About Pack Shack Dog Daycare & Training

Who they are

Pack Shack is a dog day camp on Route 22 in Canaan, in the eastern edge of Columbia County near the Massachusetts line. The owner, Dan Sharry, is named on the site as a Certified Dog Trainer and a Certified Pet First Aid and CPR Instructor. Rachel appears throughout the published client accounts as the other half of the day-to-day operation.

The camp

The site's description of a day is deliberately unhurried: "the days are laid back, dogs are smiling, bodies are wiggling, tails are wagging." Dogs play, run, learn, sleep and settle in what it calls a custom-built canine camp. The rule that shapes everything is pack size — the site says packs are kept small specifically so that no dog is overwhelmed or overstimulated, which is a different proposition from a large open-floor daycare.

Assessment before admission

No dog joins camp without an initial assessment day. The stated purpose is twofold: to work out which play group suits the individual dog, and to make sure every dog in the building is safe and comfortable. If your dog has struggled in a busy daycare before, this is the part of the process to ask about.

Training

Training sits alongside the camp rather than replacing it, and the credential behind it is Dan's. The site is light on program detail — there is no published class schedule or price list — so treat the training as something to ask about directly rather than something to book off the page.

What clients describe

The published accounts are consistent on two things: the owners are hands-on, and dogs come home tired. Several describe boarding as well as camp, with one family away and reporting their dog came back better than it left. Another owner notes the appeal for a dog that needs mental work rather than just physical outlet.

Getting started

Contact is by phone on 413-446-5423 or by email. The Canaan location is a short run from Chatham, New Lebanon and the Berkshire line.