Adolescence comes with it’s own challenges – not quite a puppy but definitely not an adult, this developmental period comes with it’s own set of specific needs. Changes in brain chemistry and hormones, teenagers find it harder to focus. They become more impulsive, look to explore more, have bigger reactions to things they once seemed comfortable with, and so much more. It’s a very important time in your pup’s development and a hard time on you trying to live with them!

We designed a program that is not your typical obedience class. Instead of a linear pathway, we focus on learning practical skills, learning how to communicate with your dog, meeting your pup’s needs, enrichment and building their resilience to challenges in their life. We bring together all these parts to help you and your pup move through this stage together.

This program is for pups aged 6 -18 months.

You are starting to master your communication with your adolescent at home but when you take it outside, the challenges come right back and it’s like you don’t speak the same language anymore!

During this developmental stage, freedom and choice are at the top of your dog’s list of favorite things. We don’t have to work against these things – in fact, we can use them to our advantage! Your dog wants to explore, and you want them to stay safe. In this course, we will focus on meeting the needs on both ends of the leash!

This program is for pups aged 6-18 months

This class will be held at Dairy Ridge Dog Park in Verona, WI.

This introductory class is perfect for new-to-training pups and their people. This class will give you both the foundations to begin your journey together. We cover essential skills such as leash skills, waits and stays, leave-its and drop-its, and much more.

This class is perfect for dogs that are over 8 months with little prior training or for those that need to brush up on some skills.

In the second level of our foundation skills classes, you will continue to work on advancing your dog’s understanding of essential skills and take it to the next level—literally!

In this class, we will work on learning skills at our side instead of in front of us, understanding emergency cues, learning a place cue (such as go to bed), refining our recalls, improving our reliability with our waits and stays, and much more

This class is the best fit for graduates of Foundation Skills Level 1 or Puppy B or any other beginner-level course.

In the third level of our foundation skills series, we will take our learning and education to the MAX!

In this class, we will work on skills such as directional cues (right, left, etc), distance cues, and advancing safety and emergency cues. We will put all the skills to the test by practicing in real-world settings - each class includes field trips to local dog friendly locations.

This class is the best fit for graduates of Foundation Skills Level 2 or Puppy C.

Dogs aren’t born understanding “a leash”. And they definitely are confused by the straight line walking of their human companions. Naturally dogs wander – they zig-zag, go sideways, forward, backward, fast, then slow. To walk according to the “human rules” is a skill that must be taught. Similar to when we learn to drive a car, there are safety considerations, rules of the road, and basic skills that must be learned to be successful at leash walking.

If walks are more frustrating than enjoyable, this class is perfect for you!

In this class, we'll discuss lots of tools, tips, and exercises that will help both ends of the leash enjoy walks.

The American Kennel Club's Canine Good Citizen program focuses on good manners for "real world" situations such as walking nicely through a crowd, greeting a friendly stranger, meeting someone that also has a dog, and reacting to distractions. With several levels of certification available, we can help you reach your goals.

CGC is a 4-week class with a test in the final week.

CGC Advanced is an 8-week class with 2 test weeks in week 6 and week 8 for CGC-A & CGC-U.

These classes are perfect for teams that have the basic skills down and are looking to advance those skills to more real-world applications. You must have passed the CGC test to take the CGC-Advanced.

All dogs have to experience things like vet visits, groomer visits, nail trims, etc. But those things don’t have to be stressful! In this class, we are here to help you and your dog build predictability and confidence around these events. We are working toward a stress-free experience by guiding you in communicating with your dog and your dog's care team and giving your dog a voice in the process.

This class is perfect for dogs that have some understanding of basic cues.