Yes, Dog! Training

Dedicated 1-on-1 Sessions with Erin

Basic Doggy Manners – includes jumping, recall, crate training, mat training etc.  

Fear, Reactivity, Anxiety, and Aggression – includes leash reactivity, fear and/or aggression towards dogs or humans etc. 

Does My Dog Need Training?

If you answer yes to any of the below, you are not alone!

Training Classes

Puppy Play Date

Who doesn’t love to watch puppies play? These sessions are for puppies of all breeds aged 10-20 weeks who have their first two sets of vaccinations.

This age is the most important stage for socializing your puppy. This is when they learn that other puppies are friends, how to play nicely, and how to use a soft mouth. Studies show that puppies who miss out on this socialization period are at higher risks of developing fear and reactivity/aggression issues later in life.

We are able to help your dog learn these vital skills while having a blast and burning off some puppy energy in a good old-fashioned play session. These sessions are once a week for 45 min. You can pre-register by phone or email. These sessions fill up fast so don’t delay. Fees are non-refundable.

Doggy FUNdamentals

This class is open to dogs of all breeds that are 18 weeks and older and have been fully vaccinated.

Through positive reinforcement and a good dose of fun we will teach our dogs foundation obedience cues such as sit, down, and touch as well as working on recall, loose leash walking, leave-it and so much more.

This will help create a long lasting bond based on trust between you and your dog. This class is 60 min each week for 7 weeks. This class also includes a 10% discount on any private in-home sessions for 3 months after graduation. There is a maximum of 4 dogs in each class. Register by phone, email, or submit an online training form. A 50% deposit is due at time of registration.

This deposit is fully refundable up to 14 days prior to class at which time it becomes nonrefundable.

Doggy FUNdamentals – Level 2

Doggy FUNdamentals Level 2 expands on the skills that you and your pup learned in FUNdamentals level 1. We focus on improving our loose leash walking, recall, and obedience cues around higher levels of distraction. You’ll also learn new skills to help make grooming and vet visits less stressful, keep your pup from counter surfing, and have them gladly give up that sock they stole from your hamper.

This class is for graduates of Doggy FUNdamentals level 1 who are also comfortable in a class with other dogs. This is not suited for dogs who are not able to focus when other dogs or people are in the room. Much of this class will be without the barriers used in level 1 so a strong focus on you, their pet parent, is a must.

The price is $285. There is a deposit of 50% required at time of registration. This deposit is fully refundable up to 14 days prior to class at which time it becomes nonrefundable.

Feisty Fido Reactive Dog Class

Does your dog turn from Dr. Jekyll to Mr. Hyde when you try to go on a walk? If your dog is 6 months or older and can’t pass other dogs without barking, growling and lunging then this is the class for you.

Raising a reactive dog can be stressful, embarrassing, and many times scary. Parents of these dogs are often at a loss at what to do or who to turn to for help. In this class we provide you with the confidence and tools you need to keep your dog and others safe.

In this class we use force free training methods to desensitize your dog, help them create positive association with other dogs, and train them to focus on you. From there, we move on to teaching them the cues required to provide your dog with the choice of more appropriate behaviours, rather than the over reaction.

While this class will focus on leash reactivity around other dogs, the skills you and your dog will gain can transfer to other people, places, and things your dog is scared of. The result will be a more confident dog that has learned to trust you to keep them safe and no longer feels the need for outbursts while on leash.

This class is 60 min each week for 7 weeks. Week 1 will be a seminar for humans only with the dogs joining us for weeks 2-7. This class also includes a 1 hour long home visit with our trainer to take place within 4 weeks of graduating the 7 week course. The home visit will help you transition the new skills you learned in class into your real life situations. Any additional home visits pertaining to your dog’s reactivity will be discounted 10% for 6 months after graduation. In order to ensure you have the opportunity to receive the most help personalized to you and your dog, we have limited each class to a maximum of 2 dogs. Register by phone, email, or submit an online training form. A 50% deposit is due at time of registration. 

This deposit is fully refundable up to 14 days prior to class at which time it becomes nonrefundable.

Compassionate Care

Does your dog take off running anytime you pull out the nail clippers? Does your dog love walks but hate their harness? Vet visits are your dog’s worst nightmare? At some point in your dog’s life they will need to participate in things that are uncomfortable and often scary. 

With this 6 week class, we use positive reinforcement to slowly introduce them to many of these experiences all while giving them the choice on how much they would like to take part in. We find that the more choice our dogs are given, the more they feel safe enough to participate. We will teach some simple cues that allow our dog to give us permission to interact with them. Learn how to build trust and become teammates with your dog.

Scent Work – Beginners

Scent is your dog’s primary sense. It’s a species-specific need. In Scent Work Beginners – Introduction to Scent, we’ll train your dog to find a scent.

• Have more fun with your dog, build confidence, and strengthen your relationship.
• Learn a game you can play every day with only one object that smells like you.
• Provide a mental and physical workout that leaves your dog feeling calmer and more satisfied. Many dogs sleep on the way home!
• Follow an evidence-based approach using positive reinforcement that has already worked for thousands of teams.
• The scent is up to you. By default, we’ll provide a palm-sized piece of rubber placement for you to hold and apply your scent. Ask us if you want to learn a different target odor. For example, some students train for nosework competitions for pet dogs using essential oils. (We can bring cocktailed hides of all the beginner odors (Birch + Anise + Clove + Wintergreen + Pine +Cypruss), as long as you request them a week in advance.) Whatever scent you pick, it must be the same scent for all 7 weeks, to avoid confusing your dog.
• Learn about the theory of scent detection and what your dog’s fantastic nose can do
• Minimize errors and confusion with clear communication
• Learn to apply errorless learning. Instead of asking your dog to search random objects and see what happens, we’ll start with 1-second searches to build confidence, so it’s nearly impossible to fail.  
• Teach a systematic search.
• Learn how to reward properly.
• This hybrid class includes our popular online course with demo videos and handouts.
• If you’d like to do optional homework, you can use the audio files to practice at home, pausing after each step.
• Get answers to your questions on our private worldwide Facebook student discussion group.
• Troubleshooting and coaching are included in the price. 
• Almost every dog of every age, breed, and ability can succeed in scent detection, including dogs with vision, hearing, or neurological impairments. Puppies should have had at least their second set of vaccinations.
• If you have a reactive dog, we’ll set you up for success. Dog greetings and sniffing is never allowed. There is only one dog searching at a time. Other dogs must wait for their turn to search in your vehicle, just like scent detection tests, competitions, and even professional deployments.
• Learn to become a better trainer by having more fun!  

DETAILS

• Mondays from 6 pm – 7 pm.

• This class is 60 min each week for 7 weeks. Maximum 6 teams.

• There are no prerequisites, and no previous experience is required. But If you have a dog-reactive dog, we recommend completing the Feisty Fido program first, so when you start scent detection, you and your dog get the most out of classes. 
• **This class is not suitable for human reactive dogs**
• We are always force free! All dogs must search on a buckle collar or tracking harness. Aversives like pinch, choke, and shock collars, ill-fitted martingales and slip leads are never allowed. If you have any concerns about controlling your dog, ask us, and we’re happy to help find positive solutions.

• Try one hour for $45 or buy a the 7 week class for $299. Class dates are subject to instructor availability and may not occur every week (since the instructor works on scent detection contracts on some weekends). Please contact us for a list of dates and times for you to select from.
• Fees are non-refundable. All teams must sign Hunter’s Heart waiver in order to participate in class, including any spectators.

• Our indoor classes will run on every scheduled date, rain or shine. Please come prepared with layers of clothing. 

Start sniffing today!