(WBZ) BOSTON Nancy Baydes and her black lab "Abby" are enjoying a hot new trend in pet care.

You might call it puppy 9-1-1: Private home dog training.

"It's been so terrific. It's been so helpful to be able to train here at the house," said Nancy.

Made popular by television's Cesar Milan, known as the Dog Whisperer, private training has really taken off.

"I think for the dog it's really less stressful," said trainer Howard Hayman.

For years, dog owners relied on obedience schools and classes to get proper behavior from their pooch, but the MSPCA says home training is the best way to get to the root of a dog's problems right in their own environment.

Hayman says clients turn to him first for convenience, then realize they may need him more than the dog does.

"It really is the relationship between the dog owner and the trainer because much of the training is working with the owner," said Howard.

"He's training me! Absolutely! Absolutely, I think it's 90% training me and 10% training Abby," jokes Nancy.

Nancy tried puppy kindergarten, but found it crowded and chaotic. One-on-one, Howard's been able to help her tackle every day challenges as basic as getting 85-pound Abby in and out of the car.

Home training isn't just for the rich and famous. Sending a dog to a training facility can cost up to $2000. Private training is $65 to $100 an hour, and dog owners can go at a pace to fit their pocketbook.

Howard also points out that most people have their dogs for years so teaching good behavior early is well worth the investment.