OUR CLASSES

 

Puppy Start Right Pre-School

 

During this pre-school you and your young puppy will learn: focus and attention, chewing prevention and management, being around children, vaccines, costumes and appearances, crate training and confinement, proper potty manners, digging, drop it, play sessions, fear periods, games, handling and restraint, obstacles and sounds, jumping and prevention, leave it, fundamentals of beginning loose leash walking, mouthing/play biting, counter surfing, predatory behavior, problem solving, the human bond, wheels and children’s toys, play sessions, how to leave the house (tips for preventing separation anxiety), preventing resource guarding.

 

This is a program developed by the prestigious Karen Pryor Academy to jumpstart early socialization in very young puppies.

 

7–16 WEEKS (2ND SOCIALIZATION PERIOD)

 

The optimal time for puppies to be placed with their new human families is at 7-8 weeks of age.  As soon as your puppy comes home, time is of the essence for you to provide a huge heaping of high quality socialization and schooling. This is the key to creating a socially self-confident, well-behaved puppy that is strongly bonded to you.  It is also the key to preventing yappy, shy, and/or aggressive behaviors from developing later in life!

 

FEAR-IMPACT PERIOD

 

During the 2nd Socialization Period, when your puppy is around 8-11 weeks of age, it is important to be aware of what is known as a Fear-Impact Period. If puppies have “bad” or scary experiences during this time, the impressions are likely to last a lifetime and resurface during maturity.  So, protect your puppy from these long-term effects by avoiding bad experiences.  Should your puppy become afraid for any reason, dangerous or not, immediately step in and remove him/her from the situation. This continues until 16 weeks of age (four months).  That is good parenting!

 

Lack of exposure and positive experience during this important time period will prevent a puppy from reaching its full potential.

 

Remember many adult behavior problems can be prevented or reduced through appropriate and thorough socialization.  Discontinuance of socialization beyond the socialization period will cause dogs to regress and become fearful.

 

Puppy Kindergarten (under 6 MOS)

If you have a puppy, this is the place to start!  This class provides your pup with vital socialization to other puppies and people and offers training in basic obedience exercises.  We’ll teach you to teach your puppy how to sit, down, come when called, walk nicely on leash, not jump on people, and drop items on cue, as well as exercises to stop that annoying nipping and biting.  Supervised playtime and socialization is part of every class. Class price includes a puppy training book.

 

Puppies that attend are eligible to earn the AKC S.T.A.R. Puppy Award by demonstrating the skills learned in class.

 

Prerequisites:  Puppies must have had their second set of vaccinations and must be six months or younger.  Puppies who have received their first set of vaccinations may also attend with the permission of their veterinarian.

 

PUPPY KINDERGARTEN/AKC S.T.A.R. PUPPY (5-12 mos)

 

Prequisite:  For Puppies 5 months to 12 months.  Puppies must be 5 months of age or older at the starting date of class. This class includes the introduction and practical application of basic commands. The focus is an introductory on positive training and behavior management for older puppies.  We help you to understand your dog and resolve problem behaviors. Class content includes: focus (dog’s attention focused on you), sit, down, stand, greeting people with a well mannered dog, recalls,  “let’s go” for casual walks and an introduction to stays (Duration, Distraction and Distance).  The class emphasis is on applying what is learned to real life so that you have a well–behaved pet that you can enjoy.  This class includes some supervised off-leash puppy playtime to help develop critical social skills.

Class price:  $115.00 for a 7 week session.

 

Basic Manners and Obedience Classes

 

    Note: All Basic Manners and Obedience courses run for 7 weeks and each class is 50 minutes long. Students who practice their new skills on a daily basis will make the most progress!

 

Puppy Basic Manners (6-12 months) and Basic Manners I (12 months and over)

 

The skills learned in this class form the foundation for a well-mannered dog or for further training in sports or tricks.  We’ll teach you to connect with your dog and keep their attention, and how to teach your dog to sit, lie down, stand, stay, come, leave it, walk on a loose leash, and heel.

 

Please bring small soft treats, a mat, rug, or towel for your dog to lie on, a buckle collar, leash, and clicker (optional).  Puppies under 6 months who have completed Puppy Kindergarten may also attend the Basic Manners class.

 

Obedience II

 

Obedience II is designed for dogs and their handlers who have completed a basic obedience course and who can sit, lie down, stand, stay, come, leave it, walk on a loose leash, and heel. The class will focus on practicing, improving, and polishing those skills and on improving the dog’s responses around distractions and in new settings. We’ll introduce new skills and provide a taste of various organized activities that students can participate in with their dog, such as rally or obedience competition. You will also be introduced to the AKC Canine Good Citizen Program which will prepare your dog to be well-mannered and confident in any social situation.  CGC tests will be offered periodically.

 

Obedience III

 

Obedience III is for dogs who have successfully completed our Obedience II class. This class  raises the bar for both handler and dog by working on Rally exercises, gauntlet recalls, figure eights, and drill team heeling with dogs working in close proximity to each other.  Off-leash heeling and reliability will be introduced and we will also offer obedience games to improve your skills while having fun.

 

AKC Beginner Novice Obedience

 

This is a beginning level class for teams planning to work toward an AKC rally or obedience title. The AKC Beginner Novice is an optional titling class. You and your dog will be introduced to all the AKC exercises needed to earn your AKC BN title including heeling, staying, accepting a judge’s examination and coming when called.  Participants will also gain experience in learning entry-level rally signs. Dogs and handler need to be able to perform sit, down, heel, come and stay and we will help you to improve your performance and be ring ready.  This is a great place to start if you have never shown a dog in competition obedience before and will prepare you for the Advanced Novice class.   All exercises are done on lead, except for the recall, which will be done off lead.

 

Prerequisites:  Puppy Kindergarten and a Basic 1 and/or Obedience 1.

Equipment:  A properly fitted collar.  No head harnesses or body harnesses.  They are seen as special training devices per the AKC.  Approved collars for this class are plain buckle collars, leather collars, and martingale collars.  Leashes must be 6” and either leather or fabric.  Small, soft treats are recommended.

 

Specialty Classes

 

CANINE GOOD CITIZEN (CGC)

 

The Canine Good Citizen (CGC) Award is designed by the AKC to reward dogs who have good manners at home and in the community.  The program stresses responsible pet ownership for owners and basic good manners for dogs.  All dogs who pass the 10-step CGC test may receive a certificate from the American Kennel Club.

 

This class will help you and your dog prepare for the Canine Good Citizen test.  It will provide you and your dog with a thorough understanding of the skills and test items for CGC certification.  Throughout the class sessions we will prepare for the ten exercises required for the test; we will also teach other skills your dog will need to be a well-mannered dog.  All dogs, mixed breeds and purebred, are eligible.

 

Prerequisites:  Your dog should know how to sit, down, stay, and walk on a loose leash, and be able to perform these skills when there are distractions present.  If your dog does not yet know these commands, you should enroll in a Basic Obedience class before taking the CGC class.  No aggressive or over-reactive dogs can be accepted in this class.  If you think your dog is aggressive and/or reactive, talk  with one of our Dogworks trainers.  The cost includes the AKC-required fee for the CGC test, which will be given on the last week of the class session. 

 

Nose Power (Level 1)

 

This is a fun class based on working detection dogs that utilizes your dog’s natural scenting ability to hunt and be rewarded for it.    This activity will build confidence, focus the dog's energy on something they naturally enjoy doing, and use lots of physical and mental energy. Dogs are taught to search first for food and then for specific odors during box (container) searches and room searches. 

 

Equipment: You will need a flat collar or harness attached to a (minimum) six foot leash along with a lot of soft treats.

 

Please: For people, no flip flops or sandals; for dogs, no choke chains or pinch collars.

 

Shy Dogs

 

Does your dog find the world a scary place?  Is he afraid of new people, things, or experiences?  Is she nervous or anxious?  This five-week class will help you help your dog gain confidence using a number of behavior modification exercises and positive reinforcement methods.  You’ll learn about canine body language and get a better understanding of how to help your dog leave his fear behind.

 

Feisty Fido

 

Does Fido lunge, whine, bark and/or growl when he sees another dog? Does he react badly when another dog approaches? Perhaps your dog is easily aroused, anxious or stressed and is unable to control his impulses when excited. Perhaps he just wants to say hi, but causes a huge fuss when a greeting is not possible. In this class, you learn how to keep your dog calm and focused around other dogs.  You will learn how to read your dog’s body language, exercises and games to play with your dog to help change her behavior around other dogs, and crucial management techniques.  We’ll work together to change how your dog feels about other dogs using counter-conditioning and desensitization techniques.  The first class is people only, no dogs.

 

Note: This is a concentrated behavior modification class.  Please be sure that you can attend all class sessions and be willing to work with the dog outside of class before enrolling.

 

Important: This class is not suitable for dogs who demonstrate reactivity or aggression to people – our instructors are people too!  If your dog is aggressive to people, please contact us for a private consultation.

 

Trick Training – “DO MORE WITH YOUR DOG.”

 

NEW TRICK DOG CLASS (no prequisites – All dogs 6 months and older can attend).  7-week course.  The goal of the class is to earn your Novice Trick Dog (NTD) Title and have lots of fun with your dog or puppy.  Trick training is one of the great ways to build a relationship with your dog.  It also builds body strength, confidence, and helps prevent sport injuries.  You dog will “learn to learn” The more your dog learns the more they WANT to learn.  In this fun class, you’ll learn how reward placement and timing can help your dog be successful with a variety of tricks.  In no time you’ll be telling your friends, “Look what my dog can do!”  Each week we’ll learn a new trick or several tricks, and teams will be expected to work on this trick during the week to perfect it.  Preferred event reward marker for this class is clicker but it is the student’s choice, clicker or verbal reward marker.  Clickers will be available for students.   For dogs of all ages, must be good working around other dogs.  

 

Class price:  $110.00 for a 7 week session.

​

COLLARS AND SCENTS   Class price:  $110.00 for a 7 week session.

All new class includes obedience at your dog's level and nosework.

​

​

​

​

​