Welcome to the most awkward school in Portland.
developing social intelligence and resilience for adolescent dogs through play-based methods
Welcome to the cutest school in Portland.
Training, play, and socialization in small groups for safe, effective, and enriching care. New cohorts welcome in September of 2024.
for puppies under 9 months of age
(and select older puppy graduates!)
Welcome to the cutest school in Portland.
Training, play, and socialization in small groups for safe, effective, and enriching care. New cohorts welcome in September of 2024.
for puppies under 9 months of age
(and select older puppy graduates!)
Hello. Let us guess why you're here. Your soft and squishy puppy has turned into demon spawn that has aged out of all of Portland's puppy socialization programs.
Welcome. We are so glad you're here. We've got you.
Adolescent Learning Through Play
At Middle School for Dogs, adolescent pups build social intelligence, develop resilience, and engage in epic amounts of fun through professionally moderated play experiences with other adolescent dogs. Students learn such essentials as bite inhibition, taking turns, taking breaks, impulse control, reading body language, constructive communication, emotional regulation, and the social rewards of working as a team. Dogs are matched with other dogs depending on their learning needs. As an additional bonus, adolescent dog guardians get a break from their impulsive, hyperactive, dysregulated, stinky teenager for a few hours. It's a win-win!
Portland's Top Trainer at the Helm
Middle School for Dogs students are in the care of Dog Adventures Northwest's owner and head trainer, Kerry Ryan, Certified Professional Dog Trainer and Family Dog Mediator, who has been voted Spot Magazine's Best Portland Trainer on multiple occasions. With over 20 years of professional training under her belt, Kerry is highly skilled in adolescent dog socialization, building trust-based relationships, navigating canine developmental stages, rewards-based learning, and all things Puppy/Adolescent. She welcomes puppy guardians to hang out at pick-up to observe play, ask puppy questions, and get support.
Safe Playgroups in a Home-Based Environment
Kerry hosts Middle School for Dogs in her Woodstock home, keeping her impressionable charges out of crowded, loud, stressful, and/or unsupervised daycares. She designs all groups to be fun, enriching, and educational for every pup, taking into account a dog's age, size, breed, and play style. Groups are kept small (5 dogs) to provide many learning opportunities without the stress of large, unstructured groups. Vaccination requirements and extra cleaning precautions are taken to provide for the safety of all.
Enrichment for Everypup!
In exchange for asking dogs to live in a human world, it's vital to give them the things they need to thrive as an entirely different species! Middle School for Dogs includes physical enrichment through play and cardiovascular exercise, social enrichment through carefully curated playgroups, sensory enrichment through a myriad of new and interesting experiences, and mental enrichment through training, food puzzles, and chews.
"Lucy was easily over-stimulated, lacked manners with other pups, and had a hard time settling down. She now has much stronger social skills, is able to respect boundaries, and can even put herself down for a nap! I'm so grateful to have found a true partner in helping us let Lucy be her best self."
THE LOWDOWN
$125/session
Drop-off: 8:30am-9am 
Pick-up: 11:30am-12pm
Optional: Observation with Kerry, 11:30am-12pm
One-on-one private training sessions available 12pm-1pm
(Discounted to $125/session for Play & Learn attendees!)
Gentle
Mondays
Mini or Meek Pups
6 months-2 years
intact or altered tweens
spayed/neutered teens
Bitchin'
Wednesdays
Teen Girls
6 months-2 years
intact or spayed females
(potential for neutered males)
Frisky
Fridays
Teen Boys
6 months-2 years
intact or neutered males
(potential for spayed females)
Give your puppy the gift of professional, gentle, fun, puppy-led socialization by following these easy steps.
Reach out to say hi!
Let's get this party started! Click the button below to let us know you and your pup's basic info.
Safety Check
Your pup will need a few things to attend Middle School for Dogs:
Schedule an Evaluation
Once we have your basic info, we will reach out to schedule a free, no-obligation evaluation for your pup. You can check out the space, hear more about the program, meet some of the current Middle Schoolers, and ask any and all questions. Puppies come first around here, so we will be honest if we think that Middle School for Dogs is not a good option for your puppy, for any reason.
Schedule Middle School Sessions
Middle School is held on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, with an 8:30am-9am drop-off window and a 12pm pick-up time. Dog guardians are welcome to hang out 11:30am-12pm to observe play, ask training questions, and meet other puppy parents.
Welcome to the family!
Hooray! We are so glad you are here! We look forward to providing you and your pup with the very best services, from the time they come home through their golden years.
Additional Services
You've made it this far, so you get the additional reward of seeing some of our adolescent play pictures! All of the teens featured here are engaged in play. While it may look like they are fighting, these photos don't display aggressive behavior. (You've got to dramatically play fight to help your brain grow! The more ridiculous the drama, the better.)
Still here? Excellent. Here's a poem.
The New Caninus
Not sleek or smooth, but lanky and long,
Paws out of rhythm, a step out of song.
I welcome the goofs, the silly, the wild,
Each awkward pup, each gangly child.
Bring me the tails that wag too wide,
The ears that flop from side to side,
The zoomies that crash, the leaps too high,
The goofy grins, the hopeful eye.
Here at my home they romp and play,
Learning their manners along the way.
For in their clumsy, joyful strife,
They’re building skills to last for life.