Future Classes
The following classes may be offered on a rotating basis. All of these classes can be taught as private, in-home lessons and totally customized for you and your dog. Please call or email with questions.
Really Reliable Recall and Loose Leash Walking
This course will focus on weekly lessons on coming when called and relaxed loose leash walking. By teaching your dog that there is something really good for him when he hears COME and by increasing distractions systematically, you can condition him to reliably run to you even with very exciting distractions. Loose leash walking will become fun and easy for your dog so that he chooses to walk with you rather than needing special equipment to keep him close by. All dogs over six months are welcome.
This class is offered through the City of Fort Collins yearly during the month of June. See the Summer Recreator to enroll.
Good Dogs Out on the Town
Get out in the community and put your dog’s skills to use! The entire class will be there to give you confidence and I will coach you along. Weeks 1 and 2 will be held at a park where we will train and discuss the following behaviors:
Basic obedience practice in a group and in exciting environments
Every outing is a training session so we will discuss your dog’s warm up ritual
Useful default behavior when talking to store employees
Working with people who want to say Hi
Working with crowds
Dealing with “scary” objects and events
Weeks 3 -5 will meet in dog friendly establishments around town. Depending on the abilities of the class participants, we will go out to dinner on a patio during the last night of class. Prerequisite is puppy kindergarten, basic obedience or comparable private training.
This class is offered through the City of Fort Collins yearly during the month of September. See the Fall Recreator to enroll.
Therapy Dog and Canine Good Citizen Preparation
This is the class for you if you have dreams of brightening someone's day with a visit from your well behaved dog! Prior to beginning a career in Animal Assisted Therapy or Animal Assisted Activities your dog should be trained well enough to earn the American Kennel Club Canine Good Citizen title. The AKC CGC program is the gold standard for good dog behavior. This course will teach and polish the skills necessary for your dog to pass the optional CGC evaluation which will be offered after the last class session by an independent evaluator.
This course will also prepare your dog for walking on different surfaces, moving into tight spaces, dealing with canes and crutches and exhibiting behaviors that people find friendly and therapeutic.
Dogs and pups over six months of age who have completed Family Dog or an equivalent basic obedience class are welcome.
Good Dog Basics
This course teaches basic obedience with a focus on good behavior in the home and getting ready to get out in the community. Your dog or older puppy will learn Sit, Down, Stay, Come and loose leash walking using all positive techniques which makes training fun for you and for your dog. You will teach your dog to greet people and other dogs calmly, and “Leave It” when you tell him. All of the lessons you teach will be reinforced with games that you and your dog will enjoy! Older pups and dogs over six months of age are welcome.
AKC STAR Puppy
In addition to lots of socializing with people and other puppies, this 6 week long course teaches Sit, Down, Stay, Trade, loose leash walking and Come. Your puppy will learn to Come when called out of play, learn to greet people calmly and accept handling. AKC STAR Puppy is open to puppies that are fully inoculated and younger than 6 months of age at the start of class.
Reactive Rover: Positive Solutions for Eliminating Leash Reactivity
Does your sweet dog turn into a wild or aggressive animal when on a leash? Animals have three normal mechanisms for dealing with threats: flight, fight or freeze. When an animal feels he is unable to run away (flight) and it might not be safe for him to freeze, the only option he has left is to fight. This is the start of leash reactivity. If your dog practices barking and lunging at other dogs, animals, cars, trucks, or bikes that he feels are threats and those threats move away from him he learns that his barking and lunging keep him safe. His reaction to threats will intensify unless he learns to deal with them differently.
Reactive Rover class will use techniques from several different dog behavior experts and specialists that have addressed this problem. You will learn about canine learning through classical conditioning and operant conditioning using only positive reinforcement. Initially, classical conditioning will be used to improve your dog’s reaction to its triggers. You will then show your dog that he can choose a different way to behave when presented with a trigger, i.e., move away rather than fight. Using Pattern Games you will occupy and desensitize your dog to what makes her emotional. Over time you will notice increased focus and reduced reactivity. Your dog will gain confidence and focus through reinforcement of acceptable behavior and alternatives to reacting on leash.
Note: Friendly, excitable, and unfocused dogs are welcome in Reactive Rover. Please contact Sheri for a private lesson if your dog has ever bitten a person or dog. With proper behavior modification training many fearfully aggressive dogs can eventually attend group classes. Reactive Rover is not designed to address aggression issues.
