Love your dog but feeling the stress because he/she is not trained?

Two nonprofits, OPIN and the Bartlett Arboretum, join together as a community, offering FREE Dog Training with Rob Mullin of K9 Wizard & Co. [Download Flyer Here!]

OPIN is pleased to announce this partnership with the Bartlett Arboretum, without whose help we couldn't offer this service year-round. Classes are open to everyone and are held every Wednesday night (6:30-7:30 pm) at the Bartlett Arboretum located at 151 Brookdale Road in North Stamford (map): outdoors in the large parking lot in nice weather; Silver Education Building (lower back entrance) in cold and inclement weather. Your dog will learn the basics: to walk nicely on a leash, to Sit, Stay, Down, and to interact positively in the presence of other dogs.

Your dog should be outfitted with a 6-foot standard lead (no retractable leads!) and a choke collar.  Please bring a copy of your dog’s rabies and license certificates (not the metal tags) to the first class. 

Donations are always welcome.

Please sign up for our newsletter here, or "like" us on our Facebook page, to be notified of changes/cancellations to the schedule of classes. 

Here's what people are saying about the class...

I LOVE your classes!  I wish we could have come to more over the winter, but we really miss them.  The socialization is important to us (and since we have a pit bull who has some mild socialization issues, we don't feel very welcome in a lot of other training classes in the area.)  Please keep them going.... I would even be supportive if you guys charged a small fee for the classes, too.

Please keep me on your email list!  I promise we'll come next week!  It would be helpful to have another class on the weekends, but I know that's asking a lot...

Very best,

-Beth and Freyja   :)

I am very grateful for your training sessions. It has allowed me to socialize Zeno on a regular basis and has helped me to build confidence when Zeno interacts with other dogs. Rob has been a wonderful teacher; Zeno remembers to behave when Rob walks near.

Thank you again for this very valuable service.

Sincerely,

Chris and Zeno 

I really hope there will be classes going forward! We only just started training about a month ago with our two dogs and there is already a difference

The advice and guidance on behavioral issues during the class has been been very helpful in keeping up training at home, and things we would have not thought of.

The group environment class helps us owners see the "proper" way to walk sit and handle our pets

Mr Mullin and Alex have been a great help in advising how to manage rowdy behavior and give us hope we may one day have trained dogs!

Thanks!!

Rebecca

I just wanted to take this opportunity to say "thank you" to you and all the people at OPIN who have provided this class to all of us. Rob Mullin, who trained (and still trains our dog) brought it to my attention. The class is outstanding, and was always of tremendous value to me and my dog anytime I could make it.

The class is such a service to the community. So many people who want to adopt don't have the financial means to get the training help they need. Thank you for providing this service to them, and the dear animals that could not otherwise adapt to a home and become part of a family. I certainly hope the class is back in operation soon.

- Gyongyi

I don't live in the area anymore, but I still wanted to chime in with my thoughts. I think the training classes are amazing. When you have a dog with some issues, it can be hard to do any socializing and sometimes that's exactly what your dog needs to get over their problems. I have seen the positive effects of the class on not only my dog but other dogs that were regulars in the class as well. The first class, my dog was so overwhelmed that we didn't even join the circle, just stood to the side and watched. The last class we went to, probably about 6 months later, my dog was being used as an example of a good dog and I was actually able to drop the leash and walk away from her. Keep up the good work.

The only suggestion I have is to offer to connect the people in the classes outside of class. Here in Brooklyn, where I live now, I belong to a MeetUp club of pit bulls with various issues. It's a structured walk, on-leash and it's a great way to connect with other dog owners in the area who understand what it's like to have a dog that isn't ready for an off-leash encounter. I'm not suggesting you guys run that (I think you've got your hands full with all the other fantastic things you do for the community), but perhaps you could suggest it during class or give people the option of connecting outside of class if they want.

Keep up the great work!

Nicole