Northern Fairfield County’s Most Qualified Dog Trainers

From our highly educated dog trainers to our flexible training classes and packages, we offer everything you need to turn your beloved companion into an exceptional pet.

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CPDT-Certified Dog Trainers ✦ Group Classes ✦ Puppy Day Camp ✦ Private Classes ✦ Training Packages ✦

We Know & Love Dogs

Highly trained dog trainers yield highly trained dogs.

Sure, we love dogs, but that’s not enough to properly train them. That’s why our dog trainers pass the Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers test after completing at least 300 hours of hands-on dog training.

At The Exceptional Pet, our training approach is:

Our training method helps your dog thrive while building the skills and understanding that make everyday life together easier and more rewarding.

Class & Options

Dog Training That Works For The Whole Family

We make training accessible to busy professionals and families by offering classes on weekdays, evenings, and weekends. Puppy Day Camp can also be scheduled at your convenience.

Group Classes

Group classes bring dogs and humans together to learn from each other while guided by an experienced dog trainer who facilitates communication, creates a positive learning environment, and teaches you valuable dog parenting skills based on humane training methods.

Puppy Day Camp

Designed to meet the training needs of puppies from 12 to 23 weeks of age, puppy day training allows you to drop your puppy off at our Newtown facility for three hours of socialization, skill-building, and enrichment in a supervised small group setting.

Private Lessons

Ideal for families looking to resolve specific behavioral concerns, our private lessons focus on understanding your dog’s motivations, designing a behavior plan to modify unwanted behaviors, and guiding families in raising a fulfilled and well-adjusted companion.

Training That Fits Everyone’s Needs

Dog Training Packages

Our training packages optimize your dog’s training by combining private and group classes or offering discounts for 3 or more private or group classes, giving you more training for less cost per class.

You and your family gain access to greater guidance from our exceptional trainers, and you enjoy the benefits that come with a deeper understanding of your canine best friend.

Unleash Your Inner Awesome

Getting Started

We simplify the process, making dog training accessible and straightforward.

Review Our Dog Training Options

Browse our dog training page to determine which of our dog training options or packages works best for you and your family.

Schedule Group Classes & Puppy Camp

Register for group training classes and Puppy Day Camp online. Most of our classes meet once a week for 50 minutes over 6 sessions.

Contact Us For Additional Options

Harmonious Homes by The Exceptional Pet

Dog Training Success Stories

Highly recommend!!!
“I’ve been coming to The Exceptional Pet for over a year and love it!! My dog, Bailey, has taken Puppy Kindergarten, Elementary School, Middle/High School Combo, Frolic with Fido (twice), Crazy Canines, and Therapy Dog 101. Bailey loves it! It’s the highlight of her week, every week. Everywhere we go now, people compliment how well behaved she is! Thanks to our training we’re able to go to coffee shops, restaurants, the office, and so much more. It’s helped strengthen our bond and you could see the pride in Bailey’s eyes when she learns new skills. Highly recommend”

We absolutely love The Exceptional Pet
“We have taken both of our dogs to The Exceptional Pet and it’s been wonderful. We (our dogs included) really like their training method, heavily focused on positive reinforcement. I also really love that their trainers adapt based on your dog’s personality and breed traits and work with you to make sure your dog is successful with their program. We’ve taken classes with Donna and Sandy - they have both been absolutely fantastic, and truly have a gift for working with and understanding dogs! They offer a nice assortment of classes from basic training to going to stores and working on behavior in dog friendly businesses. We absolutely love The Exceptional Pet and highly recommend them as your dog training program!”

Thriving Therapy Dog
We have been working with The Exceptional Pet/Sandy to train our Black Labrador Luna for 3 years now! Luna is a high energy lab who loves people. She jumped on everyone and I had no clue how to train a dog. Sandy is wonderful. She is patient, loves Luna like her own, and is incredibly approachable about training, tips, and the overall wellbeing of your dog. I can't say enough about the different training opportunities we have had from basic obedience, loose leash walking, dogs around town, tricks, and therapy work. The most important thing is that Luna is thriving, I have learned how to work with her and she is so well behaved. As a therapy dog who volunteers with The Exceptional side kick we continue to drop into classes and are always learning something new from Sandy. Thank you!!!

Training For Small, Rambunctious Dogs
“Train your tiny dogs!! They will live a much happier life! I’ve been taking my dog to Exceptional Pet for about a year now. We started going to classes when she was about 6 months old, and I wish we had started her even sooner! Petal is a barky and excitable little Maltese puppy. At first she was completely unable to attend classes without full barriers up, but after consistently attending classes she can now calmly watch dogs walk past her while laying on her blanket. So far she has been to Elementary School (twice!), Middle School, Tricks, Obstacle Courses, a Holiday Party, Movement Puzzles, and Impulse Control. We have worked with both Sandy and Donna, and they are both amazing trainers. Even though she can still be excitable, people are always surprised by how well trained she is. I highly recommend going to Exceptional Pet if you have a small and rambunctious pup! The best part is that she takes a long nap when she gets home from class!”

Unique, Varied Dog Training Classes
“I have been training my dogs at The Exceptional Pet for many years. Not only does The Exceptional Pet offer obedience training at different levels, but now they offer other wonderful fun classes like Rally O, Crazy K9, which is agility and tricks training in different levels, AKC Trick Dog Titles, Scent Work, AKC Fit Dog, Dogs Around Town, which is dog training in the real world, as well as Therapy Dog classes, and who knows what will pop up on the schedule next. There is so much to do, I just keep enrolling my dog in every session. And if you have a high energy dog that needs something to do, but it's too hot out (This summer has been brutal), get that energy out in a nice clean air conditioned center, with wonderful instructors.”

Where the Canine/Human Bond Comes to Life

Our Conveniently Located State-of-the-Art Training Facility

Our classes are offered at our People Training Facility on Route 25 in Newtown, CT.

The Exceptional Pet Facility in Newtown

Fairfield County’s only dedicated dog training facility
3000+ square feet
Air-conditioned and heated
Matted floors
Open to the entire family
State-of-the-art agility equipment
Cleaned using effective, animal-safe disinfectants
Thorough vaccination requirements and health standards

Northern Fairfield County’s Most Trusted Dog Trainers

Our expertise and passion for dog training are unparalleled.

At The Exceptional Pet, we use established behavioral science and prioritize the human/animal bond. Our methods never include pain or fear, which can be counterproductive. Instead, we create stability, guide dogs and their families, and promote bonding by focusing on respect, communication, and patience.