Dog Training Workshops in Seattle, Redmond, Burien

• Baby-Proofing Your Dog – How to Introduce a New Human Baby to your Four-legged One. Are you expecting your first child, and you worry about how your current four-legged child will react when you bring your baby home? Do you have a puppy and think you might have a baby in the future?  Do you have human grand-babies in Seattle or elsewhere that your dog hasn't met yet? The Baby-proofing workshop contains essential training tips to practice with you dog long before your baby comes home, as well as how to manage the all-important Baby and Mom’s Homecoming. Your dog is welcome to the workshop where he’ll get exposed to a variety of baby swings, chairs and other gadgets. The baby-proofing workshop also includes a frank discussion of dog bites and how to prevent your child from becoming a statistic.

  

• Anti-Jump: Teach Your Dog Polite Greetings.  Does your dog's jumping embarrass you?  Or maybe you just want the scratches on your legs to heal.   Whatever your reasons for teaching your dog not to jump up during greetings, it's a great idea!
  
  Please bring more than one person to the jumping workshop, if possible. We will be using the extra people (those not holding onto a dog) as greeters, who will help work on your dog's jumping.
  
  This workshop in Seattle gives you and your dog a chance to practice polite behavior with willing strangers. Some dogs may be perfect by the end of the workshop. Most won't undergo such an instant change, but you will have an excellent set of skills to take home to practice working on these polite behaviors. Your dog's jumping will quickly disappear if you apply these techniques consistently.

  

• Walking on Leash.  When you got your dog or puppy, you may have imagined a pleasant stroll down the block or a hike through the many trails in the Seattle area.  Then reality set in and you realized dogs don't come knowing how to walk well on leash.  They think pulling is the way to make their human go faster!
  
  Maybe your dog pulls you everywhere, or maybe your dog refuses to budge. Either way, this workshop can help! We will discuss Heel (dog right beside you) and Loose Leash Walking (just not pulling).
  
  We will demonstrate tools that make your walk more comfortable and pleasant right away and teach you how train your dog to walk politely on leash despite distractions. Once your dog is trained with these techniques, you will have a dog you can enjoy walking!
  

  

• Here Boy!  Secrets for Training Your Dog to Come When Called.  Teaching your dog to come when called is very important for safety in the busy city of Seattle. In this workshop, you will learn and practice several techniques for teaching your dog to come when called.
  
  You will teach your dog or puppy an "Everyday Recall" and an "Emergency Recall," the former for use at the dog park or in the house, and the latter for those rare emergency times when your dog's life depends on coming when called.
  
  Special equipment: 20-30 foot long leash or rope (not an extendable leash). You can buy them at most pet stores in the Seattle area or use climber's webbing, a softer, sturdier, less expensive alternative.

  

• Houseful of Dogs - living peacefully in a multi-dog household.  This workshop is designed for families living with more than one dog, or contemplating adding a second (or third or fourth!) dog to the household. It is also a great choice for people who foster animals for shelters and rescue groups.

  You will learn how to select and introduce a new dog to the home, how to prevent and resolve dog-to-dog conflicts, and when to seek professional help. You will also learn how to train invaluable behaviors such as the group “stay”, the group “wait” and the group “leave it”.

  This seminar in Seattle combines lecture, DVD clips and live demonstrations to give you all the information you need to live harmoniously with more than one dog.

  For the Multi-Dog seminar, please leave your dog(s) at home.

  

• Fraidy Dog! Overcoming Fears.   This workshop in Seattle is a must-see if your dog is afraid of something (or everything) in his world. You may have "tried treats" for teaching your dog to overcome his fears of children, dogs, loud noises, etc. But as they say, the Devil is in the Details.  You will learn about how timing, the choice of treat or toy, and even the way you are breathing affects how quickly (or even if) your shy dog will overcome their fear. 
  
  Some dogs would prefer to be left home for the Fraidy Dog workshop.  If so, please respect your dog's wishes and attend without your dog.  The goal is not to put Fido into a scary place and then hope things get better.  A systematic approach to getting your dog used to the Scary Monsters he's seing throughout Seattle (children, dogs, men, thunder, etc.) will be much more effective. 
  
  If your dog is fear aggressive or barky, please also leave your dog at home.  Being barked or growled at will only make life scarier for the other shy dogs!
  
  Are you a foster parent? Contact us about attending this workshop (without your dog) for free!

  

• Tricks Workshop.   Teaching your dog tricks using the clicker is a great way to build a stronger relationship with your dog.  It's also a fabulous way to show the world how smart your dog is and, in fact, make him smarter in the process!  Using the clicker to train tricks will help your coordination and teach your dog or puppy how to learn.  All ages and experience levels are welcome in this workshop, from puppies to geriatric dogs (yes, old dogs can learn new tricks!) 
  
  Tricks taught will vary, based on what the students are interested in, but can include: jump through hoops, figure 8 through your human's legs, walk backwards, bow, spin, play dead, find the keys, roll over, etc.  
  
  This is a great workshop to take if you plan on competing in agility with your puppy, or just want to prove to your friends that you have a smart dog.

  

• Best in Show! Intro to Dog Conformation  

  Do you have a purebred dog that you would like to show in conformation, but don't know where to start? Or maybe you just want to know what those people are doing in those dog shows on TV? If so, this is the workshop is for you! This beginning workshop is for those new to conformation (show) handling. Learn the ins and outs of the dog show world, including dog show etiquette.

  In this workshop, you will get the basics of how to teach your dog how to stack, gait, and bait.  (And learn what all these terms mean!) You'll also learn how to present your dog's best features to the judge. Your dog is encouraged to attend this workshop with you!

  

• Responsible Dog Ownership. 

  The news is full of breed-specific slurs versus the claim that it's all the owner's fault. What does it mean to be a responsible dog owner in Seattle? Do you still have to be a responsible dog owner if you have a Chihuahua instead of a Pit Bull or Rottweiler? Of Course! How can you make sure that your dog doesn't bite, get out, or in some other way, harass the neighborhood? Is it ok to walk your dog off leash if he's trained? How do you break up a dog fight? How do you read a dog and know there's going to be trouble?
  
  This seminar will give you practical advice on how to help dogs of all breeds and personalities live a long, healthy, happy life, with happy neighbors!
  
  The Responsible Dog Ownership seminar is great for first-time dog owners, new puppy parents, or people who have a so-called "fighting breed" and want to make sure their dog doesn't make the headlines.
  
  For this seminar, please leave your dog at home.   And do bring your dog's whole family (except the little ones that might get bored!)  Want to go, but can't afford it? SCHOLARSHIPS are available for the Responsible Dog Ownership workshop - please contact us.

  

• Fun & Games with Dogs - How to Use Play to Build a Strong, Reliable, Fun Relationship with your Dog. 

  Most of us get dogs for their companionship and love of life. We love that dogs enjoy PLAY, and give us an outlet for our need to play, too.  This workshop will teach you some of the best ways to play with your dog, and answer some burning questions: 
  
  Is Tug of War okay with dogs? What about wrestling? Will that cause aggression? Can toys be used to train dogs using clicker training, instead of food? How do I best use a toy for training? What can you do if your dog doesn't like to play?

  Find the answers to these questions, and more.  You'll learn about fun games you can play with your dog that build trust and increase responsiveness.

  Fun & Games with Rachel was fantastic. My puppy and I learned a lot of principles, as well as some practical and fun applications, that will be useful to us for a long time!

  - Nev Kelly, Lake Forest Park

  You'll also learn how to monitor your dog's body language during play to make sure the game is fun for her as well as for you, and doesn't get out of control.
  
  Please bring a few of your dog's favorites toys to the Fun & Games workshop.  You are welcome to come without your dog if you can't make it home to get your dog or have a young puppy whose shots are incomplete, a dog that can't sit through a lecture, or a fearful/reactive dog that would not enjoy being in a group class. 
  
  We will have a fair amount of lecture, so bring entertainment for young or restless dogs, like bully sticks, yam chews, or stuffed Kongs. But we will also be playing some of the games in class, so wear comfortable clothes & shoes, bring treats, and be ready to be a kid again!

  

• Jump Into Agility Workshop

  At the end of this fun, active agility workshop in Seattle, you will know why Dog Agility is one of the fastest growing sports in Seattle and the rest of the USA. We will present basic agility information and do a short agility demonstration. The rest of the agility workshop will be spent with you and your dog having fun together participating in an introduction to this exciting and rewarding activity.
  
  Dog agility is a great opportunity to build trust and confidence and enhance your relationship with your dog. You'll also meet other people who are crazy about their dogs too! For most of the JIA seminars, dogs should be at least 10 months old - if your dog is mature, but younger, ask for instructor permission. We do have a Puppies Only JIA from time to time, with training and safety adjustments for younger dogs.  Human agility handlers of any age are welcome! (If you feel your child may distract you or others, please treat yourself to a babysitter and leave your child at home).
  
  This workshop is *not* a pre-requisite for any of Pritamo's other agility classes. For info on full agility classes, or for questions about the content of the Jump Into Agility workshop, visit the Fun Quest Dog Sports website.
  
  

  
  Click the size below for another video of Grisha & Peanut running agility:
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• Canine Good Citizen Test

  Prove to yourself and others that your dog has what it takes!  The Canine Good Citizen Test is offered by the AKC as a way for all breeds to prove that they have basic dog manners.  Many insurance companies use the CGC test as a way to screen out "bad dogs." The CGC test can help with finding a place to rent or a even a place to stay the night!  A Canine Good Citizen is welcome more places!

  • CGC Test Item 1: Accepting a friendly stranger
  • CGC Test Item 2: Sitting politely for petting
  • CGC Test Item 3: Appearance and grooming
  • CGC Test Item 4: Out for a walk (walking on a loose lead)
  • CGC Test Item 5: Walking through a crowd
  • CGC Test Item 6: Sit and down on command and Staying in place
  • CGC Test Item 7: Coming when called
  • CGC Test Item 8: Reaction to another dog
  • CGC Test Item 9: Reaction to distraction
  • CGC Test Item 10: Supervised separation (3 minutes)
  
  Click here for a full description of the CGC Test (PDF).
  
  The best classes to prepare for the CGC Test are either the Basic Manners / Better Manners series or the Puppy through Advanced Puppy series. The Fluency Field Trip will also help, though many students can pass the CGC test before that. Those training classes also help prepare students for the Delta Society Pet Partners test for therapy dogs.
  
  If you are a current or past Ahimsa student (6 week class or more), then one great way to prepare for the CGC test is to attend our free drop-in training practice class.
  
  

Class Descriptions:

• Advanced Puppy
• Barky Dog Class
• Dog Manners 1, 2, 3
• Fluency Field Trip
• Growly Dog Class
• Intermediate Puppy
• Orientation
• Puppy Socialization
• Rally Obedience
• Terrier-rific Manners
• Training Practice
• Wallflower Class
• Workshops

Class Comparison

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