Please Note: This group is currently full. To join the waiting list for a spot with this group, contact Bette at (617) 966-4240 or send a message through this site.

So your dog is beginning to get a handle on basics like sit, down, freeze, come, loose leash walking, heel (step & treat), doggy touch, find it and drop it which you learned in our Puppy Perfect, Doggy DoRight or Private Lessons with Bette Yip. Now it's time to step things up a notch!

At the end of your entry level dog training course, you introduced your dog to performing cues at a distance while stationary, and also introduced a small stretch of off leash busy work during "Red Light" segments with canine free-time during "Green Light" segments. In Level 2 - Doggy DoRight, we'll work towards doing more and more work off-leash as we reinforce our "Red Light means stay attentive and in work mode but Green Light means go do whatever you wish" protocol. We'll also begin setting classmates up to provide tougher distractions as your own dog becomes ready for them. Dogs are encouraged to bring at least two handlers to school for many of our activities, but the more, the merrier. Bring family and friends!

We'll add in some new cues like "side," "come around," "wait," "take it" and "leave it" and add those into our doggy calisthenics routines as we also fine-tune previously learned cues. We'll combine our "3 Ds" of Freeze: duration, distance and distraction. We'll begin to practice our cues at a distance, now IN MOTION!

Also new in Level 2 - Doggy DoBetter: Magic Mat! You might also choose to call this Place, Park It, Go Lie Down, etc. We've chosen to name this "Magic Mat" because of the cue's wide range of uses. Basically, your dog will learn to go to their own spot when you give the cue (we recommend using a patterned towel as a portable and distinctive "mat" for your dog).

Imagine: guests are about to come through the door, "Tatsu-Mat" and my dog goes to his place and waits until released to "say hello." Imagine: I'm coming home with my arms laden with bags, so I give the cue "Tatsu-Mat" as I enter the door so I can have a moment to put all my stuff down before greeting my dog calmly. Imagine: I'm visiting a friend's house for dinner and my dog was graciously invited to attend. During dinner, I ask for "Tatsu-Mat" at a reasonable distance away from the table and provide my dog with a fantastic raw marrow bone or long-lasting beef tendon to chew during our meal. Imagine: in class, at the family picnic, at work -- I bring along my dog's "mat" to give him a very clear idea of where to stay calmly until released. Imagine: while I prepare dinner, work at the computer or talk on the phone with a client, I cue "Tatsu-Mat" to give my dog something specific to do in order to keep him from learning to perform obnoxious behaviors to get my attention during these activities when I might not be as good at "noticing the good dog" as I should be. Dogs seem to really take to the idea of placing their body on a designated target, and Magic Mat gives them a some freedom to move about to get comfy or survey the environment while remaining calm for longer periods of time than would be practical for a strict "freeze." Giving them a project like a great chewy or stationary puzzle toy can also help to keep them happy on their mat for longer periods. Put your Magic Mat on one end of the sofa, and now that is the dog's portion to sit on. Place the magic mat over his bed or in his crate, and that becomes the place to relax. Of course, building up to all of these uses means setting up opportunities to work in all of these situations under controlled circumstances to begin with, but it's well worth the effort!

To sign up for this course, just add this to your shopping cart and check out. Please provide a copy of any updated vaccine proofs for our file. Do bring your Magic Mat to all lessons. Tip: get several magic mats of the same pattern so you'll have one for home, one for travel and one for the wash! If you have multiple dogs and want them to learn to go to their OWN mat, be sure to choose different patterns for each dog. Remember, dogs can't see as wide a range of color as we can, so choose a pattern with good contrast. Color is less important.