For DOGS 6 MONTHS And Older
Adolescent And Adult Training
Help your adolescent or adult dog become a well-mannered, confident companion with training that builds focus, impulse control, and a stronger bond between you and your dog.
Why Life Skills Matter
Training your dog with essential life skills not only enhances their behavior but also strengthens the bond you share. Whether your dog is in adolescence or adulthood, learning these key skills creates a foundation for a well-behaved and confident pet.
This class serves as the foundation for all future training. Once your dog masters these essential life skills, you can continue to build on them in our Continuing Ed classes for more advanced training and activities.
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Yes! Yes! and YEEEEEES!!!!
Oh my, we LOVE helping people get ready for their new pup before puppy arrives!
There’s so much to consider to be sure your puppy gets off on the right paw….
What’s the best location for puppy to sleep, play, and potty?
How will you ensure housetraining is quick and effective?
What supplies do you need?
What are appropriate house rules regarding puppy interactions (especially important for families with children)?
How will you teach your puppy it’s okay to be alone?
How will you transition your puppy from the only environment they may have ever known to yours?
How can you start a socialization program for your puppy at home?
Register for a session of our Private Puppy Coaching to be sure you and your pup get off to a perfect start!
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Congratulations on your new puppy!
The short answer to this question is that it’s never too early to start training your pup!
Your puppy has been learning since the moment they were born! Now that they’re part of your family, it’s important to remember that your puppy is learning every moment they are awake.
We recommend that puppies begin our GROUP CLASSES - Puppy Kindergarten and Puppy Social - at 11 weeks old or shortly thereafter. Yes, we know they haven’t finished all their puppy vaccinations by 11 weeks but current recommendations from leading veterinary associations are that puppies should experience safe, positive exposure to other puppies and people even before they reach 4 months.
Prior to beginning Puppy Kindergarten and Social, we can do private training with you at your home or our center.
Through private training, we can help you set up a plan for housetraining, socialization, appropriate play and rest, head start training on puppy life skills, and building appropriate interactions with all family members, including children. We can also help guide your selection of toys, crates, and other equipment.
Puppyhood is such a special time and we’re here to support you with proven positive techniques for raising a happy, well-behaved family member!
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There are advantages to group classes and private training. For best results, you might consider a blend of both!
PRIVATE TRAINING may be best if:
Your dog is too young (under 11 weeks) for Puppy Kindergarten and Puppy Social, our two group training programs for puppies.
Your schedule or situation prevents participation in Puppy Kindergarten and Puppy Social.
You have specific training goals beyond skills taught in our group classes.
You have very small children who you want to involve in the training.
Your training goals include other pets in your home.
You need help with behavior challenges such as fear, anxiety, or aggression.
But the advantages of GROUP CLASSES, especially for puppies, are important!
They provide positive exposure to new people, other puppies, and environments and this is so important to a puppy’s development.
Learning in a group environment helps puppies learn to be attentive to their people, even when there are distractions.
We can learn so much by watching how other puppies learn. We draw on all the puppies in class to demonstrate how to teach puppies and how they learn.
Many puppy parents enjoy learning alongside other puppy parents since they are experiencing many of the same rewards and challenges of puppyhood.
Whether you choose private or group training - or both! - we are here to help!
Essential Life Skills
group class FOR DOGS 6 MONTHS OLD AND UP!
This flagship group class employs the latest knowledge about dog behavior and positive training to help you and your adolescent or adult dog develop a happy partnership! In this class, you’ll learn how to effectively teach and parent your dog, and your dog will learn key foundation behaviors!
With gentle guidance and tons of rewards, your dog will learn to be attentive to you, greet people politely, lie down, stay and wait, come back to you enthusiastically, and learn to walk nicely on a leash.
Tricks and other fun activities are introduced to build skills, confidence, and add to the fun!
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TUITION - $375 INCLUDES:
Small-group class setting in our spacious, climate-controlled, training center with fun and specialized training equipment
Seven weekly sessions:
Class starts with an orientation seminar to dog behavior, how dogs learn, and how we train. This lasts about 1.5 hours and you’ll have homework to get your dog ready for training class!
Six (6) class sessions with your dogs (each session lasts about an hour)
Access to our student portal with videos, handouts, homework, quizzes to support your dog’s training
Access to our client-only Facebook page
Access to weekly office hours, held online via Zoom
Essential training equipment ($75 retail value):
Deluxe treat bag and belt
Gear bag
20’ long line
Clicker and wrist band (you are not required to use a clicker but many people like to)
And more!
Graduation certificate, bandana, and photos
Opportunity to enroll in “Continuing Ed” courses to continue your training
Tons of KNOWLEDGE, SUPPORT, and FUN!
REQUIREMENTS FOR ESSENTIAL LIFE SKILLS
If your adolescent or adult dog has been recently adopted, we ask that they have been in your home - and only with fully vaccinated dogs - for a minimum of two weeks prior to the first class session.
Your dog must be current on the following vaccinations:
Annual parvo-distemper vaccination (often called DHPP)
Bordetella/canine cough
Rabies
NOTE: Vaccinations and procedures MUST have been administered at a veterinary office or by a licensed veterinarian.
WHAT’S after ESSENTIAL LIFE SKILLS?
Continuing Ed Classes
The Continuing Ed classes are designed for dogs who have completed the foundation course, Essential Life Skills.
These classes go beyond the basics, adding new skills and advancing existing ones to help you and your dog succeed in real-world situations.
in person and online via zoom
Private Coaching
Private coaching provides personalized training tailored to your dog's unique needs and your specific goals. They’re a great option if:
Your schedule or situation prevents participation in our group classes.
You have specific training goals beyond our foundation Essential Life Skills curriculum.
Your training goals include other pets in your home.
You have very small children who you want involved in the training process.
Private Coaching Lessons can be conducted at our center or your home, in-person or by Zoom!
Additional rates may apply for travel outside of Chico, CA.
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60-minute lesson to help with targeted training goals (in-person at our center or you home or by Zoom)
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Four 1-hour, weekly, coaching sessions (in-person at our center or you home or by Zoom).
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Six private coaching sessions cover our Essential Life Skills curriculum.
Tuition includes: training equipment bundle, access to online materials, access to weekly online office hours.
If you are in the Chico area, you are welcomed to also attend our orientation seminar (information is also available online via video).
Weekly coaching sessions are provided in-person or via Zoom.
Questions About training for your Adolescent or adult dog?
Please reach out. We’ll get back to you promptly!
Dr. Sarah and her staff are the most professional, caring, helpful and awesome group of dog lovers around.
Abby and I have taken 5 classes and I can hardly hold this 24 pound dog back as she leaps forward to attend class, daycare or boarding. Whether it be kindergarten puppy class, tricks, agility or therapy dog training, there are all levels of the highest quality of trainer/canine education available. Their kind, positive training techniques work and it so rewarding to see such marked changes in such a short time. They treat each dog and their guardian like family. And, it’s so much fun!
- SUE BILODEAU
CHICO, CA
