Essentials

Our Essentials program is for any dog over 6 months of age, no matter whether they are a new-to-you rescue or an established family member. Our flagship class is Canine Essentials, this 5-week program is open to enrollment year round. It provides the foundation skills all dogs need to navigate the world.
We also offer a variety of specialty classes that will allow you to focus on one skill, or learn a few new tricks and we have a complete Canine Good Citizen program for dogs that are looking to earn their AKC titles. It doesn’t matter if your dog is a budding athlete, your hiking buddy, or a couch potato, every dog can benefit from one of these classes – that’s why they’re essentials!
Getting Started!
Canine Essentials is the foundation for all our programs, there are no prerequisite skills required. Registration is open to any dog comfortable in a group setting. If your dog isn’t quite ready for our Essentials class our Reactive Dog class may be for you. Dogs that bark, lunge, or are unable to focus when they meet new people or dogs can learn the skills needed in a slow and safe manner. Dogs with a history of human or animal-directed aggression must begin with a behavior assessment. Dogs under 8 months can register for our Puppy Foundations classes.
Canine Good Citizen
We offer a complete Canine Good Citizen (CGC) program, including both Advanced and Urban titles. Our introductory CGC class is best suited for dogs that have some basic skills such as a loose leash walk and the ability to focus on a handler in a group setting. To enroll in CGC: Advanced and Urban class the dog must have their CGC title.
Focus Classes
These classes do not have prerequisites, however, we recommend them for dogs that have already completed a basic skills class such as Canine Essentials or Canine Good Citizen. These two-week focus classes or the weekly Trek & Train, provide an excellent opportunity to get some personalized help with any areas you or your dog may be struggling with or to just get some practice in as that’s the best way to build reliable skills.
