Located Portsmouth, RI

Dog Trainer Wesley Echols

Life is Better with a Trained Dog!

Servicing Portsmouth, Middletown, Newport, Jamestown,Tiverton, Little Compton, Bristol, Warren, North/South Kingston, Southeastern, MA

Services

For Dogs and Puppies

Basic Obedience

  • Crate Training

  • House Training

  • Leash Walking

  • Leave it

  • Place Command

  • Creating Safe Space for Kids

  • Sit

  • Down

  • Recall

  • Off Leash Recall

Behavioral Issues

  • Leash Pulling

  • Separation Anxiety

  • Reactivity

  • Agression

  • Resource guarding

  • Jumping on people

  • Barking

  • Counter-surfing

Social Skills

  • Dog Exposure

  • Dog Playing Rules

  • Environmental Exposure

Services

Training One Step at a Time through Calmness, Confidence, Consistency

Training sessions take place right in your home or a neutral area, so I can see how your dog behaves in their own environment. We start in a simple, low-distraction setting to teach new commands or address behavioral issues, then gradually move to more distracting environments as your dog progresses.

Dog training requires knowledge, training time, many repetitions of the desired behaviour. You have to put in the work to get the training you want. Some dogs are easy, some owners are motivated, while others dogs and owners require more training.

Owners need to have an open mind, and be receptive to change to facilitate training. There is no need to tolerate unwanted behaviors or make excuses for your dog. I am here to help!

Testimonials

  • Life is Better, Safer w/Trained Dog!

    Wesley at Next Step Dog Training helped turn our dog into a (mostly) model citizen. Piper went from jumping on people and pulling on the leash to sitting, waiting, loose-leash walking and off-leash e-collar hikes. Life truly is better (and safer!) with a trained dog. Thanks Wesley!

  • Such a Gift to our Family!

    Wesley at Next Step Dog Training has been such a gift for our family! Raising an adolescent Irish Setter on our family farm has definitely posed some unique challenges, which is why I had been skeptical about traditional dog training programs... until we met Wesley! He takes each dog's personality and environment into consideration when crafting session plans, and provides valuable structure and training all while maintaining a fun and energetic presence. Our pup has responded so well to Wesley's knowledge and instruction - and I've become more confident in my abilities as an owner. Wesley's program has taught us that consistency + fun can provide our family members (human and dog!) with a better quality of life! Couldn't recommend Next Step Dog Training more!

  • Made Training Fun!

    Was having a few problems with my pekingnese and Wes gave us some great ideas on how to get him to walk better without pulling and from jumping up on people...Wes really seemed to enjoy training our dog and made it fun for our dog as well...highly recommend.

  • My First Dog Ever

    Wesley is a really thorough, knowledgeable and fun trainer! He has been incredibly helpful with my first ever dog, an Akita puppy. He trains my dog and me, and I am now feeling confident handling my dog who is now 108 lbs at 1 year old :) I highly recommend Wesley and his services.

  • More Confident with my Dog

    I am very impressed with Wesley's (Next Step Dog Training) style of training. He gets to know the personality of the dog and tailors the training routine to that. He focuses his training on positive reinforcement and making the lessons both meaningful and enjoyable for the dog. Also, since I am a first time dog owner, he has spent a considerable amount of time "training" me and helping me be more effective and confident in my relationship with my dog.

  • A Great Job with a Big Breed Puppy

    Wesley did a great job working with us and our great Pyrenees puppy. Very prompt and good with communications

  • Enjoying a Run with my Dog

    After working with Wesley for only two sessions I was able to go on the most enjoyable four mile run with my three year old dog! Using simple, easy commands we have watched her come so far in just a few sessions. Would definitely recommend to anyone with highly energetic rescue dogs!!

  • Leash Skills and Reduced Reactivity!

    Wesley has been a tremendous resource, and provided important training for our rescue dog. We have learned important leash skills along with reducing reactivity to other dogs. Highly recommended!

A Positive Relationship with your Dog is built on Trust, Mutual Respect, Training and Leadership.

Puppy Training

Ursus, my BIG buddy! I learned so much from Ursus as a trainer. Akita’s can be very, very difficult to train. He tested me as a novice trainer at the time. However, through the owners determination, patience, and our training, Ursus became the wonderful dog he is today. I have trained, exercised, and sat Ursus off and on since he was 4 months to the present for his owner. He is four years old now. Ursus brings a smile to my face!

Ursus meeting me for the first time!

Recall with Ursus on Long Line

Ursus learning the rules of Tug.

Contact Wesley

401.864.8196

Services

Emma (my girl) and Scout(neighbors dog) are German Short Hair Pointers, who need an outlet for their super high prey drive. They need a minimum of 60 minutes per day of high intensity exercise like running, biking, longline walking or off leash romps if E Collar Trained. Like many hunting breeds, they have a job to do in the field but have a wonderful happy temperament in the house provided you have met their mental and physical requirements.