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Getting a new dog or puppy ready for a performance sport career requires:

– Building a strong working relationship through focus & control exercises;

– Creating enthusiasm & motivation including building their natural toy- and play-drives;

– Developing good balance & body awareness to maximize athleticism & minimize injuries over a long career; and

– Establishing a complete understanding of basic cues and commands for good manners.

These “Building Blocks” will create a good foundation for performance sports by building trust and a desire to work with you from the beginning.  Whether you have a young pup or a new rescue that needs to develop some confidence, the exercises and games in this class will help you bond together and be better prepared for a performance career.  And it never hurts to revisit these “building blocks” with more experienced dogs to refresh these skills.

Come learn all the fun ways to train these skills in your upcoming performance star – but most importantly, show them that spending time with you is REWARDING!!!  This is the basis for a good career in performance sports.  After all, it’s not just about the dog, but about the team you can become!

-young dogs just learning their potential;

-even the senior dogs that still want something to do, but need a little less physically demanding activities can find enrichment in these activities.  Agility obstacles will be kept low or limited to avoid over-exertion for our seniors.

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Therapy dogs are dogs that visit schools, nursing homes, and hospitals bringing a message of love and cheer. They should have proper greeting manners, leash manners and be able to tolerate dogs and strangers in their environment as well as some vigorous body handling. To work as therapy dogs, most organizations require teams to pass an evaluation or pass the Canine Good Citizen (CGC) certification. The CGC is offered by the AKC and requires dogs to pass a 10 part examination, demonstrating their obedience skills and tolerance to handling and strangers. The Canine Good Citizen Program is a two-part program that stresses responsible pet ownership for owners and basic good manners for dogs. All dogs who pass a 10-step CGC test may receive a certificate from the American Kennel Club. Many dog owners choose Canine Good Citizen training as the first step in training their dogs. The Canine Good Citizen Program lays the foundation for other AKC activities such as obedience, agility, tracking, and performance events. Come learn the requirements for each of these examinations and hone your skills in preparation for them or just to practice good manners so your dog is welcome in the community.

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