welcome to acorn
extraordinary small group daycare & lodging nestled in the peaceful rolling hills of upstate new york.
daycare, short & long term STAYS.
Acorn is passionate about meeting each dog's unique individual needs and is fully committed to fear-free practices, positive reinforcement, unwavering patience, confidence building, and praise.
​​
why small groups?
All dogs, whether introverted or extroverted, enjoy smaller, familiar play groups.
Small play groups foster confidence and
allow for personal attention and quality time with each dog.
It creates an environment where calm observation is possible and dogs are able to watch me patiently interact with everyone equally. This builds trust, which also builds confidence.
A confident dog is obedient and full of personality.
Small groups tailored to each dog's personality allow for lots of vigorous play with comfortable breaks. The entire group will observe that they have my undivided attention and direction during play and rest.
This helps them to feel safe making good choices.
​
I'm excellent at guiding safe, enriching group play. I teach the dogs to play with one another politely, and I teach them common obedience commands that benefit them both at daycare and at home with their family.
The obedience commands they learn help with things like recall, dropping undesirable items, staying, waiting for permission,
and so on!
These are things we incorporate into the daycare schedule. The groups are small, so dogs who enjoy "working" can have one on one instruction time, and dogs who are more laid back will still receive the same instruction through play and relaxed interaction.
Acorn is perfect for dogs who:
​
-
prefer to socialize in smaller groups
-
are friendly but awkward
-
need to learn manners
-
need to build confidence
-
need exercise and mental stimulation
-
are quirky & need more personal attention
-
are sensitive & need a peaceful environment
about me
Hey, I'm Hiedi!
I'm a fear free certified dog handler and am dedicated to continued, hands-on education. I have extensive experience with local dog daycares and I am excellent at maintaining comfortable, safe, and fulfilling group play. I am committed to leading small play groups of less than 12 dogs.
I'm highly qualified in reading canine body language. I use my talent to gain trust with extreme patience, consistency, and genuine warmth that the dogs can read in my own body language. I can work with you on reinforcing positive behavior, or any concerns with your dog's unique personalities!
​
I am excellent with animals who have special needs, as well as elderly pups. I am calm, even boring, during what the dogs perceive as crisis and this fosters intense trust between me and the dog. I'm a safe human, even when the dog is overwhelmed and unable to make the best choices, or behave obediently.
I do not have a fear of large or aggressive breeds, and my experience is that they can usually sense this and approach me willingly. I can mirror confident dog body language and put them at ease quickly.
I use fear-free techniques, always.
I maintain relationships with local animal behaviorists, vets, dog handlers, groomers, trainers, and other committed animal lovers. I value their knowledge and advice.
​
In my free time, I volunteer at the SPCA walking and working with the bigger personality dogs. We help them learn to make better decisions so they are more confident, which leads to quicker adoptions!
kenzie
acorn staff
The most rewarding part of working with dogs is when I figure out the dog's personal language and am able to make learning a more comfortable and rewarding experience for the dog.
YUZU
Earning a dog's trust is a top tier joy.
ARCHIE
