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BEYOND THE BASICS

Manners & Minding 1.5 (4 to 8 months)

This class is designed for pups who have taken Manners & Minding 1 once (or even twice), are still younger than 8 months, and just want a little more practice on their skills. This class will be "more walk and less talk"!  We'll certainly address any age-related questions you might have, but the focus will be on:

  • Increasing the time they can pay attention and work

  • Leash Walking (some work outside if weather and daylight permits)

  • Stay

  • Come

  • People manners

  • Polite greetings

 

This class is good for dogs who have a good grasp of the basics but aren't quite ready to take Manners & Minding 2--Preparation for the Canine Good Citizen test.

Manners & Minding 2 -- Canine Good Citizen Preparation

All of the important things!  The Canine Good Citizen evaluation is about teamwork, manners, and minding. This class will help prepare you to take the Canine Good Citizen test and get a certificate from the American Kennel Club or just have a super impressive companion. Topics include:

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  • Loose Leash Walking (tight leashes are not allowed in the test, and I'll show you how to get there)

  • Greeting a friendly stranger (WITHOUT jumping up!)

  • Greeting a person with a dog while your dog remains in a Sit-Stay (REALLY! It can be done!)

  • Sit, Down, Stay, Come

  • Teaching your dog to wait patiently with a stranger while you go out of sight

  • Allowing an "examination" by a stranger


This class relies heavily on "strangers" so please bring recruits to help us teach our pups to be calm during greetings and while walking past a group. Dogs in this class MUST be nonaggressive toward people and dogs. They should have a good understanding of Sit and Down.

Manners & Minding 3 -- Preparation for AKC Community Canine Test 

We've added a new level with even more of all the important things!!!! AKC Community Canine is the advanced level of the AKCs Good Citizen Program. Whether you want to earn the CGCA title or just advance your pup's community skills--this class continues to work on teamwork, manners, and minding. We will work on all 10 items on the test which include your dog waiting patiently while you complete a task; walking on a loose leash through a crowd and around other dogs; walking past distractions; greeting a person carrying an item; and doing a recall with distractions. For more information on this title to to the AKC site:  http://www.akc.org/dog-owners/training/akc-community-canine/test-items/.


This class relies heavily on "strangers" so please bring friends and family to help us teach our pups to be calm during greetings and while walking past a group. Dogs in this class MUST be nonaggressive toward people and dogs. They should have a good understanding of Sit and Down. The class will meet in the back room of the American Legion Hall, but we will also work outside. This will be a challenging but fun class to help your dog continue her community skills!

Intermediate Obedience with Games and Tricks

While it may sound like fluff, you will learn a LOT about getting accurate and fast responses from your dog and how to practice for them. You'll be surprised at how fast you will achieve changes and how to apply them at home. We will work on Stay in Sit and Down positions plus Come and Loose Leash Walking by using games like Musical Chairs.

The class is lots of fun and a little competition is good for your relationship with your dog; after all, when you really NEED your dog to do what you say you will not be in a structured class setting, you'll NEED him to do it and this is great practice.

This class is for dogs with a good understanding (not necessarily reliable, yet) of Sit, Down, Stay and are **not aggressive with people or dogs**. This class meets once a week for 6 weeks. 

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All Tricks & Games

While it may sound like fluff, you will learn a LOT about getting accurate and fast responses from your dog and how to practice for them. This class is really all tricks and games without emphasis on the traditional obedience commands. But, make no mistake, this class is about obedience--FUN obedience!!! It is only a 3-week class. 

This class is for dogs with a good understanding (not necessarily reliable, yet) of Sit, Down, Stay and are **not aggressive with people or dogs**.

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