PUPPY LIFE SKILLS
Level Up & Start Developing A Well-Behaved Future Adult
A completely reward-based training course for dogs 12 - 15 weeks of age at the time of their first class. Learn how to bring out the best in your puppy, strengthen your relationship, and lay the groundwork for raising a happy well-behaved adult dog. You and your pup are set up to enjoy a best-in-class experience with safety and support at the forefront.
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Click the sign up button below to sign up for our next round of Puppy Life Skills.
NEXT LEVEL 1 START DATE:
TUESDAY, OCT 10 @ 5:30pm
*Must have completed level 1 or equivalent private training.
Reservation is required for each class in order to attend.
Expiration dates apply - Click here to view policy details on FAQ page
The Learning Process
Training is learning and learning is life-long. Our programs are constructed to align with the 4 stages of the learning process: acquisition, fluency, maintenance, and generalization.
AQUISITION
Can do the skill when prompted, but not always fast or accurate. The goal is improved accuracy of the right response.
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FLUENCY
Does the skill accurately when prompted, but thinks slowly and gets confused with other skills. The goal is increased speed of the right response.
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GENERALIZATION
Does the skill accurately and quickly when prompted, but only in certain setting. The goal is speed and accuracy of response in range of contexts.
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MAINTENANCE
Near perfected ability to complete the skill when prompted whenever and wherever. Since nothing is ever 100% guaranteed with behaviour the goal is to keep practicing to strongly retain the skill.
Following this learning process produces strong skill development and so is applied by educated and skilled animal trainers world-wide. Our Life Skills Program is intentionally divided into three learning stages identified by levels in order to set you and your dog up for life-long learning success!
How Program Levels Work
Life Skills Level 1
Mixed Puppy
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All puppies 12 - 16 weeks old as of start date
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Limited to the same 6 puppies maximum per session
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45-minute training session once per week for 8 weeks
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Tuesdays or Thursdays at 5:30pm
Course
Overview
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Classes are held once a week on the same day at the same time for 8 weeks
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Required orientation attendance prior to starting first class
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Work toward completing first stage of the learning process for the following skills: attention, touch, sit, down, recall, leave it, drop it, leash walking, stay, wait, greetings, body handling
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Free play opportunities narrated by certified professional trainer
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Management strategies for training success
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Written resource guides on all the hot topics for puppies
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Easy to follow written homework guide to aid practice
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Trainer may make individual changes such as switching a dog to the other class or another course offering.
Please note that all puppies must be deemed in good health by a veterinarian and at minimum have received their first round of core vaccines (DHPP) and deworming.
Be sure to review our Policies, and Terms & Conditions before booking.
Get Started!
Follow our guide below to set up your account and get booked in.
Once your account in Gingr is created this is now your portal for everything Raising Fido.
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It’s easy to book your pup in for courses, make or cancel reservations, communicate directly with us, process secure payments, receive training updates with photos or videos and more.
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You can download Gingr for Pet Parents on your phone or tablet using invite code: 467221
Essential Life Skills Training
We know that an overwhelming experience is not conducive for learning and so we do not practice the "sink or swim" approach to training.
The Life Skills Program focuses on providing a dog training environment where new learning challenges are presented in fun ways. Classes are designed to build confidence and connection between handlers and their puppies in a group class setting.
Every learner differs in terms of the skills that come more easily to them and those that end up requiring more effort. And just like there are half steps and modifications when practicing Yoga for example - our program is similarly constructed. We are able to efficiently overcome roadblocks to maintain motivation on either end of the leash!
Class participant maximums are deliberately kept lower to enable more individual attention in class as necessary so that the trainer can be sure they are able to meet each unique learner's specific needs.
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Enrolling in the Puppy Life Skills Program concurrently with our Puppy Socialization Program is a great way cover all the important bases to jump start your life-long training journey.
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There is a paucity of evidence that training and socialization of puppies in the first 6 months of life is effective in reducing behavior problems. In a relatively small retrospective study, Gonzalez-Martinez found that puppies and juveniles that had attended classes had more favorable scores for family-dog aggression, trainability, nonsocial fear, and touch sensitivity (Dinwoodie et el., 2021).
