Summer Classes: Calm & Focus in Distracting Situations with Happy Dog Institute

It’s officially Summer and, provided it’s not raining, distractions (squirrels, other dogs, kids, bikes – you name it) come out of the woodwork.  Wouldn’t it be great to have a focused dog who can walk by others with ease, or resist chasing that squirrel up the tree?  That’s what Happy Dog Institute is here for!
 
This summer, we have some great classes that focus on teaching your dog calm and self-control in highly distracting situations, including our:
 
-Calm Dog class taught by Heather on Friday nights at 7pm, starting July 23rd.  In this class, you will encourage a calm response and create focus in highly distracting environments, and use calming massage techniques to reduce anxiety in your dog.  Work will be done in multiple settings and with many distractions. Based on the exercises in Control Unleashed, by Leslie McDevitt.

Puppy Manners & Socialization is for puppies aged eight weeks to four months.  This class includes teaching your puppy basic behavior such as: riding in the car nicely, potty training, sit/stay/down, chase game, out game, bite inhibition, jumping up, loose leash walking and recall.  This class is offered on Friday nights at 8pm and Sunday afternoons (starting August 1st) at 3pm.  The class is open-enrollment, so you can register anytime.  Have a friend who just got a new puppy?  We love referrals!   
 
-Fun Foundation 3: have you already gone through Fun Foundation 1 & 2, and would like to focus getting reliable behaviors in distracting situations, especially recall and loose leash walking?  Consider signing up for our four-week Fun Foundation 3 class starting on Sunday, September 12 (we thought we’d give you plenty of warning).
 
-We always have Fun Foundation 1 classes starting, and this two-week class is a great way to get your feet wet.  It’s an Introduction to Positive Reinforcement, and is the prerequisite to many of the Happy Dog classes.  We teach Fun Foundation 1 on Friday nights and Sunday afternoons.  Take a look at our schedule to see which dates work best for you (see below).

-Class Schedule: Click here to download our July through October 2010 Class Schedule.  All classes are held at Fido’s Farm (click here for directions).  We’ll always add more classes, days and times if there is demand, so don’t hesitate to ask!
 
-Paws for the Cause: come see us at the Paws for the Cause event on Saturday, July 11th from 11-3 at Hawks Prairie Veterinary Hospital’s new clinic at 8919 Martin Way East in Lacey.

Email info@happydoginstitute.com to register or for more information, or give us a call at the number listed below.  We hope to see you and your dog soon!