About The Barking Lot

The Barking Lot of WNY runs the deepest class roster in the Southtowns out of a 5,000 square foot facility on Maelou Drive in Hamburg, and it is owned and operated by dog owners, trainers and caretakers rather than by an absentee operator.

The class list

Thirteen classes are published: AKC Star Puppy, Manners and More, Trick Class, Competition Obedience, Agility, Rally, Conformation and Handling, Canine Good Citizen, Therapy Dog Class, Skillz Obedience, a Fetch Dog Workshop, Cross Training and Nose Work. The schedule adds Intro Rally and a Senior Dog Class. The school's own summary is that it offers everything from pet classes to AKC competition classes to certification testing.

The training programs

Two sit outside the class schedule. The Stay and Train Program is an intensive hands-on residency aimed at better manners. The Puppy Socialization Crash Course is the fast-start option for new puppies. Dogs with a history of aggression are accepted but the school is strict about it: owners must disclose any prior aggression when setting up a program, and those dogs generally need an assessment day before a stay-and-train can be priced or quoted.

Events and testing

The facility hosts Canine Good Citizen and therapy dog testing, rally matches and obedience matches, and runs continuing education seminars at least once a year.

The instructors

Nine are named: Ester Pullano, Noelle Nasca, Kathryn Tkaczyk, Valerie Potratz, Danielle Muessigbrodt, Erica Schine, Michelle Hoelcle, Liz Lewis and DJ Rethberg. Several of them also run their own businesses elsewhere in the metro, which is a good sign of how the local training community overlaps.

Also on site

Daycare, Barking Passes and Day Camp, with daycare staff holding pet CPR and emergency training.