About The Barking Orange

The Barking Orange was established in 2011 by Sara Edsall and sits on North Geddes Street in the Inner Harbor area just outside downtown Syracuse, close to the 690 and 81 exits. Sara was born and raised in Syracuse and moved home after ten years working in Boston and San Francisco; the site credits her Boston Terrier, YuBe, with starting the business.

Training classes

The business runs four courses on a positive-reinforcement model: Beginner Obedience, Leash Walking, a Puppy Class, and Agility at beginner, intermediate and advanced levels. Classes meet once a week for forty-five minutes to an hour and run four weeks. A fifty-dollar deposit holds a spot; Beginner Obedience costs $150 plus tax and Agility for Fun costs $160 plus tax.

The leash class

The Leash Walking course is the one worth knowing about, because it is taught almost entirely outside. Each week meets somewhere different around the city, with the site naming pet stores, LL Bean, Tractor Supply, the Target shopping center, the Creekwalk and dog parks. Handlers work loose-leash walking, leash etiquette and attention under real distractions. Beginner Obedience is a prerequisite.

What Beginner Obedience covers

The beginner course is aimed at dogs that have never taken a class, puppies, and owners who want a refresher, and covers basic manners and cues, leash walking, and the proper way to greet people and other dogs. The center says the class can be tailored to what an individual handler needs.

Daycare and grooming

Alongside the classes, The Barking Orange runs supervised daycare with an initial screening and interview for every dog, and a groomer available by appointment on weekdays offering an all-inclusive groom. Many of the daycare staff are described as certified in animal CPR or as having previous daycare or veterinary experience.