3-week class, 1-hour per week, 6+ mo old, 3-6 dogs per class.

For puppies and first-timers! Learn the fundamentals of agility and how to encourage your dog through simple obstacles while developing primary skills, confidence, and enthusiasm. Agility is a great way to bond with your dog and enhance their listening skills while also getting out their extra energy!  This class is perfect for those that want to test the water while enjoying fun exercise with their dog.

Instructor: Grace Schwegel

Prerequisite: Has knowledge of basic obedience, especially sit-stay

3-week class, 1-hour per week. 6+ mo old. 3-6 dogs per class

This class is for those who really enjoyed our Intro to Agility course. Here you’ll learn to navigate through simple combinations of more challenging obstacles with confidence by adding in new obstacles and increasing the number of consecutive obstacles. 

Instructor: Grace Schwegel

Prerequisite: Completed Intro to Agility or comparable agility experience

3-week class; 1-hour/week; 6+ mo old; 3-8 dogs per class

Step up your agility game even more! In this class, you will be running your dog through full agility courses, and you will learn how to use strategies and handling techniques to make the most of your run.

Instructor: Grace Schwegel

Prerequisite: Completed Beginner Agility or comparable agility experience

Held throughout the year

1-hour class with any participants arriving within the first half an hour of class

Drop-in agility classes are for dogs who have previously taken any of our agility classes and would like more time to practice certain obstacles or skills. A trainer will be present to answer questions you may have, but the class will not be structured and nothing new will be taught to participants. This is simply time for you to use various agility equipment in a safe environment. 

• Minimum age requirement of 6 months and must meet vaccination & fecal requirements
• Prerequisite: participated in at least one previous agility class at DePAW
• No class limit

3-week class, 45 min training/teaching + 15 min K9 socialization per week, 14 weeks +;  Smaller group classes of 3 – 6 puppies per class.

Learn all about your new puppy! Although this class begins training on behaviors, manners, and simple commands, it will also discuss common puppy issues including, but not limited to: housebreaking, crate training, mouthing, jumping, common vaccines, grooming routines, food information, etc. We will begin positive reinforcement for teaching new commands, introducing new environments/people, teaching good manners when interacting with other dogs and humans. Bring your puppy and your questions! We will teach you and your puppy how to build confidence in the decisions you make that will contribute to a well-adjusted and functioning member of your family.

Prerequisite: Phone Consult

3-week class, 1-hour per week. 4-10 dogs per class. 

Get your dog started on the right paw with general obedience skills that all dogs (and humans) should know! This class will lay the foundations of training by teaching you, the owner, the principles of dog training, how to easily communicate with your dog, how to increase difficulty of commands once your dog starts to understand them, and much more. We will work on engagement with your dog, teach them the “place” command, and begin practicing the foundations for loose leash walking.

Prerequisite: Phone Consult

3-week class; 1-hour per week; 4-12 dogs per class. 

This class will build off of Intro to Obedience, practicing engagement, the “place” command, and loose leash walking, while also adding in sit-stay, down-stay, and recall. We will work on increasing your dogs’ focus and continue to improve their skills by practicing longer durations of each cue and adding in more distractions.

Prerequisite: Intro to Obedience – Level 2

3-week class; 1-hour per week; 4-12 dogs per class.

This class is for the humans and dogs who have mastered the skills of Intro to Obedience and Beginner Obedience. The trainer will continue to challenge you and your dog by increasing distance and duration on the skills they’ve already learned, plus we will also introduce waiting at doors and manners when meeting new people.

Prerequisite: Beginner Obedience – Level 3

Bring high-value treats your dog will work for, and have them on a 6-foot leash – no flexis/retractable leashes

Study Halls are the perfect mix of a private lesson and small group studies. Dogs and owners are purposely paired together, focused on pushing each other toward similar goals utilizing the added distractions.There is freedom to decide the curriculum based on the needs of the dogs and owners who attend. One-hour session. 

• Minimum age of 4 months old
• Shared lessons with Minimum of 2 dogs/families, maximum of 5 dogs/families

Have you recently added a new furry family member?  Congratulations!  Get your baby started on the right paw by learning all you need to know about helping your puppy become a great member of your pack.  You’ll learn how to communicate with your pup in a way they’ll understand so you can teach them what they need to know so you can all live happily together.  We’ll go over what to do about all that puppy jumping and nipping, along with learning some of the basic obedience cues like sit and stay.  Your puppy will also get a chance for some important and beneficial socialization and playtime with classmates while you watch and learn when play is appropriate, and what to do if it’s not.  

• Minimum age requirement: 4 months old and must meet vaccination & fecal requirements
• Maximum age requirement: 8 months old and must meet vaccination & fecal requirements
• Class limit: 8 dogs

You know when you’re sitting in an outdoor dining area or beer garden and you see a dog laying calmly and quietly next to its people and you think, “I wish my dog would do that”?  Guess what?  Your dog can!  And we’ll prove it!  For this class we’ll meet at DePAW and go over a few things and get a quick lesson on what to do and how to make it happen.  Then we’ll head out and go to a local spot and do exactly that: sit outside together with our dogs.  Imagine how nice it will be the next time you go out and you can bring your furry buddy with you!   

• Bring a “spot” for your dog to lay; a mat, a towel, a small blanket or bed
• Minimum age requirement: 4 months old and must meet vaccination & fecal requirements
• Class limit: 8 dogs

Is it difficult to keep your dog under control when guests come to your door? Do you wish your dog could be in one spot (away from your feet!) while you make or eat dinner? The place command is perfect for these situations, and many others! In this class, you will learn how to train your dog to stay in one defined area (place) until he or she is released. You will practice this skill with your dog in a structured way and receive a hand out of the process so you can repeat it at home, or anywhere else. 

• Minimum age requirement: 4 months old and must meet vaccination & fecal requirements
• Class limit: 8 dogs

Are you tired of being pulled through the neighborhood by your dog? Does your dog lag behind you or choke him/herself pulling ahead of you? If you’d like to enjoy your walks with your four-legged friend, this class is for you! You will learn techniques to help your dog stay close to your side while walking, and you will get to practice these techniques inside and then move outside as you perfect them. 

• Minimum age requirement: 4 months old and must meet vaccination & fecal requirements
• Class limit: 8 dogs

This class is for everyone who struggles with a pup that thinks – or actually does! – run their house.  It’s all about how establishing leadership and demonstrating to your dog that the humans in the pack are the ones to follow will help lead to a better behaved dog.  You’ll learn how and why leadership is key to a well balanced canine family member.  By employing these methods, you’ll get control back and begin to see behavioral issues diminish or even disappear.  Learn simple things to do to show your dog that you’re the leader of the pack so s/he doesn’t need to be. 

• PLEASE LEAVE YOUR PUPS AT HOME FOR THIS ONE
• No class limit

Does your dog ignore you when you call them? Do they only come when they feel like it? Recall is one of the most important commands.  Besides being helpful in many situations, it can literally save your dog’s life! This class will teach you how to help your dog understand your recall command (usually “come” or “here”) and help them practice in various environments, indoor and outdoor. 

• Minimum age requirement: 4 months old and must meet vaccination & fecal requirements
• Class limit: 8 dogs

Instead of chasing your dog around the house trying to get your shoe out of their mouth, come to our “Drop It/Leave It” class and learn how to simply ask your dog to give it back.  We’ll work on having them drop things out of their mouths when asked, and better yet, never grab them in the first place by just telling them to leave it.  These skills come in handy for playing fetch and other games with your dog, too.  

• Minimum age requirement: 4 months old and must meet vaccination & fecal requirements
• Class limit: 8 dogs

Do you have a dog that’s shy around new people, nervous about new things?  This class is designed to help those shy nervous dogs come out of their shell a bit.  We’ll do fun things and play nose and brain games that will help them build confidence so they learn that the things they think are scary aren’t as bad as they thought.  You’ll also learn things you can do at home for your dog to help them continue to build that confidence.    

Pet parents should be ready to spend time on the floor and most importantly have fun with their dogs!

• Minimum age requirement: 4 months old and must meet vaccination & fecal requirements
• Class limit: 8 dogs

Does your dog jump on people when they come to your house? Do they drag you to meet new people or furry friends on walks? This class is for those overly-friendly dogs that need to learn to control themselves when saying hello! We will practice having your dog sit nicely to be petted and learn to be more calm while meeting strangers and/or their dogs. 

• Minimum age requirement: 4 months old and must meet vaccination & fecal requirements
• Class limit: 8 dogs

Have you considered using a prong collar or an e-collar on your dog? Would you like to learn more about the pros and cons of training your dog with these collars? Or, are you unfamiliar with or against using these collars altogether? This is an informational class that will discuss the purposes of these collars when used as intended and go over many of the common misconceptions behind prong collars and e-collars. There will be time to become familiar with these training tools and ask questions about any and everything related to these collars! 

• PLEASE LEAVE YOUR PUPS AT HOME FOR THIS ONE; this class is only for dog owners 
• No class limit