Dog Training

Having the Right Dog Trainer Makes All the Difference

When it comes to your family dog, it isn’t enough to screen a dog trainer by their personality and confidence.

Our certified dog trainers must undergo extensive in-house training before they meet any of our guests. Greenlin training instructors are AKC CGC certified, as well as in Canine First Aid and CPR.

The passionate staff at Greenlin Pet Resorts are trained to achieve various general goals with customizable specifications. Our dog school is centered around our ability to:
Teach your dog verbal commands in a positive way
Help you and your family maintain & improve your dog’s training at home
Provide additional training resources and ongoing support to make sure that training is retained permanently

FREE Evaluation — Their First Day Is on Us!

The first day your dog spends with us is free. We’ll use this first session as an orientation process to get to know your family better and brainstorm a training plan that fits your lifestyle.

It starts with an evaluation of your dog’s disposition, a set of questions, and the opportunity for you to share your questions, concerns, and goals. Alongside a trusted staff member, you will tour the facility and see how it runs first-hand.

This consultation is an essential step in developing a successful training program for your dog. We’ll review your dog’s current behavior and assess their motivators in order for our trainers to build a clearer picture of its most effective learning plan. Once your dog has been assessed, we’ll talk about productive training strategies, and you can walk away with a strong understanding of our personalized methodology before they begin.

Greenlin’s Training Method

We utilize a 5-point process that allows for a wide range of customizations and learning styles.

1. Evaluation -– This is the orientation process where we pinpoint the specific needs of your dog and tailor our curriculum to meet your desired goals.
2. Behavior Shaping — We focus on a more detailed approach that breaks down tasks into small successes and meshes them together to meet the final goal. This process of patiently building off small successes will help your dog complete the final task with more confidence and fewer errors.
3. Imprinting (Teaching the command) — Another way to describe imprinting is the retention of skills through example and repetition. This process starts with basic verbal commands like “sit,” “drop it,” and “leave it,” but can easily progress to more advanced cues that eventually become situational and non-verbal. The goal is to instill these cues and desired behaviors into your dog’s natural rhythm.
4. Proofing — This stage of training involves solidifying what they’ve learned earlier in their training. By introducing distractions, commanding in different ways, and introducing different settings, we can ensure that imprinted behaviors will be followed more consistently. By changing the environment (adding loud noise or distractions), distance from the dog, or duration in which they are expected to hold command, we are able to thoroughly test how well the dog has accepted a command into their natural rhythm.
5. Maintenance — This stage of training is conducted at home or in follow-up revision lessons at a Greenlin facility, and is beneficial when your dog needs to adapt their mastered skills to changes in their life situation.

Want to Participate in the AKC Canine Good Citizens Program?

The American Kennel Club (AKC) is a leading contributor to recognized dog training curriculum, and the Canine Good Citizens (CGC) Program sets a standard for well-behaved and sociable dogs. Preparing your dog for passing the CGC exam is an excellent target to set for your training curriculum.

The CGC exam is open to all pups, and the AKC stands by the belief that all dogs, young or old, can learn the skills explored and mastered in the Canine Good Citizens Test. Alongside your dog, you will be given tools and resources to contribute to your dog’s learning. This is an essential part of passing the Canine Good Citizens Test because a responsible owner sets the example for a well-behaved dog.

Passing the Canine Good Citizens Test

The Canine Good Citizens (CGC) Test consists of 10 individual tasks that measure the dog’s sociability, composure, and trust in their caregiver. The aim is to prepare both the owner and dog for common situations that they’ll encounter outside of the learning space.

Our trainers are certified administrators and evaluators of this test and can certify your pup after they’ve completed sufficient training.

These are the 10 Canine Good Citizen Test Items:

• Test 1: Accepting a friendly stranger
• Test 2: Sitting politely for petting
• Test 3: Appearance and grooming
• Test 4: Out for a walk (loose lead)
• Test 5: Walking through a crowd
• Test 6: Sit and down on cue and stay in place
• Test 7: Coming when called
• Test 8: Reaction to another dog
• Test 9: Reaction to a distraction
• Test 10: Supervised separation

How Do I Keep Up At Home With What My Dog Learned in Their Classes?

The final step of our 5-point training methodology is maintenance. This is where we revisit skills and commands previously taught to reinstall them if your dog forgot some of what they learned.

Training is a lifelong journey, and at-home care is just as important as in-class learning. We offer learning resources so that once your dog has completed their training with us, you can utilize the skills they learned and integrate them into their daily routine.

It is most common for dogs to need revision classes after a change in environment or lifestyle like a new sibling or a big move. We are happy to help reestablish your dog’s confidence and ability to perform certain tasks and maintain expected behaviors in a positive way.

Lodge & Learn

We have multiple learning packages, but the Lodge & Learn program promotes rapid progress because of their consistent engagement with trainers and other dogs. You can choose between a 10 or 20-day stay (or customize your own).

Your dog will have the opportunity to enjoy all the luxuries our premier pet resort has to offer. Much like their training, a sleepover at Greenlin is completely customizable; from suites with tv access to a spa and nightly tuck-ins. With your help, we can personalize their stay in the most comfortable way.

Your pup will have a well-balanced daily schedule involving extensive training time, social recesses, and much-needed relaxation. They will be monitored by our trusted staff, and never spend a minute out of our sight.

Play & Train

Our daytime dog training classes are a great option for families who can come in multiple times a week for their dog’s lessons. Your pup will spend the day enjoying enriching activities, learning life-long skills, and making new friends with other trainees. We offer weekly packages, and new guests are required to meet a minimum of three sessions a week to encourage a strong pace of progress.

Comprehensive and Personalized Dog Behavior Training With the Greenlin Family

Obedience training for dogs is a journey, and Greenlin can give you the tools that you need to help your dog succeed in and out of the classroom.

Are you ready to book your dog’s next training class? Have questions about our training packages? Feel free to contact us online or call one of our 6 locations in the central Pennsylvania area. We’re here to help!