About Us
Why New Pups on the Block?
Our professional dog walkers in Charlestown are top-notch! We conduct a thorough hiring process and our W2 employees adhere to our company-wide policies and procedures.
Our dog walkers and pet sitters are:
- Background Checked
- Pet First Aid & CPR Trained
- Fully Insured & Bonded
- Passionate about Animals
- Trained over several weeks by our owner and recieve ongoing education
- Skilled in dog body language and communication, relationship building and leash handling
Our Founder: Colleen
New Pups on the Block was founded in 2019 by Colleen. A Massachusetts native, she has been a Charlestown resident since 2012. She graduated with a BA from Goucher College, and after years of working 80+ hours a week in an office, she needed a break. She thought she would walk dogs for 6 months while she figured out what was next…turns out, spending her days with dogs and cats is all she wanted to do! She has a soft spot for senior animals and anxious/fearful ones. It took Dantian the cat 2.5 years to love on her but now that is all he does!
Her favorite teachers have been all of the dogs she has interacted with, especially her best friend, Buddy. Buddy was a dog walking client of hers for several years, and she welcomed him into her home in 2022. Together they love going on adventures, eating ice cream, and attending group classes to polish their skills.
As her passion for working with dogs grew, she pursued her dog training education. She attended the CATCH Canine Trainers Academy and has spent hundreds of hours working with mentors. She continues to expand her knowledge, and has a network of other trainers to consult with.
Some of her education includes:
- Play as the Way – GRC Dog
- Sports Advanced Skill Workshop: Jay Jack
- Make Your Dog Somebody Tour: Ivan Balabanov
- Reinforcement Strategies & Trouble-shooting: Forrest Micke
- The Dog Training Workshop: Larry Krohn, Joel Silverman & Jay Jack
- Virtual Courses: Michael Ellis, Training Between the Ears, & Denise Fenzi Sports Academy
- Private Coaching with Tyler Muto
- Private Coaching with Jay Jack
"Colleen was the best dogwalker we could hope for. She walked our two dogs every evening for nearly two years, and she helped raise our puppy - providing her with potty breaks and long walks throughout the day. She often took our dogs for a weekend or stay in our apartment with them. Colleen is reliable and trustworthy. But also, she truly loved our dogs as much as we do and they adored her. The hardest part of leaving Boston was separating our dogs from Colleen and losing the security of knowing she was there to help take care of them."
"I really don't know what my life would be like without Colleen - a friend first with the added bonus of being a dog sitter extraordinaire! My dog Jack relishes his time spent with Collen either on walks around the neighborhood or curled up next to her on the couch in our apartment. Colleen runs an incredibly professional business with her animal clients as her #1 priority. I trust Colleen 100% while taking care of Jack for daily or overnight jobs. She also sends great photo updates!"
"Colleen was a godsend when we moved to the city. Right away we could tell she genuinely loved animals and loved our 2 pups almost as much as we did. We never had to worry that she wasn't going to show up which had been a major issue with other walkers in the past. She took the time to discuss any concerns we had and/or just to check-in and say hi which was appreciated as she was such a big and necessary part of our daily lives. She was also a wonderful dog sitter for weekend trips and holidays. We cannot say enough good things about her!"
"We heard about New Pups on the Block from several other dog owners in the neighborhood and we knew we picked a great team at the initial meet & greet. They go above and beyond and seem to know our dog as well as we do! They are committed to safety and ensuring our dog is set up for success in terms of socializing properly with other dogs. We also did training sessions and they were so helpful! Colleen broke everything down and was very patient to make sure we understood each step."