How many dogs are in each class?
Group class size is limited to 10 dogs. There is no limit to the number of family members attending the class and we encourage everyone to participate.
How many instructors are at each class?
Group classes have an instructor and at least one, but typically two, teaching assistants.
What if I miss a week?
Each session reviews previous lessons and includes new material. If you miss a week we will do our best to catch you up the following week. Since the course material and lessons are tailored to the individual group we are unable to give you the lesson ahead of time or by phone or email.
Can my dog and I visit a class before we enroll?
You are welcome to arrange a visit to one of our sessions to observe and ask questions of our staff. Dogs must be enrolled and have proper health screening prior to entering any of our facilities.
Why don’t you have a puppy kindergarten class?
Our Level 1 Course includes basic training and skills appropriate for dogs 8 weeks and older. Mixing ages and sizes in our group classes is developmentally helpful to proper socialization and play, and facilitates achieving reliable responses from your dog.
Do you use clicker training and what is that?
No. Ever heard of Pavlov’s Dog? In the early 1900s, Ivan Pavlov, a Russian scientist specializing in neuro-physiology discovered what we now call Classical Conditioning: the capacity for an organism to learn to elicit involuntary behavioral responses to a neutral stimulus. In his experiment Pavlov’s Dog naturally salivated upon the presentation of meat powder. By [...]
What if my dog is sick one week?
If the dog is showing any signs of possible illness we request that the dog stay home and that your family attend the lesson for content and participation with the group. Coughing, diarrhea, and lethargy are the top reasons to keep the dog at home. And, to see the veterinarian. Once healthy we look forward [...]
Our dog seems to know the basics can we start with your Level 2 course?
For safety and efficacy we require all dogs entering our group class program to start with our Level 1 Course regardless of previous training. Our methods are substantially different from most obedience classes and the inclusion of children combined with limited off-leash training necessitates the animals be known to us at all levels of group [...]
Our dog is a handful do you suggest Private Classes?
Private Classes best serve those whose lifestyles and schedules don’t conform to group schedules. Private classes follow a structured syllabus and cover the content of the corresponding group level. Whenever possible we encourage all dogs to attend group classes to benefit from training the dog in a more complex environment with strangers and other dogs. [...]