Wags Doggie Day Care

Our dog loves WAGS. The staff is terrific and care for every dog as if they were their own. Just a great place - highly recommended!

I recently moved to MA with a Vizsla puppy. The staff at Wags has been exceptional - great communication, caring, empathetic and knowledgable and friendly. I feel great about leaving my young dog in their care. I also receive training there - I love the location, the facility and I think the positive reinforcement training is professional and well delivered. They teach owners how to train and it's so much more than other places I explored. HIGHLY recommend!

Best place for our very shy golden retriever. She's come out of her shell and is a very happy and playful girl

Wags is where the dogs always come first! If you are looking for a safe, clean facilty where the people really care this is a the place for you! This past year with positive training and day care Lisa, Joe and staff helped me with my puppy become a confident, well socialized dog that I am enjoying and can do anything with. Look no further!

Wags is a tremendous facility and the Staff are so accommodating! Lisa the owner helps us with our Veteran service dog training program.

We've been shopping around for a good trainer for the past several years and landed at Wags several months ago. We were impressed on day one! The positive reinforcement training is as much behavior training as it is obedience training, far more than the standard basic dog training methods of the past. Carol Watkins has amazing insight to animal behavior and a dog's ability to digest a process as opposed to trainers who teach obedience commands.

Most training establishments offer education for their clients' dog's; whereas, Wags trains the owners, who train their dogs. Her application of behavior analysis step-by-step approach of owner training includes body posture, eye contact, tone of voice, how the dog perceives the owner and breaks down techniques to improve the owner's communication with their dogs.

Each command is broken down in multiple physical phases before introducing the verbal and visual command, making it easier for the dogs to digest and learn each desired action. Carol also encourages the owners to ignore bad behavior by redirecting the attention to a positive action. Consequences such as scolding / punishing to modify behavior (a taboo at Wags) are replaced by positive reinforcement to achieve specific results.

She taught us to use the dog's natural instincts for certain behavior, giving the dog time to process the request vs. the desire initially to achieve immediate results. This added patience encouraged us to get to know our dog's characteristics and personality, resulting in better communication to achieve our desired actions without consequences, encouraging the dog's to make the right choice, influenced by the reward of the clicker followed by a treat (or "super" treat if earned)! Carol's energy and positive attitude is infectious and made learning fun!

The positive motivational training works! I've learned more in the past few months from Carol Watkins and Sydney Bates than I have in 30 years of dog classes! Wags has a unique and amazing staff! They deserve more stars than the rating offers!

Carol is an AMAZING trainer. I called her for an in-home consult after a move that was affecting my dogs. She takes her job very seriously and gave me a workable plan. We then enrolled in the Wags Basic Manners Class with our two girls and they improved GREATLY. We will be back for Level 2!