Group Dog & Puppy Training Classes
With Professional Dog Trainers in MiamiClick to view the calendar
Level 1: Obedience, Canine Good Citizen
This course is designed off the AKC’s canine good citizen curriculum. CGC is a certification program that is designed to reward dogs that have good manners at home and in the community. The Canine Good Citizen Program stresses responsible pet ownership for owners and basic good manners for dogs. All dogs that pass the CGC test may receive a certificate from the American Kennel Club.
Many dog owners choose Canine Good Citizen as the first step in training their dogs. The Canine Good Citizen Program lays the foundation for other AKC activities such as obedience, agility, tracking, and performance events. As you work with your dog to teach the CGC skills, you’ll discover the many benefits and joys of training your dog. Training will enhance the bond between you and your dog. Dogs who have a solid obedience education are a joy to live with-they respond well to household routines, have good manners in the presence of people and other dogs, and they fully enjoy the company of the owner who took the time to provide training, intellectual stimulation, and a high quality life. We sincerely hope that CGC be only a beginning for you and your dog and that after passing the CGC test, you’ll continue training in obedience, agility, tracking, or performance events.
In addition to group class this course includes ONE PRIVATE IN- HOME SESSION so that your trainer can get to know your specific needs and help problem solve any behavior/training issues at home. You can schedule your private in-home session at any point throughout, before, or after your group class.
Level 2: Obedience
This course is for dogs with a solid obedience foundation. Dogs must have completed Level 1 Obedience or the equivalent, to be enrolled in this class. With am emphasis on heel work and off leash reliability, this course continues to strengthen the foundations of obedience through APDT Rally, an increasingly popular dog sport where dog and handler teams navigate a course with numbered signs indicating different exercises to perform such as Sit-Down-Sit, Straight Figure 8, Send Over Jump, Recall Over Jump. Teams navigate the course at a brisk, continuous performance Handlers are encouraged to talk to their dogs during performance.
Level 3: (Advanced) Obedience
In this class we are working to perfect all behaviors learned in levels 1 & 2 off lead, with increased distraction, duration and distance. We will also begin teaching the specific behaviors necessary for competition obedience for those interested. Exercises in class will include:
Off leash heel patters
Retrieves (on flat, over jumps)
Broad jumps, high jumps
Directed jumps
Drop on recall
Finishes and fronts
Stand stay for exam
Send outs
Outdoor Adventure
This is a 3-week course out and about (on the go!) to help solidify obedience and manners in real-life situations. Each class is held at a different location. Dogs should have already completed Level 1. Please be sure to check the class calendar for upcoming class start dates.
Location: Varies Week by Week
Nose Work
K9 Nose Work is an amazing new sport where you just get to do the fun part – watch your dog excel at finding things with his or her nose. Join us for this fun class! This is an intro class, where we help you and your dog get the foundation skills to excel at this sport – either in real competition or in your own backyard. Once we get enough dogs that are ready for the next level, we’ll offer more advanced classes in Miami.
The cool part about Nose Work is that you and your dog can do it anywhere – on walks, in the yard, in the house, and there is not a lot of gear, as there is with agility, and it doesn’t take a lot of space, like tracking does. Nose work is a blast! It’s great for older dogs, puppies that have finished kindergarten, dogs with joint problems that can no longer run agility, and even reactive dogs. It’s not just for particular breeds, either. No matter how big or small or smush-faced, your dog can do Nose Work!
The dogs work one at a time, and your dog can be out in the car or crated during the times when s/he’s not working. That means you’ll need to bring a crate. All dogs will be kept away from the working area when it’s not their turn. That’s why K9 Nose Work is an ideal sport even for dogs that have issues.
Growl Class
6 weeks, 1 hour/week
This class is for dogs in the Miami area that, for whatever reason, aggressively growl, bark, or lunge aggressively at other dogs. Whether your dog is being fearful or angry, this six-week class for aggression will help you manage and train your dog. If your dog reacts aggressively toward people, then you will need private training with Dee Hoult, Applause Your Paws owner and head trainer.
In the first one-hour session of your Growl Class in Miami, we will meet without dogs to discuss techniques for modifying and safely managing your dog’s aggressive behavior. We have reactive student dogs come in pairs to sessions 2-4 and then all 6 dogs at sessions 5 & 6. That means you will attend 6 sessions total: 3 times with your dog and 3 times without your dog. As a class, we will discuss the dog’s individual aggression/fear problem and do behavior modification activities with the dogs. We are very careful about safety and dogs are kept calm throughout the sessions. In the Growl class, you will be able to touch base with people who are dealing with the same sort of dog behaviors you are. You don’t need to be a ‘dog psychologist’ to rehabilitate your dog, but it helps to learn how to read your dog’s body language to make sense of unpredictable aggression. This class will teach you techniques for minimizing/alleviating your dog’s aggression and improving the quality of life for your dog-human family, including how to safely introduce your reactive dog to other dogs.
You will learn skills for teaching your dog to pay attention to you, even when there is another dog present.
Growl Class Limit: 6 dogs.
Puppy Kindergarten
Start your puppy off right in a completely off-leash puppy class designed to introduce the foundations of obedience while ensuring your pup develops socially into a well mannered dog. This course emphasizes teaching bite inhibition and helping owners resolve other “problem” puppy behaviors like house training. In puppy kindergarten your puppy will be rewarded primarily with PLAY!
Tricks & Fun
This course is designed for you to simply have FUN with your dog. Tricks taught in class include: Sit, Spin, Paws Up, Take a bow, Prayers, Shake Hands, Hoop Jump, Target /Touch, Fetch, Roll Over, Jump Through My Arms, Wave, Crawl, Sit Pretty/Beg, and a few more super fun tricks! Your dog need not have any previous obedience skills to be enrolled in this course.