Yvonne Gittelson, owner and instructor, is a member of the Association of Pet Dog Trainers and a Certified Secondary Educator. She has over 20 years' experience owning, training, breeding, and managing a multi-dog household, and teaching humans in public schools.

Contact info

Teacher's Pet Dog Center
47 Main Street/PO Box 335
Goshen MA 01032
413.268.7373

How to Find Us

We are located in the center of Goshen, right on Route 9, which is Main Street. There are stone walls and pillars along the road-the right hand stone pillar says #47. If you are headed west on Route 9 (coming from Northampton, for example), we are located on the left, and are the first property immediately after the church. If you are headed east on Route 9, look for the Goshen Fire Department on your left, and SLOW DOWN! We are the first right turn after you pass the Fire Department. If you pass the church, you have gone too far-go to the Goshen public parking lot, turn around, and come back! Please park along the fence of the Pooch Playground, single file, so that people can pull out, drive forward, turn around, and exit down our driveway.

My Mission

Teacher's Pet Dog Center was created to provide a convenient, multi-service facility where dogs and their owners could learn together, play together, build a dog-friendly community with other dogs and their owners, and where dogs could come for doggy daycare and overnight boarding. My goal is to provide quality, positive instruction and care in an upbeat environment for dogs and the people who love them.

A Positive Approach

I believe in using humane and respectful methods in teaching you and your dog how to get the behavior you want from your best friend. It is not only unnecessary, but ineffective to use fear when training your dog. In my classes and in private sessions, I try to take a multi-faceted approach: by encouraging early training and bonding within the family/pack; by facilitating early and ongoing socialization to other puppies and dogs; by fostering an understanding for people about how dogs think and behave; and by cultivating a dog's natural desire to please and be obedient. The lure and reward approach works well for many dogs, and combined with consistent, fair, and firm expectations from their humans enables many dogs to be confident and successful in behaving well.

Our Doggie Schoolhouse

We have a 48'x24' indoor training facility, which is where we conduct our obedience classes, Yappy Hour in bad weather, doggie daycare, and our limited overnight boarding. This building has garage and barn doors, in addition to the regular doors and windows. What this means for spring, summer, and fall training is that we can take advantage of the outdoors without being directly in it if we don't want to, and this setup is perfect for allowing outside breezes in, while allowing us to be in the shade or out of the rain. For the winter, we can close up all the doors and windows and enjoy the warmth of the indoor heater without having to brave the elements.

The Pooch Playground

Wrapping around our doggie schoolhouse building is a large, open, flat field that is fenced on all sides-we call it the Pooch Playground. The field is grassy and mossy, perfect for low-impact activity for everyone's joints and paws. Our field is enveloped on all sides by trees, and we have a few inside the fence that the dogs love to race around. Weather permitting, we can make use of the outside field for classes and/or Yappy Hour as we choose. WE USE NO CHEMICAL PESTICIDES OR FERTILIZERS WHATSOEVER ON OUR POOCH PLAYGROUND, for everyone's health and enjoyment. Don't be surprised if you see a bunny hopping by!