Every dog has its day at this training club

Middleboro  — One Middleboro resident is a school secretary by day and class teacher by night. But the class has an interesting array of participants: a middle school student, a therapy dog, a knee implant engineer and multiple competition dogs. Each dog, with its human, walks around orange cones placed throughout the room, listening to instructions, generally following them, and hoping for treats.  

The Plymouth County Canine Club runs evening classes at the Rochester Grange Hall. Over 40 years, it’s had a transformational impact on many of its members.

“I found the club out of desperation,” said dog trainer and President Sherri Swindle, 53, of Middleboro. And now she co-runs the show.

Swindle adopted her dog Grayson from a shelter, and he “was a big handful.” Her veterinarian recommended the club for dog training. One visit convinced Swindle she needed to join.

“They had this beautiful Doberman that was in the center of the room. The lady put him in a down state. She told him to stay. She was out back [where I] couldn’t even see her,” Swindle said. “The dog never moved. I looked at my husband, and I said I had to sign up and this was the place.”

Eight weeks later when her dog graduated from the program, Swindle said he was so well-behaved that people asked her if she had gotten a different dog. She has now been a dog trainer for over seven years.

The training teaches dogs obedience, helps them keep up skills and supports them in endeavors such as obedience, competitions and therapy work. 

Suzanne Gentilhomme, 34, of Acushnet, has been training at the club since 2018, when Archie was six months old. Now, he is almost eight years old, and he hasn’t stopped training with the club. He has a competition title — Novice Obedience — after learning his tricks at the club.

“The training prepared us not only for competitions, but for life…It’s the best thing I ever did because he is so loving and gentle, and all of that comes from the training and him obeying all my commands,” Gentilhomme said. 

She said the club is their time to bond together, and although Archie has graduated from the obedience training program, she will keep coming as long as he loves it.

“I continue because every time I’m walking around this hall, his tail is wagging,” Gentilhomme said.

Veterinarian Susan Adams-Conley, 67, of Acushnet, recently took her dog to Ohio for the Rally National Championship to compete at an advanced level. Kim Hudak, 64, regularly takes her therapy dog to visit schools, foster programs and libraries. Hudak said her dog, who is now in the advanced classes, is gentle and can anticipate the children’s needs.

The club also has an 11-year-old junior handler who said she wants to keep training and competing with her dog for a long time.

“I like to do it because it teaches my dog to listen to me, and it gives her more connection with me and more time with me,” said Mackenzie Smedberg, of Middleboro. She said her dog is very advanced for a one-year-old, and her favorite thing about Cannoli is that “she loves everything and she’s very funky.”

According to dog trainer Cristina Fredette, 38, of East Freetown, dog training has benefits regardless of whether the dog is competing.

“When we’re out in public, I can give Lola one of the commands we’ve learned in class and she generally responds,” she said.  

Fredette works during the day as a manufacturing engineer for DePuy Synthes, a Johnson & Johnson orthopaedics company, and said the stress-relief from the dog classes is worth working a second job. Swindle also works full-time as a Bristol Plymouth High School secretary.

“We both did this to have something fun to do with our dogs, and sometimes our day jobs can be a little stressful, so this is like our release and our fun,” Swindle said. “I just love the dogs, being with them. I love having someone saying ‘I don’t know if you’re going to be able to get my dog trained,’ and by week four or five, they’re like, ‘my dog’s really getting it!’”

Swindle said she wants to get more families involved with the club and to expand offered classes. Future classes may involve teaching dogs manners and junior classes for young children.

“We have a love for the dogs, and we take this seriously…We really feel that if you train your dog how to behave properly at home with your family, they’re going to be better citizens in the community, and I also think it’s important for kids to be raised with pets,” Swindle said.

Plymouth County Canine Club’s eight-week beginner class is $120. The advanced classes are $10 per session for non members and $15 for members. Non-Members can sign up for any of the classes, but the dog must have passed a beginning program to enter an advanced class. For more information,contact plymouthcountycanineclub@gmail.com.