About Our Behavior & Training Programs:

The ARLGP is committed to humane and modern science-backed practices in dog psychology. We take a thoughtful approach to ensure quality of life for both you and your dog.

Led by an experienced team of certified professional dog trainers, the ARLGP offers diverse group classes, individualized and private consultations, as well as social/drop-in hours.

Our training aligns with the Association of American Veterinary Behaviorists; we do not use methods that cause pain, discomfort, or fear. We use a positive approach to foster and grow relationships between pets and their people.

Our trainers are credentialed through the Certification Council of Professional Dog Trainers, and as an organization we are committed to continuing education for our trainers.

BEFORE YOU SIGN UP

Be sure to visit our Registration Information page to learn everything you need to know to participate in our Behavior & Training classes! This includes vaccination requirements, refund and cancellation policies, and how to sign up. If you have questions about what type of program is best for your pet, please email us at training@arlgp.org.

---

PUPPY GROUP CLASSES (2-9 MONTHS)

Bringing home a puppy can be an exciting but exhausting adventure! Let us help you by establishing the basics with your puppy, working on fundamental behaviors and commands, and building a life-long bond.

Click here to view our current puppy group classes.

ADULT GROUP & DROP IN CLASSES (9 MONTHS AND UP)

Old dogs can always learn new tricks! Whether you’re working on the basics of leash walking, mastering recall or challenging your pup with a host of new tricks, we have classes for all abilities and behavioral needs.

Click here to view our current adult group classes.

ONE-ON-ONE TRAINING

Our one-on-one training program is designed to help families with behavior concerns. We offer onsite sessions, zoom, or in your home if you live within 40 minutes of the ARLGP.

Fee structure:

• Initial 60-minute onsite lesson: $95 for non-alumni, $76 for alumni
• Follow-up 60-minute onsite lesson: $95 for non-alumni, $76 for alumni
• Follow-up 30-minute onsite lesson: $50 for non-alumni, $40 for alumni
• Initial 60-minute in-home lesson: $120 for non-alumni, $96 for alumni
• Follow-up 60-minute in-home lesson: $120 for non-alumni, $96 for alumni
• Follow-up 30-minute in-home lesson: $60 for non-alumni, $48 for alumni

To schedule: Please complete our Behavior Hotline form to begin the process. Some cases may require an Urgent Care Behavior Consultation prior to one-on-one training.

---

BEHAVIOR HELPLINE FORM

Do you have a specific concern you would like advice and support on? Please complete our Behavior Helpline Form and a member of our team will set-up a 30-minute phone consultation with you within 24-48 hours.

Our Behavior Helpline is currently offered free of charge. We encourage helpline users to make a donation at the conclusion of their phone consultation to help support our training services.

---

Meet Our Trainers

Amber Zawrotny (CPDT-KA & CGC Evaluator), Behavior & Training Manager

Amber has a decade of animal welfare experience, ranging from bottle-feeding kittens to behavior modification across species as small as rats and as large as horses. She specializes in educating pet owners on how to form the best possible relationship with their animal family.

Amber has been at the ARLGP since January 2023, and in animal welfare since 2013. Prior to her time here she contributed to animal shelters in New Hampshire, Washington State, and Connecticut. Her experience across the country has given her ample perspective on the human-animal bond, and specifically in shelter and community dogs’ needs.

Amber also handles the majority of our cat behavior inquiries, and is actively working on becoming a certified cat behavior consultant.

 

 

Kim Tran (CPDT-KA), Behavior & Training Specialist

Kim attended college in Western Mass and graduated in 2010 with a B.A. in Business Administration, but then soon realized her calling was working with dogs.

After entering the canine world in 2012 and later bringing home her first dog, Kim realized how much fun it was to take training classes with her dog, Moose Pug – teaching him basic obedience, tricks, and passing his CGC test. She became interested in dog training both as a career and to better understand dog behavior and how it could help her in her day-to-day job. Kim started her dog training journey in Boston where she became a training assistant and eventually a professional dog trainer.

For a brief time before the pandemic, Kim and Moose became a certified therapy dog team until his passing, an achievement she looks back on fondly.  Often reflecting on her time training Moose, Kim enjoys helping people understand how to better communicate with their dogs, form bonds and lasting relationships, and most importantly showing them how to have fun!

 

Chelcey Vachon, Shelter Behavior Specialist

Chelcey started in the world of animal care working at a pet store in 2018, where she met an amazing dog trainer who taught her so many training and behavior modification skills over the course of the following years. In 2021, Chelcey adopted Zeek, a Cane Corso in need of significant behavior guidance. Chelcey went from being interested in canine behavior to it being a necessity in her everyday life. She became extremely passionate about making a difference in the lives of the more misunderstood animals of the world.

Chelcey later worked as a facility manager of a boarding and daycare facility, where in her free time she dedicated herself to learning more about dogs, and attended online schooling through the Animal Behavior College, graduating with an ABCDT certificate in 2023. In the latter half of 2023, Chelcey started working privately with in-home clients to help newly rescued dogs acclimate to home life and build a skill set to help them succeed in the home.

She started with the ARLGP in August of 2024 because, as much as she loved working with people, she gravitated toward the shelter dogs. Both of Chelcey’s dogs, Zeek and Echo, are ARLGP alumni. She is acutely aware of just how much some dogs in the shelter struggle to overcome, and how much guidance they need to become functioning members of the canine community. Chelcey promotes resiliency and rehabilitation with our shelter dog population. While you may not see Chelcey in class, you may get a call from Chelcey if you’re needing assistance through a helpline or an ARLGP alumni training session!