Got Questions?

What is Dog Camp

Dog Camp is an off-leash, pack hiking service best suited for friendly and well-behaved dogs. Dogs are picked up at their homes and transported alongside their furry friends to off-leash-friendly trails (typically privately owned land) where they can hike, swim, run, play, and learn. Along with all the fun, dogs do work hard at camp, practicing skills that help keep everyone safe. Dogs learn skills to help with appropriate socialization, recall, and impulse control. We do encounter real-world distractions at camp so we work hard to make sure all our dogs are able to make good decisions while out on the trail. Help your dog live their best life by sending them to dog camp!

Dog camp is a half-day program, running roughly four hours, and is offered Monday through Friday.

Rate: $35 per dog

*Dog camp is an off-leash program, so dogs must have strong recall skills to participate*

What makes Dog Camp so special and different?

There will be a limited number of dogs in the pack, making the experience for your dog intimate and comfortable. Fewer dogs mean stronger bonds between the dogs, making interactions more predictable, comfortable, and safe. There is an extensive interview process for making sure each dog has good obedience and a friendly demeanor toward people and dogs. We want your dog to be playing with other friendly and obedient dogs so that they don’t bring home or develop bad manners.

We only accept dogs that are suitable for Dog Camp and have a training plan in place for any problems that may arise on the trail. Your dog will learn important basic obedience on the trail to help build up their self-control. Teaching your dog how to regulate their emotions is the foundation for good behavior out on the trail. Most dogs must learn new rules at Dog Camp that can at first be difficult for them to follow and for some, impossible at first. We will be providing a friendly environment to play and release energy while helping them learn self-regulation skills through pack walks, sit stays, down stays, recalls, calm play with people and other dogs, getting out of the house calmly, getting into the car calmly and learning how to ‘hunt’ without intense arousal.

The biggest difference between a traditional dog daycare and Dog Camp is that Dog Camp is an adventure with REAL WORLD distractions. Distractions can be unpredictable and we need to make sure your dog is as predictable as possible to make everyone’s experience pleasant and safe.

What do you do in bad weather?

We typically hike rain or shine, but if the weather is a threat to the pack’s safety we will cancel the hike (Thunder and lightning, extreme cold/heat, severe snow or ice storm).

How do I know if my dog is a good fit for camp?

Does your dog spend most of the time off-leash? Does your dog enjoy the company of other dogs? Does your dog ride well in the car? Does your dog know basic obedience commands such as sit, down, and stay? If you answered yes to these questions, your dog is likely a good fit for camp. We will have you fill out an evaluation form and perform an in-person evaluation before introducing your dog to the pack.

What skills does my dog need to be able to participate in camp?

Your dog must have a strong recall and must be friendly with other dogs and people.

What types of things will my dog learn?

We practice basic commands such as recall, sit-stays and down-stays, and pack walking. These skills translate to more impulse control and better trail etiquette for your dog. We practice relaxation training techniques to help dogs learn to stay calm around distractions.

Where do you hike?

To help limit the distraction of other people and their dogs, we hike trails on privately owned land.

What is the camp schedule?

Dogs are generally picked up between 9am and 10am, we hike from 10:30am to 12:30pm and dogs are returned home between 1pm and 2pm. (times may vary slightly depending on pickup locations for the day)

What is your pickup area?

We pickup in Franklin, Sanbornton, Tilton, Northfield, and Laconia

What are the benefits?

Your dog is not home alone all-day
Your dog gets to socialize, run, swim, and play with friends
Your dog learns some new skill and practices old ones
We are pet CPR and first aid certified
Free pickup and drop off
Your dog will get plenty of exercise and mental stimulation
Small packs help your dog form close bonds with his or her pack-mates