Group Dog Training Classes

Group Dog classes are a series of lessons where you learn with your dog in class then take the dog home and practice the lessons there with your dog.  We offer a variety of choices from puppy socializing classes and basic on to more advanced dog training.  We also offer specialty and fun training classes like Movie Dog Tricks, Agility and Reactive Dog classes.  They are less expensive than individual training, but also require the biggest commitment on your part to make the training effective.

Life Skills and Manners Theme Class for Puppies

Because puppy socialization is so important, you can start our classes at any time.  We have a rotating curriculum that covers socialization to different types of environments and the training that fits with them.  Many of the sessions conclude with a period of playtime so the dogs and owners can learn about proper play and the dog’s body language.

Life Skills and Manners Theme Class for Dogs

If you have a dog over 5 months and you want to teach it social skills and some better manners this is a perfect beginners class.  This class is for people with dogs who want to get a foundation and a head start on their dog’s behavior.  It is also revolving enrollment so you can join in any time.  Each lesson is self-contained and addresses different aspects of the dog’s real life behavior.

Class Themes for Puppy and Dog Classes

The Puppy Socialization and Adult Manners classes revolve around the same basic themes.  We suggest new dogs attend either the adult or puppy class, depending on the age of your dog.  These classes are designed to give a foundation of basic training and basic manners in and out of the house.  Each class has a different theme.  We set up a different real life scenario and then go through the exercises that will teach you and your dog how to behave in each.  The themes are:

Training Day - We focus on teaching the dog how to pay attention, listen and follow commands.  We cover some basic commands and how to teach and when to use them.
Veterinary, Health and Grooming Day – We show you how to handle emergencies and take you through a grooming and mock examination.  We cover some grooming to help you avoid unneeded costs and vet bills too.
Confidence Course Day – This is a fun class where we teach the dogs different surfaces and obstacles.  We build their confidence and teach stairs and even include a few agility obstacles.
Café Day – This class is to train to behave in public, on the street and sidewalks.  We pretend we are going to the sidewalk café and behave with lots of people around that want to meet and greet your dog.
Household Behavior Day – This class is to cover all about problems that occur at home including guests and workmen in the house. We also address common problems like jumping, barking and housebreaking in addition to taking time for individual questions.
Outing Day – Taught in the real world, we cover car and street safety and training on the town.  We teach some emergency measures in case your dog gets away, and how to handle the dog park.

Training Skills 101

If you don’t have any behavior problems and want to teach your dog the basic obedience lessons you can start with this training class.  This is a positive training class based on our reward and leadership training methods.  No harsh techniques or treatments are used.  This is a 6-week class obedience class, building each week on the previous weeks lesson.  The training covers sit and down on command, come when you call your dog, waiting at boundaries like doors gates and curbs and walking on a loose leash.

This class is not for dogs with behavior problems or for dogs that are reactive around other dogs.  (If you have an immediate need for help with a dog with behavior problems consider a semi private series or enroll in the revolving enrollment Manners Class that you can start any time.  If your dog falls into the category of “doesn’t play well with others” is reactive or aggressive you should enroll in the Reactive Dog Class.)

Advanced Training Skills 102

This is the class to fine-tune your skills to pass the Canine Good Citizen test (CGC).  If you have just finished the revolving manners or puppy class or if your dog has some rudimentary skills and just needs a brush up or refinement of the training, you can move into this intermediate series.

This series has a progression from beginning to end where we build on our skills from week to week.  This is a serious training class for dogs to be able to behave in areas with distractions.  The first few weeks we review our skills and the last few we take our training to areas around the neighborhood with a few more distractions.  The last class will be a mock CGC test.  Those students wishing to certify their dog will be given direction to the next step.

Prerequisite: Prior training in either the Life Skills & Manners Class (Puppy or Dog), Basic Training Class or consent of the training director or instructor.

Feisty Fido

If your dog does not have the social skills to behave on leash around other dogs, or is flat out reactive around other dogs, this class will get them to the point that you can proceed with other training.  Instead of disrupting the students in the behavior and manners class, this class will teach your dog the social skills to be around other dogs.

We will teach foundation skills in behavioral modification.  This class uses modern positively based techniques to change your dog’s outlook.  Since these behaviors are usually created by fear, frustration and anxiety, this class is designed to give your dog a new outlook about being around other dogs.  We start with an orientation without dogs in the first class.  Dogs come to all the other classes (this class is 5 weeks).  Each dog and owner team will go at their own pace and owners are given lessons to practice at home.  We will also give you management skills as to how to respond in the event of an unexpected situation around the town.

Agility 101

For dogs and owners with lots of energy, the Dog Agility Class is a great way to take your dog’s skills to the next level.  This is an obstacle and confidence building course as well as giving you control around distractions.  We learn new obstacles each week, and ultimately, the dogs run through the whole set of agility obstacles.  It always proves to be lots of fun for both the dogs and the owners.  For those students who want to compete, this class will teach the basic obstacles including the dog walk, a-frame, teeter totter, hoop and bar jumps.  And of course all dogs love to do the tunnel weave through the poles and hop on the pause box.

Drama Dog Trick Class

This Trick Class is a way to have more fun with your dog and to teach a way to interact with your dog on a really positive level.  Tricks range from silly ones like beg, roll over and dance, to handy ones like get the paper, go to your place, catch and speak on command.  The real benefit is that you learn new ways to have fun and you will really bond with your dog.  They love to perform for your friends too.  This is a class that always gets the kids involved at wanting to train the dogs too.

Nose Work 101

Nose Work 101 is where your dog really gets a chance to use its best skill.  Since their sense of smell is really their biggest talent this class gives them a chance to use it.  The beginner class teaches your dog to find food that is hidden using their nose.  What’s more is it gives you and your dog an intellectual and physical training exercise.  You can actually practice right at home and you don't need to worry about buying a bunch of fancy equipment.  This class is the first level and students progress on to searching for odors hidden inside, outside, and on cars!