in a stable home environment with plenty of exercise, social interaction, and love with quality diet and health/vet care
Breeds of pups that were CAREFULLY chosen by the owners to make sure that the temperament, exercise needs, and training practices matched the owner’s capabilities, expectations and commitment.

The above-explained scenarios make our job easy! Pups that come from a stable upbringing and owners that have done their early work well have prepared that pup for training. The dog is ready to learn, and the owners are eager to work with us. Unfortunately, MORE OFTEN THAN NOT, the above ideal situation is very different from what we see.

The following more clearly describes what we DO often see:

Pups that came from a shelter, pet store or back yard breeder and have experienced unstable upbringings.
Pups that were purchased on physical looks without regard to the actual NEEDS of that specific breed.
Pups that may have come from good breeders, but due to lack of time, commitment, or structure have quickly gotten out of control, have not been socialized or had any manners training as a youngster.
Pups that have not experienced leash work, confinement time and rules for control.
Dogs between 2 and 4 years old that have still not received foundation training.

The above-explained situations mean that the dogs will most likely take more time, effort and repetition to train. Honestly, our biggest challenge is re-training the owner not only to change their ways but to step up and be a better leader. Additionally, training is only as successful as the needs of that dog in terms of re-enforcing rules and providing adequate exercise for the specific breed and its energy levels.

Here are the extremely challenging cases that we also often see:

Rescue dogs of unknown origin.
Dogs that were born from an already stressed, unstable Dam and those early imprinted stressors greatly affected the security, stability, and health of the newborn pup
Dogs that have been abused, neglected or mistreated.
Dogs that are older than 3 years of age that have had no previous foundation training to include manners, crate or patience work and have become set in their ways with bad habits and behaviors.
Dogs that have learned to greatly run away (FLIGHT) from any stressors/adversaries.
Dogs that have learned to ignore, lock up or FREEZE to any stressors and emotionally ‘check out’.
Dogs that have learned to resist, scream, FIGHT or bite stressors/adversaries. These dogs can be harmful to themselves, other animals, strangers or even your own family members. In some instances, these dogs need extensive behavioral rehabilitation IN ADDITION to the foundation obedience training. This training can take upwards of 6 weeks and more.

QK SIGNATURE Obedience Programs

Early Puppy Head Start Program (4 months to 6 months) – estimated 2+ weeks

Our Early Puppy Head Start Program is geared for young pups ages 4 months to 6 months. This is an estimated 2+ week program where your puppy stays with us at our facility to learn proper socialization skills with a stable pack of dogs. Owners tend to get wrapped up in their pup’s cuteness and end up treating their new puppy more like a human instead of a dog. During this program puppies will learn how to be patient, crate trained, learn manners (no jumping, biting, barking, etc.), proper social skills and beginning obedience and leash training. After this training, we encourage ALL family members (children 8 and older) to attend the “GO HOME” lesson so we can show you what your pup has learned and teach you how to best enforce these new important rules

For the very best results, we highly recommend our complete

SIGNATURE E-Collar Off Leash Program

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Adolescent Training (6 months to 18 months) – estimated 4-6 weeks

This comprehensive 4 – 6 week course starts with a On Leash Skills Program:

We work on patience, manners, and light leash cues to teach the dogs to politely walk on a loose lead, sit, lie down, go to kennel or go to place all with leash cues. We also work extensively with socialization skills, waiting at the door, and patience with feeding. All commands are taught, enforced and the dogs remain on leash throughout this program. For dogs who have already mastered pulling their owners all around, especially larger dogs in excess of 60 pounds, we jump right into some e collar overlay to help teach neck point of contact so that dogs learn they can no longer use their brute strength to pull. These dogs have become conditioned to pulling, and our goal is re-sensitize their necks to light leash cues.

Once we master the On Leash Skills we move onto the Electronic Collar Program:

This program includes all of the above teachings learned first on leash to teach point of contact cues which then are overlayed to light cues with the remote training collar stimulation. This enables us to cue the dog remotely to follow our go, come, sit, down, stay commands while having the capability to enforce the commands off leash. This program is great for active owners and their dogs who like to go hiking, biking, running with their dogs off leash. Additionally, this program helps to correct behavior problems both inside and outside your home.

*These two above programs are for pups 6 to 18 months who just need basic training and do not have major behavioral problems! For extreme cases of fear, neglect, skittishness or more dog may need to stay longer. We will only push a dog as hard as they are willing and capable of learning all while making consistent, steady progress. We must be fair and empathetic based on a dog’s previous history.

Obedience for Adult Dogs (2 years and over) – estimated 4-6 weeks

If your dog has already reached adulthood without formal training, social skills with people and other animals, or has gotten away with problematic behaviors for 2 or more years, then we have our work cut out for us! Adult dogs have practiced muscle memories and specific behaviors which have become ingrained. We must re-boot, re-program and re-train these dogs. We diligently teach all the basic training from the above programs, so it simply takes longer, requires more repetition and persistence for them to become re-programmed to GOOD behavior. In general, adult dogs best thrive from a 6-week course.

Rescue Rehabilitation (puppy to adult) – estimated 4 – 6 weeks and longer

Regardless of the extent of the issues, we always start our training with teaching the basic on leash commands. Often rescued dogs have come from very unstable backgrounds to include neglect, abuse, lacked early care, nurturing and human interaction. These dogs have missed out on important learning curves and critical development periods. While we often make progress with these dogs, please understand and accept that these dogs will take a tremendous effort and commitment with both the trainers as well as the owners. It is important to know that not all dogs can be suitable as family pets if they have come from such unstable backgrounds. This training program is on a week-by-week basis with the understanding that they may never achieve a safe level of behavior to be trusted around humans or other pets.