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Become a fan of DWD on Facebook! This is where you'll find lots of photos of the pups, posted almost daily!!
About Our Program
There’s only one canine nursery school in Southern Maine. It's JUST for puppies during their first year of life, and it's US - Dances With Dogs! We believe that puppies need the safety and nurturing of a carefully supervised, puppies-only environment so that they can build confidence and learn pro-social behavior and manners before being part of the adult dog daycare scene.
At Dances With Dogs, pups learn appropriate behavior through social interaction with a pack of similar age/weight pups. Pups are well exercised and get to play in a state-of-the-art playground designed just for them. There are tunnels, ramps, boulders and stairs for climbing on and hiding behind. There is a tree hang-out for lounging. A huge sandbox takes up one corner of the playground, with ample space and depth for digging and hiding bones! In warm months, there’s even a wading pool for water fun! Just a ½ mile from Mill Creek in South Portland, the ½ acre property is fully fenced and includes additional interior fencing and a multiple gate system to provide further security.
We also have an indoor classroom where pups can romp and play and run, as well as rest and nap at various times of the day and especially in inclement weather. For parents, we have a resource room full of useful information including training articles, brochures and business cards from a variety of small businesses serving the greater Portland dog community.
Your pup will be supervised at all times while in our care and basic manners will be practiced daily. A detailed progress report will be posted to the website at the end of every school day which will include info about your pup’s development and social skills as well as lots of stories about what goes on in our pack each day! As part of the Dances with Dogs family, you will be supported in all aspects of raising your pup to be a healthy and respectful member of your family.
TUESDAY is Large Breed Puppy Day, with all pack members weighing between 20-40 lbs. Large breed pups graduate from DWD when they reach 35-45 pounds, depending on how safely they continue to play with the smaller pups in their class. Some smaller breed pups do well in the Tuesday Pack if they are very energetic and confident.
WEDNESDAY is Tiny Tots Day, with all pack members weighing under 20 lbs. Small breeds and toy breeds may stay in this class for many months. Large breed pups may start in Tiny Tots and then transition to the Tuesday class when they are large enough and/or confident enough.
MONDAY and THURSDAY are Small Adult Graduate Classes. DWD puppy students who are under 35 lbs may transition to the Small Adult Graduate Class (either Mon or Thur) when they reach about one year of age. These classes are a bit cheaper than the puppy classes, have an extended pick up time of 5:30 and there is no fee for missed classes! We LOVE to keep our small breed students when they reach maturity....because we've trained them well and they're a joy to have in our pack!
We encourage owners to sign up for a basic obedience course with a local trainer as soon as possible after acquiring their pup! This way, you’ll learn how to encourage positive behavior and discourage unwanted behavior and extend your pup's learning beyond school. The DWD Pack Leader assists local trainer, Elsa Larsen, of My Wonderful Dog, with classes and always posts a list of upcoming training topics and dates on our site! Ms. Larsen is also available for home visits for new puppy owners, at a very reasonable cost. Often, owners are able to get far more for their money by having the trainer come to their home for puppy training!