About Wagging Tails Training

Janet Flanagan started Wagging Tails Training in 2011 right after 95 dogs were rescued from a hoarding case in Frederick, MD. Knowing these dogs would need special care and that their new owners would need specialized information to care for them, Janet offered to do free seminars at the local shelter for people planning to adopt the dogs. Afterwards, Janet was struck by how thankful the new owners were for the information and realized that most dog adopters would benefit from the same kind of pre and post adoption preparation. Thus, a new small business was born! 

 (As a community service, Wagging Tails Training provides a free seminar, "Getting Started On The Right Paw," at Frederick County Animal Control for people adopting dogs from the shelter. If you're adopting a dog there, please inquire about the next session).

Janet has been an obedience instructor and volunteer trainer for Catoctin Kennel Club in Frederick, MD since 1997. Janet is a member of Wags For Hope (her dog Archie is a therapy dog), the Association of Pet Dog Trainers (APDT), and holds the CPDT-KA credential (Certified Professional Dog Trainer - Knowledge Assessed) from the CCPDT.  This credential is considered to be the gold standard in the USA dog training industry and is tough to get! Janet is also an instructor/counselor for Frederick County Government and Frederick Community College, and has a Masters Degree in Counseling as well as a BA in Psychology (which comes in handy with the dogs).

Janet's own dogs, past and present, have been her best teachers...she has always adopted dogs with "baggage." None have achieved "perfect dog" status, but that's ok. Current dog Archie (pictured above with Janet at right) was a complete basket case and "not able to be housebroken" when she got him at age 4 (he sat in a dirty crate for 23 hours a day for those first years of his life). Today, he's mostly well-adjusted, gleefully happy and finally housebroken (it took a while).

Stuart (pictured above at left) was found roaming the streets on North Carolina with filthy, matted floor-length hair; a flea, tick and worm infestation; un-neutered; and sporting a huge ATTITUDE. The shelter placed him in a prison-based "cell dog" program called A New Leash On Life for 8 weeks; then Janet ended up with him because he still needed a lot of work. Once home, it became obvious that Stuart hadn't ever lived inside a house, didn't really trust anyone, wasn't housebroken, and had a major marking habit. His eyes were cold and hard as if he were daring anyone to love him. Fast-forward to today - see those big, brown, sappy eyes full of gratitude? Stuart is a wonderful, cheerful character who is well trained, loves life and people, and is housebroken! There is hope for most every dog.


Wagging Tails Training provides services in Frederick, Maryland and its surrounding municipalities.