Your instructor will teach you the skills for a partnership lifestyle built on trust and connection with your dog , so that…
Your dog comes running eagerly, every time you invite them to come to you!
Your dog feels calm and attentive to you, even when there are distractions.
You and your dog learn the skills of leash walking in partnership.
Your dog understands how to greet people calmly, without needing to jump up.
You have the skills to communicate with your dog, so that your dog understands, and loves to listen.
All classes are held at 1201 Major St., Unit C, Normal. The classes are one hour long, limited to 4 or 5 teams, and last 6 weeks. The 6 week class costs $135.00. The first night of class is an orientation that is geared mainly toward the human members of the teams and there is a lot of material covered. So if you think your dog would have a hard time being patient or you would have a hard time listening with your pup there, please leave them home for the first night. We want to make choices that set us up for success!
Baby Steps is for baby puppies between 8 and 17 weeks old. In this class, you will build a foundation of trust and communication so that your puppy can become a responsible member of your family.
You will get to know your puppy’s individual personality and learning style to help teach them how to live safely and peacefully in your household. We will focus on typical baby puppy issues like potty training and nipping.
Worried about shots? Here’s what the American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior has to say about early socialization. AVSAB Position Statement Puppies should have received a minimum of one set of vaccines at least 7 days prior to the first class and a first deworming. They should be kept up-to-date on vaccines throughout the class.
Puppy Kindergarten is for puppies between 5 and 8 months old. This is an age when your puppy is exploring the world and learning how it works, so we will talk about what you can do to help them feel safe while learning to be fun friendly responsible members of society. In this class, we will incorporate the skills needed to achieve their AKC STAR Puppy certificate on week 6! This would be an option for graduates of the Baby Steps Class.
Targeted towards our puppies aged between 5 and 14 months old. This class will give you the tools to build a partnership with your teenage pup that will help to keep you connected and communicating when times get tough. We will help your pup to become a responsible family member and companion who respects boundaries, loves to come when invited, and walks calmly on a leash. Puppies learn best through play and everybody LOVES tricks, so we also incorporate tricks into our lessons so that you and your pup can earn your AKC Novice Tricks title by the end of class. This would be an option for graduates of the Puppy Manners class.
This class is for dogs 12 months and older and their human partners. In this class we will cover the basic partnership skills of trust, communication, and attentive responsiveness and also focus on greetings, walking in public, waiting patiently, and loving to come to you when invited. This would be an option for graduates of the Teen Spirit class. We will incorporate the skills needed to pass the AKC Canine Good Citizen Test. PLEASE NOTE: There will be a lot of moving around, so dogs who are overly reactive or fearful of people and other dogs would not feel safe in this class. Please contact us if this is the case and we will work on another option for you and your dog.
More information about our goals and criteria for passing the class (and the test!) are available on the AKC website below. Dogs do not have to be AKC registered in order to enroll in this class.
Is your dog kind? Does it love being around people? It might be the perfect therapy dog. This class will prepare you and your dog to do this important work. Each team will learn basic obedience and social manners and be given an opportunity to take the Alliance for Therapy Dog certification test.
Once you and your dog pass this test you will be eligible to complete your three supervised visits for final certification through Hope Therapy Dogs. Please bring a 4-6 foot leash (no retractable leashes), a flat collar, martingale collar, or harness and lots of treats to each class.. Absolutely no reactive or aggressive dogs will be allowed. Note: This course does not include a national therapy dog certification or therapy dog organization membership.
Our Games class gives you a taste of Dog Sports while continuing to work on leash-walking and recalls. We will play games introducing some of the basic skills of Agility, Nosework, and Trei Ball along with some Tricks and social skills. This is a class that will evolve according to the skills of the attendants, so can be repeated as many times as you would like!
Welcome to Sniffari Camp! Your source for fun scent games. In this short taster of a class we will introduce you (and your dog!) to the fascinating world of scent and problem solving. There are many ways to learn about your dog’s world, whether it be finding loose change in an apartment or searching for a person hiding in a field. This class is great opportunity to build confidence in your dog through problem solving skills.
6 Month old puppy learning to walk on a spool for a Trick Dog Title.
They are held at 1201 Major St, Unit C, Normal IL 61761.
Refund Policy: Registration for 6 week classes closes 14 days prior to the first night of class, after which no refunds will be offered. Cancelling prior to this date will receive a full refund, minus a $15 admin fee. Requests must be emailed to lisa@kudosforcanines.com. Kudos for Canines Equipment Policy: No choke chains, prong collars or shock collars are allowed to be used on site. Slip-style collars/leashes are acceptable only during conformation class. Behavioral Issues: If your dog has a history of behavioral issues/showing aggression towards humans/dogs, group classes may not be the right fit for you. Please contact us PRIOR to signing up for classes if your dog has this type of history. Private 1-on-1 training may be a better fit.
