About Tara’s School for Dogs

Tara's School for Dogs works the Upper East Side, and its calling card is the American Kennel Club award track — the site describes itself as an official AKC Puppy Partner and links to its accreditation listing.

The puppy ladder

Rather than one puppy class, the school publishes a sequence: Puppy Training Foundations I and II, then Puppy Essentials I and II. Adult dog training and behavior work is a separate track, and individualized adult classes are offered alongside the puppy programs.

AKC programs

Certificates are offered for both puppies and adult dogs, covering AKC S.T.A.R. Puppy, Canine Good Citizen and the more demanding Urban CGC, which tests the same skills in a city environment. For an owner who wants a recognized title at the end of a course rather than an informal graduation, this is the distinguishing feature of the business.

How lessons are run

Private lessons are the core format and the site says they are customized to the owner's specific goals in the way that best suits how both owner and dog learn, including behavior modification. Fees and sign-up have their own page, and the founder of the puppy program is named as Mary.