GROUP CLASSES

Provides a perfect framework for training your dog to become a polite member of society. The 10 test items on the CGC test are practical, functional behaviors that every dog should have to be welcomed in the community. 

Community Canine is all about ensuring you have a well-behaved dog while you’re out and about in the community. Where CGC happens in a simulated environment, the 10-step AKC Community Canine test is conducted in real life situations—like walking on a busy sidewalk or through a local park–giving you and your dog the confidence to enjoy every day to the fullest, no matter what comes your way.

Another step beyond the basic CGC test is the AKC Urban CGC title, which tests your CGC skills in an active city or town setting. There are 10-steps to the test that your dog must pass to earn the official AKC Urban CGC title, but it is administered in a place where there are cars, streets to be crossed, noises, and fast-paced distractions. 

Just like humans need to exercise to maintain a healthy lifestyle so do our dogs. Canine fitness exercises are a great way to help your dog live a happier and healthier life, while at the same time strengthening the dog's behavior, confidence, focus, body awareness, and key muscle groups. Most dogs really enjoy fitness programs and find them super fun, mentally and physically challenging.

This class will begin to teach the foundation skills needed for loose leash heeling. This is not precision heeling but rather having your dog walk nicely beside you without pulling, lunging, jumping and forging ahead. Components of this class will provide you with the groundwork to learn and teach more precise heeling in future levels of Heel with Me.

If you're looking to add some variety, add challenges and proof both your skills and that of your dog, this is the class for you! In this class we will work on learning new skills, proofing behaviors and fine-tuning handler skills. An enthusiastic dog that is handler focused and is excited to learn new behaviors in a fun and engaging environment is the goal. This is an excellent addition to those preparing for therapy dog, obedience, rally, agility and other types of trials and dog sports.

In this foundation class you and your dog will learn the basic principles for participating in nose work also known as scent work. Nose work training teaches your dog to find one of three scents, wherever you decide to hide. In nose work competitions, there are four locations involved in searching: interiors, exteriors, containers, and vehicles.  Nose work isn't an obedience-based activity. Instead, it works with your dog's natural instinct to hunt and track scents. There are few cues given during the activity, and no attention to the owner is required while the dog is working.

Teach your pup good manners from the start both at home and in public. You’ll learn about: 

• How dogs learn, consistency, timing
• Cues & Marker Words (verbal, non-verbal, clicker)
• Reward Reinforcement, Rate of Reinforcement, Placement of Reinforcement
• Rapid Fire Treats
• Attention Games
• Sit / Down / Stand
• Wait / Stay
• Come when called

Puppy training early and often is important for a number of reasons. It builds awareness of owner relevance and guidance for a puppy, it teaches early manners and behaviors that make life with and for that puppy a lot easier, and it starts the process of creating a life-long student who loves learning.

Rally is a fun and exciting team sport for dogs and their handlers! Dog and handler teams navigate a course with numbered signs indicating different exercises to perform such as Sit-Down-Sit, Straight Figure 8, Moving Side Step Right, About Turn Right, etc. Teams navigate the course at a brisk, continuous performance. Handlers are encouraged to talk to their dogs during the performance.

If competition is your goal, you will learn all the skills needed to get you started in Rally competition. For anyone already competing, this class will offer opportunities to polish your skills.

This program will help you work in a positive way with your dog while having success being out in public / community places. This program will help you gain the skills necessary to further pursue Therapy Dog training as well as obtain your AKC CGC, CGCA and Urban titles. 

This specialized course is for people who are interested in volunteering in a pet therapy program. During your training, your handling skills are equally as important as your animal’s demonstrated skills and behaviors. This training course is meant to help you refine or proof skills generally used to test a team for therapy work. The learning and/or training of each of these skills can be achieved in one of our other classes. This course is available as adjunct training to those who want to expand their dog's skills / behaviors even if not pursing therapy work.

Trick dog training is a great way to provide your dog with physical and mental exercise. For someone new to dog training, trick dog training provides a great foundation for you and your dog to begin with easy tricks and progress to more challenging activities together. By earning the CGC title first, you only have to perform 5 tricks from the Novice checklist to earn an AKC Novice Trick Dog title, commonly called “CGC + 5.” We also offer Virtual Trick Dog testing.