Services

We provide classes in Littleton for all ages!  From 9 weeks in our Puppy Preschool and S.T.A.R. Puppy to Puppy Primary, Middle School, Adult Education, even Canine Good Citizenship Prep & Testing!  Visit our Class Calendar!  (Classes are held in Littleton at 7961 Shaffer Parkway, #4 unless noted.)

 Our Rolling Classes:

Many of our basic classes are rolling classes that don’t run for a specific time frame.  If you skip a class, you won’t miss out!  We recommend you come as often as possible, (we recommend weekly) especially for the puppies as they change so fast.  It is at our trainer’s discretion when they are ready to move up to the next class.  This type of class seems to help clients get started right away, even if they have to miss a week or two due to scheduling conflicts.  Try a class once or twice and if you feel that we are a fit for you, purchase a 5-pack or 10-pack to reduce the overall price per class.  If you have questions about which class may be best for your puppy, rescue, or adult dog, don’t hesitate to contact us!

Puppy Preschool

AGES: 9-15 weeks

A fun class limited to puppies before they go into the Primary Classes!  This time is not focused on obedience. This is puppies learning to LEARN from humans, building confidence & coordination.  Socializing the pups to different people, dogs, flooring textures, sounds, etc.

Puppy Primary School

AGES: 4-7 months

This is a small class designed for puppies of all breeds & sizes with no or little prior formal training. During this class, you and your dog will learn to bond through learning games & training. You will learn about your pet’s personality & how best to motivate them to learn. All the basics will be taught or at least introduced; including; Name, Come, Sit, Down, Watch, Relax-On-A-Mat, Gentle (bite inhibition). Stay, Impulse Control & Loose-Lease will be introduced.

K-9 Middle School

AGES: 7-18 Months  (this is a guideline based on individual dogs and their owners —please contact us with questions or special circumstances)

This class is designed for you and your dog to learn to bond through learning games & training. You will learn about your pet’s personality & how best to motivate them to learn. All the basics will be taught. We also incorporate fun & games into the learning process to keep learning fun for your dog.

Adult Ed

AGES: over18 Months

This is a class for dogs that have beginning skills and are non-reactive to other dogs.  We will focus on becoming well-rounded with general obedience, manners, and have fun through learning games and beginning-level tricks.

 

Special Services & Classes:

 

 

Canine Good Citizen Prep Class & Testing                       $175

 

The American Kennel Club’s CGC (Canine Good Citizenship Award) is a ten-skill training program that is open to all dogs–purebred and mixed breeds that are at least 6 months of age. The class runs for 6 weeks (5 weeks of training and the test is on week 6).  The class includes one test. If you are interested in CGC testing only, the fee is $25.  This class is offered seasonally.

 

We help people find more independence by partnering with a dog that is custom trained to help mitigate their needs.

The definition of a public access service dog is a dog that is specifically trained to mitigate a person’s diagnosed disease or disability.
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The Process:
We train you how to train your young, healthy dog or puppy to become a well-socialized, well-mannered public access dog. Not all dogs are appropriate candidates for public access. All dogs must have a clean bill of health from a licensed veterinarian. They must be suited to train for all needed tasks. Some dogs may be better suited as Skilled Companion for in-home assistance only.     
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The foundation of a successful service dog is impeccable manners, and exposure to many public places, and situations. The basic skills are the first step and include passing the AKC Canine Good Citizen (CGC) test.

 

 

 

 

Some people let their new forever dog choose them.  Other people wish to be more selective with their choice to have a better chance of having a pet that fits their activity expectations, health, and lifestyle and mixes well to create that harmonious home.  Fran will have a conversation with you about your expectations, and lifestyle, give you some breeds and breed mixes to research, and a few different observations & quick tips when meeting potential new family members including your non-human family members.  A little thoughtfulness and research can set you and your new family member up for success!

Some families know that heading to the shelter tugs on their heartstrings and they “impulse” adopt.  It is important that all family members (including children) understand that the right pet will be a better choice long term.  Fran will have a phone conversation with you as listed above and can accompany you to a shelter, rescue, or foster to help guide you.  This is a great option when looking at multiple puppies, or pets you are adopting for a purpose such as; potential therapy pets, agility activities, hiking or running partners, etc.   For the past 6 years, Fran has evaluated shelter and rescue dogs for Freedom Service Dogs of America and has traveled all over to acquire these dogs for their training program.

Starting off on the right paw is important to your success & sanity!  We want to make sure we help you along the way in preventing unwanted habits. There are training tips you can start on the very first day of bringing your new family member home!  We will discuss dog-proofing your home, potty training/crate training, self-calming & impulse control, and integrating into the family unit properly.

This can be done as a phone consultation or in person.

Some pet personalities and temperaments will start to evolve once your new dog becomes more comfortable in its new environment. What you see in a shelter or rescue foster home is not always what you will get.  With adult dogs, we may start to see some unwanted behaviors that either got them placed into the shelter or rescue in the first place or we may see new behaviors that are compounded by specific past negative events or traumas.  With younger dogs and puppies, we want them to be confident, and well-socialized and with all ages, we must work on specific issues fast before they become harder to replace with good behaviors!

We would like to assist you and your Forever Dog with more minor but possibly annoying issues such as leash pulling, counter surfing, destructive chewing, potty training, etc.  We also can assist you if your pet is jumping fences, reactive to people or pets whether on-leash or off-leash, has food aggression, separation anxiety, and other phobias and anxieties

 
We have different seasons during our lives, and these tend to be some of the biggest challenges for us as far as keeping our home conflict-free and ‘harmonious”.  Many dogs do not handle the changes well, and negative behaviors arise.  Some of these situations can be weddings, babies, new pets, blended families, divorces, and deaths of family members both furry and human.  We want to help you through these challenges so that the behaviors that may be exhibited by your pets can be worked through before high frustrations and resentments build up!

 

With experience in training service dogs, we can teach helpful tricks to assist with everyday needs such as open the fridge, picking up dropped items, etc.  Not all pets will be physically or mentally capable of any or all tasks due to size, temperament, etc.  We will do an initial evaluation to determine if your pet is a capable candidate.  Being successful will take a dog that is confident, smart, and willing to please.  The success of your pet’s abilities is directly related to how much they are worked with in between sessions.  If working with your pet to become a therapy dog, we can give you guidance on setting your pet up from the beginning to encourage the behaviors to help them excel at therapy work.

 

 

 

 If you do not live nearby but would like to work with us on specific behaviors, we can set up regular phone and/or video consultations to help assist you.  Please contact us for pricing dependent upon issues and the frequency of phone or video calls.