Continuing Education

Take your training to higher levels!

Keep on Learning - Keep up the fun!

Our Continuing Ed program is fun and rewarding - for you and your dog. After completing one of our introductory courses - Puppy Kindergarten or Life Skills & Manners - you and your dog will be ready to enroll in any of our Continuing Ed classes designed to take your learning and partnership even further.

  • Refine skills learned in Life Skills & Manners or Puppy Kindergarten

  • Join in dog sports such as Agility and Rally-O

  • Prepare for therapy dog activities

  • Build your dog’s cognitive skills and your training abilities

  • Improve comfort with veterinary and grooming procedures

  • Have fun with tricks

  • And more!

Check out our January 2025 Continuing Ed Classes Below!

Acing Adolescence

Begins Saturday, January 18, 1:30 pm

Adolescence (6 months to 16 months) can be a VERY challenging time for dogs and dog parents. Just as with human teenagers, adolescent dogs are experiencing a flurry of changes - psychological, social, cognitive and physical. They are growing - fast - yet their brains sometimes seems to be left behind. It is no wonder that most dogs who are surrendered to shelters are adolescents!

But there is a way through this challenging developmental period: patience, education, and a continued commitment to positive training! You’ve got this. And we’ve got you!

Acing Adolescence is a “Level 2” class for all dogs who have graduated from our Level 1 classes - Puppy Kindergarten or Life Skills & Manners. This class, which may be repeated as often as necessary, takes you and your dog through your dog’s adolescence by going deep with all the basics. Everything learned in our Level 1 classes is pushed to a higher level because, even though it might always seem like it when a teen is in the house, consistency, persistence, and practice pay off.

6 sessions (meet weekly) - $240

Hounds Around Town

Begins Saturday, January 25, 10:30 am

In this class, we work to develop the skills our dogs need to politely accompany us in public.. We meet in a different location around Chico each week, working on our dog’s basic leash manners, keeping our dogs “connected” and paying attention to us in various distracting environments, and patiently waiting when we want to chat with a friend or grab a coffee.

This class is for dogs with a solid foundation of “life skills & manners” who want to take those skills into more advanced settings. If you are unsure if this class is for you, please reach out to our Training Coordinator at 530-228-2822 or training@thecaninceonnection.com.

4 sessions (meet weekly) - $160

Really Reliable Recall

Begins Saturday, January 25, 9 am

Does your dog lose his hearing when you shout “Come!”? This class is a refresher on the essentials for building a rapid, reliable recall. Through a variety of games and weekly exercises, your dog will discover that returning to you is better than chasing the proverbial “squirrel!”. Class meets in “real world” locations where you might need to put your really reliable recall to use!

4 sessions (meet weekly) - $160

The Cognitive Canine

Begins Wednesday, January 22, 6 pm

This advanced training class is for dog parents who want to go further and farther with developing their dog’s thinking abilities. In this class, games and other thinking games are used to encourage dogs to become more gindependent thinkers and problem solvers and their people to become better trainers. This class provides a great foundation for dog sports and other learning and partnership-based activities.

4 sessions (meet weekly) - $160

Old Dogs, New Tricks

Begins Wednesday, January 22, 4 pm

This sweet and special class is just for the senior dog set. It’s designed to keep cognitive and social skills alive and build balance and strength through age-appropriate movement. The goal… to help senior dogs age gracefully while continuing to enjoy special training time with their special person or people. I mean… why should puppies and younger dogs have all the fun? Senior dogs must be comfortable with other dogs and in good health to attend.

“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