Class materials can be found online in the Behavioral Education Center or in Mel’s training manuals, below.
Having trouble with obedience skills? Read Dog As A Second Language, Mel’s training manual, available in ebook or paperback form. Mel designed this book to go right along with her basic obedience classes, supplemented by videos in the Behavior Education Center. Buy now!
Got a puppy? Read Puppy, Translating Your World, also available in ebook or paperback form. This book was designed to go right along with Mel’s puppy classes, supplemented with the handouts and information on the puppy page of the Behavior Education Center. Buy now!
Group Classes: All dogs must be current on distemper, bordatella, and rabies (as age appropriate) to attend. Rescue dogs receive a $10 discount. Classes are designed to be affordable and still packed full of learning, and enrollment is limited to 6 dogs per class.
A note about the Sample Syllabi provided: This is what the average class covers. Some classes progress faster than others, some slower, simply due to the ability of the dogs and handlers and any issues they are bringing to class. I will not progress faster than the ability of the dogs and handlers in the class, but I will push you and your dog to progress as quickly as you are able by encouraging you to tackle as much difficulty as possible.
Puppy Class
This course focuses on manners and socialization for puppies. We cover housebreaking, chewing, nipping/play biting, self control, handling, conditioned relaxation, and proper supervised socialization with other dogs.
Demo dog Zelda will be there to help shy puppies gain confidence, help pushy puppies learn boundaries, and to help keep play safe, mannerly, and appropriate.
Class meets for an hour a week once a week for four weeks. Puppies must be under 4 months of age at the start of class
Sample Syllabus:
Week One: Questions & Answers, Supervised play, Nipping and chewing, Conditioned Relaxation, Name & Explain combined with handling, Socialization list, fear of things and “What’s this?”, Socialization with noisy things, Supervised play combined with Come, the importance of permanent identification
Week Two: Q&A, Supervised play (calm puppies first), Name and Explain with Handling, Pass the Puppy, Socialization with children and wheeled things, Supervised play combined with Come, Basic grooming, Jumping up on people
Week Three: Q&A, Supervised play (calm puppies first), Name and Explain with Handling, Pass the Puppy, Socialization with strange clothes, Supervised play combined with Come, Leave it, Targeting
Week Four: Q&A, Supervised play (calm puppies first), Name and Explain with Handling, Pass the Puppy, Socialization gaps, Supervised play combined with Come, Basic obedience with targeting, Poisons and household hazards
Basic Obedience Class
All dogs must be 4 months or older to attend.
We’ll begin with the basics like Conditioned Relaxation, Sit, Down, Come, Loose Leash Walking, and Leave It. We’ll also work on appropriate greetings and solving problem behaviors, and then proof all behaviors against distractions.
Class meets for an hour a week once a week for six weeks.
Sample Syllabus:
Week One: Conditioned Relaxation, Sit (implied stay) w/ release command, Down (implied stay) w/ release command
Week Two: Review Conditioned Relaxation, Sit and Down with distractions and distance, Leave It
Week Three: Waiting at doors, Loose Leash Walking with pressure and release, Come – paper plate game
Week Four: Review pressure and release, Loose Leash Walking – Attention Game, Come – paper plate game, increased difficulty
Week Five: Appropriate greetings, Loose Leash Walking, Come – paper plate game or lines
Week Six: Wrapping up loose ends, Repeating any exercises needed, Answering questions, If time, Tricks.
Intermediate Obedience Class
If your dog has already mastered Sit, Down, Stay, Come, and Loose Leash Walking in moderate distraction, then the intermediate class will provide you and your dog with challenging group activities to complete together, moving toward off leash reliability! Learn how to keep your dog’s attention with higher distractions, and work toward mastering activities like targeting, place, moving Sits and moving Downs, commands from a distance, and long stays including while out of sight.
Class meets for an hour a week once a week for six weeks. For dogs 6 months and older.
Sample Syllabus:
Week One: Sit from a Down, Doggy Push-ups, Stand-Stay, Weave throughs with position changes, Begin position changes with distance, Targeting
Week Two: Splitting the Mind, Weave throughs with position changes slowly increasing distance, Targeting, Place
Week Three: Popcorn Dog, Independent releases, Weave throughs (increase distance farther), Place with distractions, Opposing Heel/Come, Long Downs, begin out of sight
Week Four: Popcorn Dog, Independent releases, Close Encounters of the Canine Kind, Opposing Heel/Come, Perpendicular Heel/Come, Heel/Place around the room, Long Downs out of sight, Treat lines – Leave it
Week Five: Strange positioning for Sits and Downs, Perpendicular Heel/Come, Long downs together out of sight, Long stays, release independently, Close Encounters, Begin Sit/Down in motion, Begin Heel/Finish commands
Week Six: Leap Dog, Come with high distraction, Long downs together out of sight, Long stays, released independently, Sit/Down in motion, Heel, Finish commands, Heel progression to off leash, Rally-O.
Off Leash Class
Is your dog reliable on leash but not so much off leash? Progress from on leash reliability to off leash reliability in a safe, enclosed space, with group activities and moderate to high distractions. We’ll work with activities including Heel, Come, Moving Sits and Downs including at a distance, Stand-Stays, Send-outs, beginning Retrieve, and beginning Scent Detection.
Class meets for an hour a week once a week for six weeks. For dogs 6 months and up.
Sample Syllabus:
Week One: Independent Releases, Martin Deeley’s Splitting the Mind exercise, Close Encounters Game, Weave throughs, leash in pocket, Come with Leave it, Stand Stay with Distraction (“Examination”) and Distance (Owner in front)
Week Two: Close Encounters Game, leash in pocket, Perpendicular Heel/Come, Weave throughs, dragging leash, Long Stays, released independently, Send outs, come back, Stand Stay with Distraction (“Examination”) and Distance (Owner in front, 6 ft away)
Week Three: Close Encounters, leash dragging, Weave throughs, leash dragging or off, Send out, come back with distance, Sit/Down in motion, Sit/Down/Stand at distance
Week Four: Retrieve, Left side/Right side, Silent commands – Hand signals, Sit/Down in motion, from distance, Send out, come back, with direction.
Week Five: Silent commands – Hand signals, Directed Retrieve, Left side/Right side, Scentwork, Control Exercise
Week Six: Directed Retrieve, Item Delivery, Scent Discrimination, Control Exercise, Play as a reward, Impulse Control
Therapy Class
This 4 week course is specifically designed for dogs getting ready for therapy work. If your dog has or could have CGC certification (for manners and obedience), you are welcome to take this class! For three weeks we will work on skills needed for therapy, and for the final week we will go out and about for a mock therapy session to give you and your dog a taste of what it’s like!
Therapy dogs must be at least 1 year of age to work.