Route 2, home to many businesses both big (think poker chips) and small, will soon welcome one more, Man’s Best Friend – Canine Wellness Center, tentatively scheduled to open this fall in North Stonington.
Owned and operated by Brian Manning, a canine behaviorist and dog trainer who currently owns Canine Behavioral Services in Westerly, Man’s Best Friend will be the first of its kind in New England, offering both behavioral and physical therapy for dogs. Manning explained his motivation behind his newest venture.
“The bond between humans and dogs is a primal need, which is all too often neglected in today’s hectic society, resulting in unbalanced pets exhibiting a litany of problem behaviors,” Manning said.
With the motto of “Therapy for dogs. Training for people,” Manning said he teaches people how to better understand the needs of their dogs and to learn the right way to communicate and provide for those needs. And according to Pawcatuck resident Domonique Lassell, one of Manning’s many happy clients, Manning is one of the best at what he does.
“We have a 4-year-old sheltie who had some issues trying to be dominant and had more or less taken over the house,” Lassell explained. “We were at the point where we were considering finding a home more suited for our dog. Calling Brian was really a last resort but we figured, he’s in dog behavior modification, he knows what to do, let’s give it a shot… it was an excellent decision. We called Brian and he came over for somewhere around two and a half or three hours and by the time he left he had us in control and the dog understanding that he wasn’t in charge.”
Lassell explained that one of the keys to the miraculous turnaround was that as humans. Dogs need a pack leader to feel comfortable and if we don’t fill that role, they will.
“He’s absolutely amazing,” Lassell said. “There’s no yelling and screaming or rough treatment, everything is soft yet firm and my dog is a different dog since Brian came over.”
Lassell said that working with Manning was a truly educational experience for her whole family, admitting that she learned just as much as her dog. “He trained all of us!” Lassell said, laughing.
For more information or to contact Manning, call Canine Behavioral
Services at 401-248-8572.