Every afternoon at Canine College, the routine is the same. As the dogs settle in for their after-lunch nap, one by one, they each receive a cookie, and the kennel falls silent. “You could hear a pin drop,” said owner Sharon Lanoue.
The ritual began decades ago with Sharon’s mother, Betty Behan, who believed boarding dogs deserved more than excellent care; they deserved comfort, consistency, and love. Eighty years later, that philosophy still defines this quiet corner of Redding.
Pull down the tree-lined drive on Marchant Road, and it doesn’t feel like a commercial kennel. It feels like someone’s home, because it is.
Home Sweet Home
For Lanoue and her daughter Stephanie Kassner, and their families, Canine College isn’t simply where they work. It’s where they live. They know every dog by name and care for each as if it were their own.
“Walking into the kennel should feel like walking into our house,” Kassner said. “This isn’t just our business. It’s our home.”
Founded in 1946 by Lanoue’s father, John Behan, Canine College grew from an unlikely beginning. During the Great Depression, Behan desperately wanted a dog and saved until he could mail-order a collie named Tyke, who arrived by train in a burlap sack. The family didn’t want to spend valuable resources on a poorly behaved dog, so Behan devoted himself to training Tyke, whose remarkable obedience eventually became the foundation for Behan’s extraordinary career.
During World War II, Behan joined the Army’s K-9 Corps, where he developed the skills that would make him one of the country’s early pioneers in professional dog training. Behan helped establish police K-9 programs, trained security dogs for major institutions, and ultimately chose to settle in Redding, where he established Canine College and created a unique dog-training program for families. Three generations later, Behan’s granddaughter continues the work built on trust, compassion, and the belief that training dogs begins with educating their owners.
Unlike traditional weekly obedience classes, dogs at Canine College stay on-site in an immersive three to five-week program designed to build lasting habits before owners return for individualized coaching. “We train,” Lanoue said. “They raise.” It’s an approach that recognizes something many owners don’t initially realize: successful training isn’t just about changing a dog’s behavior, it’s about helping people understand their own.
“When owners recognize how their actions influence their dog, that’s when everything starts to click,” Kassner said. “We’re really educating families as much as we’re training dogs.” That approach has created extraordinary loyalty. Many clients today are returning with the children and grandchildren of dogs their families brought decades ago.
“We’ve watched families grow up with us,” Lanoue said. “That’s probably the most rewarding part.”
Canine College will mark its 80th anniversary with a Labor Day gathering for clients, neighbors, and friends. For Kassner, the milestone isn’t about the number. “I feel a sense of stewardship,” she said. “This began from very humble beginnings. To know we’ve helped thousands of dogs and families over the years and that people trust us with such an important member of their family, that’s something we’re incredibly grateful for.”
For more information, please
visit caninecollegect.com or call
203-938-2124.•
