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PLEASE NOTE:

PRE K AND FAMILY DOG 1 CLASSES ARE 7 WEEKS; THE FIRST WEEK WE ASK OWNERS TO ATTEND WITHOUT DOGS. THIS IS A MANDATORY CLASS IN WHICH YOU WILL RECEIVE A LECTURE, HANDOUTS AND DEMOSTRATIONS OF THE BEHAVIORS YOU WILL BE TEACHING YOUR DOG AS THE FIRST WEEK’S HOMEWORK.

PRE-K CLASS ( PUPPY KINDERGARTEN)

THE PERFECT START FOR YOUR PUPPY!

 For puppies 10 weeks to 5 months * - at least two vaccinations of the puppy series and a nasal Bordetella vaccine required. *Instructors discretion to include small breed dogs older than 5 months, or other dogs that may benefit from the class atmosphere and lessons.

Our goals for this class:

At CTS we believe that young puppies are little learning sponges and early training is a great opportunity build a strong, working relationship between dog and owner(s). Relationship in a nut shell is the connection between between puppy and owner and EVERY interaction is influenced by it. In a good relationship, communication exchange is fluid; frequently non verbal; and it feels simply amazing. Every class level offered at CTS includes relationship as a goal; and as a puppy progresses through different classes we will continue to demonstrate methods to build and enhance the connection.

We will teach foundation behaviors such as: sit; down; stand; coming when called, walk nicely on the leash; give or trade; target the hand game of touch; wait politely at the door; as well as sit-wait and down- wait. We also plan to teach your puppy that even now, being in the 'heel zone' position always pays! We are aware that young puppies have the attention span of a gnat but since our training is geared as games, your puppy will want to play- and we won’t tell him that he is actually learning valuable skills!

One of the most important behaviors that we will help you teach your puppy is leave it. This one command can save your puppy's life, and we explain how and why during class. This behavior is so valuable that we teach it in every level of classes.

Some of the topics that will be covered in Pre-K class: housebreaking; mouthing (biting); desensitizing (getting your puppies used to having their feet, ears, etc. handled); vet visits and nail trimming.

*An important part of any Puppy Kindergarten, is the free play- but only if offered properly. Monitored interaction with other puppies is an opportunity to learn essential dog etiquette; important communications skills that the puppy will use, every time he sees or meets another dog, for the rest of his life. Free play also offers your puppy the opportunity to learn how to relate to strangers (and sometimes children) in a positive, confident manner.

* Puppies are not the only ones benefiting during free play: it can offer a valuable learning experience for the owners as well! As puppies meet and socialize week to week, they provide a wonderful opportunity for the CTS instructors to point out different puppy behaviors and communications- a sneak peak into dog speak!

STAR PUPPY CLASS

THE STAR PUPPY CLASS CONSISTS OF 6 WEEKS- UNLIKE PRE-K OR FAMILY DOG, THERE IS NO LECTURE, SO PLEASE BRING YOUR PUPPY TO THE FIRST CLASS AND BE READY TO TRAIN! THE STAR PUPPY TEST WILL BE ADMINISTERED ON WEEK 6.

See star notation at the end of class description

For puppies 5 months and older- Proof of puppy series and a nasal Bordetella vaccine required. STAR Puppy is offered as a natural progression after Pre-K class and will build on the behaviors previously learned. This class is also offered to older puppies who may not have had the benefit of previous training.

Our goals for this class:

*Puppies in this age group can easily learn new behaviors IF you can capture and keep their attention long enough. Frequently about this time, the majority of puppies begin to display stronger tendencies toward independence; some owners compare it to their children's teenager years. This period is usually reflected by diminished to nonexistent responses to owners cues/commands and can grow into a full time 'kiss my paw' attitude. Relationship and communication are the crucial ingredients to training any behavior; as well as the key to solving both of these issues. Teaching new behaviors offers a great opportunity to build or strengthen a good, working relationship with a puppy. In a nut shell, relationship is the connection between between puppy and owner and EVERY interaction is influenced by it. In a good relationship, communication exchange is fluid; frequently non verbal; and it feels simply amazing. Every class level offered at CTS includes relationship as a goal; and as a puppy progresses through different classes we will continue to demonstrate methods to build and enhance the connection.

*Foundation behaviors such as: sit; down; stand- each with one command; coming when called- even with difficult distractions; walk nicely on the leash; wait at all entrances until released; sit-wait; down- wait; hand targeting; move to heel zone; and maintaining the heel zone postion through an obstacle course.

*A really truly amazing method of training a behavior is shaping. Shaping will be explained and demonstrated, and handlers will choose a behavior that they would like to train by shaping.

*One of the most important behaviors that we will help you teach your puppy is leave it. This one command can save your puppy's life, and we explain how and why during class. In the Star Puppy class, our goal is to have owners feel more confidenct that their puppy will quickly leave even the most desirable (and potentially dangerous) objects, as soon as commanded.. This behavior is so valuable that we teach it in every level of classes.

* A puppy that has successfully completed Pre K and STAR Puppy classes should easily be able to pass all the exercises required in the STAR PUPPY test!

Recently the American Kennel Club (AKC) established a STAR PUPPY Program and Award, open to ALL puppies (mixed and pure breeds) under one year of age. The classes and final test must be provided by certified AKC CGC Evaluators- (instructors Hasbargen, Heisterhagen or Baker.) The Star Puppy test is issued during the last class, and those who pass and have attended all 6 weeks of training, receive the paper work to send in for their Star Puppy Award certificate and Metal! Click on the link below for more information about this award program.

http://www.akc.org/starpuppy/about_the_program.cfm

 FAMILY DOG 1~ GOOD MANNERS

THE FIRST WEEK OF FAMILY DOG CLASS CONSISITS OF LECTURE AND DEMONSTRATIONS OF HOMEWORK. PLEASE COME WITHOUT YOUR DOG FOR THE FIRST WEEK.

 Proof of current vaccinations and Bordetella required. Class for dogs 8 months and up and may range from dogs that have little to no previous training as well as those needing a refresher course.

Our goals for this class:

To show owners how to teach their dogs to reliably offer, on command: come, go to heel zone, sit, down, stand, wait at entrances , sit-wait and down-wait, walk nicely on the leash, how to greet people without jumping and the ever crucial leave it!

*To provide insight into dog behavior by answering some of the common whys: why a dog jumps on people; why a dog growls at people; why a dog pulls on the leash; why a dog doesn’t come when called; why a dog doesn’t listen to its owner; why we know a dog is really insecure when another person said it was aggressive. Once you know the answers to why, you have the key to fixing the issue.

* And finally, and this is a biggie: to cultivate a healthy relationship between owner and dog. In a good relationship, communication exchange is fluid; frequently non verbal; and it feels simply amazing. We do this by teaching our students clear communication skills. Not quite as simple as it sounds; it is not about words as much as it is about the owners intent and reading the dog. Owners easily verbalize their wishes to the dog, but can we really know what the dog’s perception of our request is? Surprisingly, yes. Every dog will offer this information and all we need to do is stop trying to force our will on the dog, and stop for a minute and listen to what the dog needs to be successful. The dog will tell us volumes just by observing his facial muscles and body language. Dogs are talking all the time, and many people are oblivious to it. Part of an instructor’s job is to continuously ‘read’ dogs during class and when one provides a particularly good learning opportunity- a visual aid to what it is feeling– we stop so it can become a lesson for all. When you understand what your dog is trying to tell you, amazing things happen in your training and relationship. Every class level offered at CTS includes relationship as a goal; and as a dog progresses through different classes we will continue to demonstrate methods to build and enhance the connection.

  Any dog in the Family Dog class that is under one year old; has attended all 6 weeks of class training and has not already qualified for the AKC Star Puppy award (see information and link under Puppy Kindergarten listed above) will be offered the test. Those who pass will receive the paper work to send in for their Star Puppy Award certificate and metal!

 FAMILY DOG 2~ TEAM WORK & GREAT CONTROL

Prerequisite: successful completion of Family Dog 1 or, at instructors discrection, new dogs may be accepted after a skills evaluation. Proof of current vaccinations and Bordetella required. Session consists of 6 weeks of consecutive classes.- no lecture.

Family Dog 2 class will continue to build on the skills learned in Family Dog, taking the training to a new level. This class helps dog and handler become more of a team, laying some of the foundation needed to continue on to other dog venues such a agility, rally, obedience, therapy dog or just to help create a really good, lifetime companion.

Dogs successfully completing Family Dog 2 should possess the skills required to pass their Canine Good Citizen (CGC) Test. For more information on this test click on http://www.akc.org/events/cgc/program.cfm

 

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