Advanced board and train: 2 weeks

Advanced begins where Foundation does: settling in, reading the dog, then basic obedience, leash skills, place, stay, recall, impulse control and crate manners in short daily blocks. An adolescent usually half-knows most of those cues already, so the first week is less about teaching and more about cleaning up: faster responses, one cue instead of three, and a reward history strong enough to compete with the outside world.

The second week is the reason the program exists. Distraction proofing raises difficulty one variable at a time. Real-world outings test each skill somewhere new. Neutrality work teaches the dog that other dogs, people, bikes and noise are background rather than invitations. Confidence building and structured socialization run alongside, so a dog that hesitates is supported instead of pushed through it.

Foundation ends with one go-home lesson. Advanced has two scheduled coaching lessons, and that difference matters as much as the extra week. The first puts the cues in your hands: how the trainer marks, rewards and releases, and how your dog answers you rather than the person it has trained with for a fortnight. You practice inside the building with the trainer beside you, then in an easier slice of the outside world.

A second lesson means the questions that only surface at home get answered by a trainer instead of a search engine. The recall that worked on Tuesday fails on the beach on Saturday; the loose leash holds until a squirrel crosses. Gabby will explain at the consult how the two lessons are scheduled around pick-up. Bring notes on what has slipped, and the plan gets adjusted to your routes and your household.

Send the training form and expect a reply within one hour on business days. The assessment with Gabby, who has ten-plus years with behaviorally complex dogs, confirms Advanced over Foundation and sets the goals for week two. The two-week price is quoted after that assessment. The free evaluation follows on a weekday between 6:30 and 9:30 AM, with Rabies, DHPP and Bordetella on file and a current city license.

Updates arrive every day across both weeks, so the coaching lessons start from shared notes rather than a cold handover. From Rockport, Essex, Manchester-by-the-Sea or anywhere in Gloucester, the Pup Van can bring your dog for $10 each way. In the off-season, Wingaersheek takes dogs off leash on odd-numbered days from October 1 to April 30, a wide, honest test of a fresh recall.