The Upward Dog – Training, Boarding & Adventures

The Upward Dog offers private dog training sessions conducted in your home, focusing on building trust and cooperation through positive reinforcement. These sessions cover basic obedience commands like sit, stay, leave it, come, down, and off, as well as addressing foundational behaviors such as house breaking, crate training, appropriate chewing, jumping, and leash walking. The training also helps owners understand their dog’s physical and mental development and prepare them for new experiences without stress.

Specialized training is available for puppies, adult dogs, and rescue dogs, with a focus on helping fearful or emotionally shut-down dogs regain trust. Beyond private training, The Upward Dog provides off-leash group hikes, which are approximately 3 hours long and include free pick-up and drop-off, with ongoing recall training reinforcement. Dog Day Care offers play dates for positive socialization and exercise, while boarding services provide a cageless, kennel-free alternative in the trainer’s home or the dog’s home, often including participation in daily adventure activities. One-on-one training drills are also available.

Pricing Summary

The Upward Dog offers various pricing structures for its services. Private in-home training sessions are available at $175 per session (75-100 minutes), with an option to add a written training plan for $75. Package deals include “PACKAGE 3” (3 sessions, training plan, follow-ups, unlimited support, 1 Social Play Date) for $595, “PACKAGE 6” (6 sessions, 1 Social Play Date, training plan, follow-ups, unlimited support) for $1000, and a “VIP PACKAGE” (6 sessions, 3 Day Care Adventures, training plan, multiple follow-ups, 6 months unlimited support, no late booking/cancellation fees) for $1225. Sessions lasting over 90 minutes are billed at $140/hour in 15-minute increments.

Adventure Care (Day Care) is priced at $75 for a half day (2-3 hours), $100 for a full day (4-6 hours), and $125 for a long day (7-9 hours), with an additional $20 fee for Saturdays and Sundays. Private Adventure Care & Hikes are $125 for approximately 90 minutes. Solo Training Walks for dogs with aggression/leash reactivity range from $100-$175. Hourly Companionship is $30 for the first hour and $25 for each additional hour. Boarding in the trainer’s home is approximately $155 per 24 hours (discounted for regular day care and VIP training clients) or $175 on weekends, while one-off stays are $195 per 24 hours. Additional fees apply for intact dogs ($45/24 hours) and dogs with true separation anxiety or special needs ($225/24 hours). Adding training services to a boarding stay is an extra $50 per session. In-dog’s-home boarding is $195+ per overnight. One-on-one training drills are $45 per 20 minutes. Pet sitting for cats and other pets is $30 for half-hour visits and $45 for hour visits.

Policies

The Upward Dog has specific policies regarding dog health, socialization, and booking. Dogs must be vaccinated, in good health, and on flea and tick medication. For social services like day care, group walks, and boarding, dogs must be socialized, enjoy other dogs, and be spayed or neutered if over 6 months of age, unless an Unaltered Permit is held. For regular pricing on boarding, day care, or board-and-train services, dogs must be house trained; an additional $20/day fee applies for elderly dogs or puppies under 6 months who may have accidents during boarding. Dogs should also be licensed and registered with the county. Clients are asked to be transparent about all behaviors, especially those that may pose a danger to others.

Cancellation policies vary by service. For training sessions, cancellations made 2 days prior incur no charge, day before is 50% of the fee, and day of is 100%. Late booking (less than 48 hours) for training sessions incurs a $10 fee. For boarding, cancellations 14 days prior are free, 3-13 days prior are 50%, and 1-2 days prior are 100%. Late booking (less than 24 hours) for boarding is $10. For one-on-one training drills, cancellations with less than 48 hours notice incur a $50 fee, and late booking (less than 24 hours) is $10.

The Upward Dog, led by Certified Professional Dog Trainer Zoe H. Wells, offers comprehensive dog training, boarding, and adventure services. Their philosophy centers on building trust and cooperation between dogs and their owners using positive reinforcement methods. They aim to help dogs become secure, engaged, resilient, curious, balanced, and eager to learn.

The business provides private in-home training sessions, off-leash group hikes, dog day care, and in-home or in-trainer’s-home boarding. Zoe emphasizes understanding a dog’s unique needs, personality, drives, and motivations to create tailored training plans that foster a deeper connection between pets and their families.

Accomplishments

Zoe H. Wells is a Certified Professional Dog Trainer (CPDT-KA) who completed the Karen Pryor Dog Training School for Clicker Training. She holds a B.A. in Dance/Drama with a Minor in Biology and is currently pursuing a Masters in Social Work, which enhances her understanding of psychology, communication techniques, and the influence of genetics and environment on behavior.

Before The Upward Dog, Zoe founded P.S. Pet Sit in Philadelphia in 2006, a pet care company that served over 700 clients and offered pet sitting, dog walking, boarding, overnight care, and training assistance. P.S. Pet Sit was recognized as the “Best Pet Care Company in Philadelphia, PA” for three years and won “Best Business Plan” by The Women’s Opportunity Resource Center in 2009. Zoe also volunteers as a foster mom, walker, dog trainer, and adoption counselor for organizations such as UnChain Forsyth, Humane Society of Winston-Salem, and Asheville Humane. She also takes her own dog, Pippin, to assisted living homes as a therapy dog.

How to Get Started!

To get started, clients can use the contact form, call, or email The Upward Dog. A free 20-minute phone consultation is offered for dogs recently rescued from a local animal shelter.