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Top tier dog training, north of Boston
Deborah Maida cheerily chats over the occasional yip from her furry clients. “Now’s a good time if you don’t mind the occasional interruption,” she laughs. As the owner of No Dog Too Small in Winchester, Massachusetts, Maida provides training and care to dogs of all ages and breeds. Her special blend of in-home training reinforced by daily walks and playgroups helps even the most challenging pup learn to sit and stay.
Maida started providing pet services professionally in 2010, eventually opening her business in 2013. But her love of animals started well before that as a child. “I was brought up with loads of animals: dogs and cats and birds,” she explains. “It came back to me when I was a mother. I wanted my kids to get familiar with how to care for animals. It’s great for them to be around animals to be accountable, kind, and compassionate. It worked nicely as a mom trying to run a business at the same time.”
As Maida’s reputation grew, so did her business. No Dogs Too Small proudly celebrated their 10th-anniversary last month, a tremendous milestone for any independently-owned business. She credits her Professional Pet Care Technicians (PPCTs) for much of their success. “I have wonderful people,” Maida affirms. “The right people are huge. You’ve got to be able to find the right types of people to support the business that you’re growing. The right mentality, the right frame of mind.”
Adding PPCTs is important but does come with challenges. As an owner, it can take a lot of work to run the business, service clients, and hire and train people simultaneously. Maida has found that hiring people with industry experience works best for her business. This allowed her to spend less time training on basic skills and more time creating a strong culture with PPCTs. She created an operations manual to ensure all clients get the same No Dog Too Small experience. She adopted mobile technology for added consistency, communication, and control.
“We have a software where each person checks in. Clients can see where their dog went on their walk and schedule their next appointment. We can send pictures and notes for the day. I’m able to monitor which dogs are with each staff member.”
These smart moves helped Maida scale her business—which proved particularly handy in 2020. The demand for puppy training exploded during the pandemic as families added dogs to their homes everywhere. No Dog Too Small was flooded with requests for dog walking and play groups to help families socialize their puppies. It was during this time that Maida’s in-home training became especially popular.
No Dog Too Small is a licensed Family Paws Educator training to help prepare families with dogs for life with a baby or toddler. Now nationally and internationally available, the program was founded by a special education teacher with experience with children and animals. Maida herself has a degree in Psychology and experience in mental health counseling and teaching—skills she draws on daily. “I always had the passion for helping people by teaching them, coaching them through issues,” she says.
Training is done in the family’s home and is great for introducing new puppies or adopted dogs. Maida gears the program, especially for families with children. She stresses that it’s an activity for the whole family, not just the animals, and should be treated with empathy and zero judgment.
“It’s a very sensitive area. People may already have a view of how they want their dog to relate to their child. They may expect their dog to have a relationship with their child, a bond. But there’s a dynamic between the child, parents, and the dog,” Maida explains. “A large piece of it is listening: what are they saying, what are their beliefs, how were they raised with animals in their home.”
The Family Paws program teaches owners how to understand their dogs and to read their body language. For example, we may interpret a dog licking a child as a sign of affection. But it can be a sign of danger, a subtle cue we may only pick up on with training from a professional. Maida says the prevalence of cute dog videos and social media can lead owners to misinterpret what their dog is trying to tell them.
Owners can sometimes put too much trust in dogs from breeders, too. There’s an assumption that we can somehow pay for a certain temperament, that a well-behaved dog can be bred. But it’s still worthwhile to train your pricey new Frenchie. Training can be done in age-appropriate ways, teaching children to develop a healthy respect and understanding of their animals. Successful training is proven to prevent bites and reduce rehoming.
“We’ve had wonderful experiences where the children participate willingly. They learn how to care for their dogs. The relationship that develops between the child and the dog, they respect each other’s space. They give the dog agency.”
No Dog Too Small’s longevity is due in no small part to Maida’s drive. “I’m always looking to hone my only skills with the dog training, as well as the business end of it too. My [next] ten-year plan is to build on what I have now and take it to the next level.”
She has the instinct to add the right services at the right time. She generates a lot of ideas, then conducts research before investing in anything new. There’s the dog training and walking services, of course. But she’ll also visit your cat so they’re not alone all day. Or take your animals while you’re hosting a wedding at your home. She’ll even pick up your animals on short notice for home sellers dealing with last-minute showings. She has exciting plans for mobile services, doggy gyms, and brick-and-mortar shops in the future.
“The pet industry is huge,” she says. “You can go in any direction.”
Maida’s advice is to surround yourself with like-minded people willing to support each other’s development. She makes a point to network with other owners in the pet industry, like groomers, pet stores, and photographers. She supports the ASPCA with fundraising and donations. There’s even a local dog show that she judges, picking the best-dressed dogs in Winchester. Her commitment to her work and her community comes through in all she does.
“It’s rewarding to see when you’re helping people. You give them a plan and they carry it through. That’s when you see progress—when it’s consistent.”
No Dog Too Small serves furry friends in northern Middlesex county, including Winchester, Burlington, Wakefield, and Reading.
For more information about No Dog Too Small, check out their BBB Business Profile. To learn more about BBB and read more stories like this, visit Behind the Business Stories with BBB in Eastern MA, ME, RI & VT.
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