Contact us by e-mail or phone to arrange for private lessons in your home.

Initial sessions ($100) typically last 1.5 hours with 1 hour sessions ($80) for follow-up, typically scheduled on a weekly or ever other week basis (as scheduling allows or pursuant to your needs). You may schedule as many or as few sessions as you'd like to reach your goals or fit your budget.

All training is reward-based we do not use aversive devices such as shock collars, choke chains or prong collars. We use food liberally and effectively, and teach you how to do the same! You are very much a part of this process and training should be fun for both of you.

Let us show you how smart your dog is!

Services available within a fifteen mile radius of Wilmington, Delaware.

Behavior challenges can be taxing on everyone - you, your family and especially your dog. Your dog probably isn't trying to give you a hard time he is more likely to be having a hard time himself!

While we can help with many types of challenges, there are cases that would be best served by first consulting with your veterinarian or possibly a board-certified veterinary behaviorist.

In order to determine the best next step for you and your dog, potential clients are asked to complete our online behavior questionnaire in advance of scheduling an initial consultation.

If we are able to accept your case, the initial consultation (1.5 to 2 hours in length) is $175. Subsequent follow-up sessions (1 hour) are $100.

To access the online behavior questionnaire, please click here. ​

Don't have a suitable space for training at home? Hoping to get out of the house with your dog but don't think your dog can handle a group class? Private sessions at Playtime Doggie Daycare, 549 Old Baltimore Pike, Newark, DE, are available on select weeknights and by appointment only.

Sessions are one hour in length with a flat fee ($80) for the session, regardless of the issues or topics addressed.

Please note that not all subject matter is best addressed in this setting. Significant behavior challenges are best addressed via in home sessions or by way of Zoom. (See our sister site, www.homeschool4dogs.com, for online training options.)

To request a Playtime Private, please click here. ​

Designed with the young puppy in mind, this rolling admission class allows you to join as soon as your puppy is ready to go. No need to waste valuable time when that socialization window is closing rapidly!

Puppies should have received a clean bill of health from your local veterinarian and have had at least two distemper/parvo vaccinations to attend.

Each week offers a different topic on all things puppy. Subject matter ranges from teaching specific skills such as walking on a leash or coming when called, to themes, such as building confidence or preventing guarding behaviors.

To submit a preliminary registration form for Pup Scouts Plus, click here. ​

Need a crash course in basic manners or just have a few things you'd like to work on with your dog? Our short courses, ranging from three to four weeks in length, allow you to either touch briefly on a number of essential skills or take a deep dive into what you need most. ​

Our three week Super Sessions ($100) cover topics such as:

Hold on a Minute - self-control skills (wait/stay, leave it)

Reliable Recalls - coming when called

Love That Loose Leash! - loose leash walking

Leave That Alone! - leave it / attention with distractions

Find Your Place - targeting / stationing behavior

Additionally, our four week course offerings cover a broader range of topics:

Mini-Manners ($140) - a little of each of the essential skills for the family pet (attention, positions, wait/stay, come when called and walking on a loose leash)

Recipes for Rescues ($120) - for recent adoptees only, customized to the needs of the attendees

To see current offerings, click here.

We carry a limited number of training products designed to make your life with your dog just a bit easier. Need help managing your pulling dog while you work on training better leash skills? Ask about our no-pull harnesses and other dog-friendly training equipment.

Nancy also has two books available for purchase in soft cover or e-book format:

Adopting? PLAN SMART - ​A Guide to Handling the Early Days with Your New Rescue Dog ($10)

and just published:

Recipes for Rescues: Formulas for Success with Your Adopted Dog ($20)

Contact us via e-mail via the button at the bottom of this page if you are interested in any of our training aids or publications.