About Whole Dog Camp at Bliss Woods Farm

What they offer

Whole Dog Camp is a humane dog training club at Bliss Woods Farm on South Freeport Road in Freeport. Lead trainer Jenny Ruth Yasi is a CPDT-KA, a Certified Trick Dog Instructor and a CGC Evaluator, and the site says she opened Whole Dog Camp on Peaks Island in 2004 before moving classes to Freeport and Portland.

Programs

Members join group classes, private lessons and drop-in independent play in a fenced, off-leash habitat, along with agility training and enrichment activities. A color-coded training levels program tracks each dog's skills, from newcomers who stay on leash to advanced dogs who recall through distractions and respond to cues at a distance, and higher levels earn discounts on camp services. Dogs evaluated with potentially dangerous behavior enter a muzzle training program with an individualized plan. Member boarding and daycare are offered too.

Approach

Training follows the least invasive, minimally aversive principle. The site says the trainer does not use e-collars, prong collars or slip leads, and focuses on reward-based methods and a low-stress learning environment.