Basic Classes

• Lifeskills
  LIFESKILLS PUPPIES (5 months and younger) AND ADULT DOGS are rolling admission classes so you and your dog can start anytime once you have registered by calling (919)304-2300 ext 233 or emailing dogtraining@animalprotectionsociety.org. The cost is $50 for 4 weeks of class (classes can be taken within an 8 week period) or FREE for any dog adopted at our APS Adoption Center on Nicks Road . We will teach Sit, Down, Attention, Wait, greeting strangers, leash walking, and the foundations for coming when called. Puppy Lifeskills will also address socialization with strangers and other dogs.
   
• Junior Puppy Kindergarten
  PUPPIES 8 WEEKS TO 16 WEEKS OLD AT THE START OF CLASS (7 weeks/1 hour) This special class gives young puppies and their owners a head start on their new life together. Introduces basic skills and the importance of proper management of mouthing, housetraining, and socialization. Basic skills such as paying attention, sit, down, coming when called, and how to walk on leash are introduced. A great class for "first time" puppy parents.
   
• Senior Puppy Kindergarten
  PUPPIES 4 MONTHS TO 7 MONTHS OLD (7 weeks/1 hour) An introductory class for positive training and behavior management for older puppies. This class introduces the basic skills of paying attention, sit, down, stay, come and how to walk on a leash. Emphasis is placed on proper management of problem behaviors such as mouthing, housetraining, and socialization.
   
• Family Dog 1
  FOR DOGS 7 MONTHS OF AGE OR OLDER WITH NO FORMAL TRAINING, OR GRADUATES OF JUNIOR/SENIOR PUPPY KINDERGARTEN. (7 weeks/1 hour) An introductory class for positive training and behavior management for any dog. Handlers will learn the basics of learning theory and proper use of training techniques. We will show you how to teach your dog to pay attention, sit, down, stay, come, and walk on a leash.
   
• Family Dog 2
  FOR GRADUATES OF JUNIOR OR SENIOR PUPPY OR FAMILY DOG 1. (7 weeks/1 hour) Family Dog 2 will expand on the exercises of Puppy classes and Family Dog 1, and introduce new elements such as wait, leave it, place, stand, catch, recalls and loose leash walking with distractions.
   
• Canine Good Citizen
  PREREQUISITE: MUST HAVE TAKEN FAMILY DOG 2. (7 weeks/1 hour) This class
  prepares the companion and family dog to take the AKC Canine Good Citizen Test.   This test requires that your dog can be approached by a friendly stranger; be left alone with a friendly stranger; be able to sit, down, stay, recall, and leash walk in a distracting environment; and calmly meet a person with a strange dog.

Specialty Classes

• Drill Team
  FOR GRADUATES OF FAMILY DOG 2 OR CGC OR PERMISSION OF INSTRUCTOR. This class prepares students for Drill Team 2. Handlers and their dogs will learn the basic freestyle moves including spins, parallel moves, and heeling, as well as how to work as a team, through learning basic parade moves and a simple choreographed team freestyle routine. The APS Drill Team performs choreographed routines to music and participates in local parades and national competitions. The drill team accepts new members in January (winter session) and September (Fall Session).
   
• Beginning Canine Freestyle [Spring Session '09: Tues 7-8:30pm with instructor Jeanine Brown] Prerequisite:  Completion of Family Dog 2 and good off leash heeling skills. Canine Freestyle is doing heeling and obedience work with your dog as a routine to music.  This class will teach Canine Freestyle Federation style of Freestyle. For more information please visit: www.canine-freestyle.org
   
• Breed Handling Class:
  If you are new to the world of dog shows, learn how to present your dog for conformation competition. Or if you are an experienced handler, bring your new puppies and dogs for practice and socialization. The class will cover gaiting – with a group and individually, setting your dog up for the judge (stacking), teaching your dog to pose on its own (free baiting), and socializing your dog for the judges’ examination. Dogs must be at least 3 months old and used to a leash. They also must be up to date on vaccinations.
   
• Really Reliable Recall
  For graduates of puppy classes or family dog 1. This class is designed for those of us that want our dog to come when called, EVERY TIME! Come to this class to teach your dog this life-saving skill and have a lot of fun besides!
   
• Family Dog 2/TTouch [Spring Session '09: Tues 11-12 with instructor Jenn Merritt]
  (Class will be filmed.) This class will work at the Family Dog 2 level on many of the same skills that are taught in our traditional Family Dog 2 classes: Heeling, Stay, Go to Your Mat, Attention, Leave it.  TTouch methods will be incorporated into the
  training and the instructor will be filming the class.  For more information on
  TTouch, please visit www.TTouch.com or attend the TTouch demonstration and fundraiser here at the Paws4Ever Learning Center on Sat Feb 28th from 9-11:00am.
   

APS Agility Program:  Check out the new classes, starting Summer 2009!

Agility is a fun activity for dogs and handlers.  P4E agility classes are appropriate for those that want to enhance their training relationship, build confidence and have fun.  For teams who aspire to competition, our classes will give you the solid foundation and advanced skills necessary for success. 

Dogs in agility classes must be able to work closely with other dogs, be under solid control, and pass an Agility Entrance Skills Test prior to registration. Please call Julie Jenkins at 919-304-2300, ext. 233, to make an appointment for testing.

Agility Foundation: This class emphasizes all component skills needed in agility; self control, motivation, balance/coordination, and handling.  Dogs and handlers will learn a foundation of safety and skill which will enable them to continue to more advanced agility training if they wish.  This class is geared towards puppies or dogs who have no prior experience with agility training. 

Obstacle Skills:  Introduce your dog to the agility obstacles in a positive, safe manner.  Dogs and handlers must have taken Pre-Agility/Foundation class or have instructor approval.  Learn tunnel, jump, table, tire, and contact obstacles and learn to perform them with confidence and speed.

Contacts & Weaves 1 & 2: Contact obstacles (A-frame, dogwalk & see-saw) and weave poles comprise some of the most challenge skills in the sport.  This class will focus on teaching and maintaining solid performances of contacts and weaves.  C&W 1 is for teams with little to no experience with contacts & weaves.  Level 2 is for more advanced teams who need to practice or improve speed and accuracy on contacts & weaves.

Handling Skills:  In this class, handlers and dogs will learn the finer points of handling.  Skills covered include lead-outs, pushes & pulls, front & rear crosses.  Courses will be comprised of jumps and tunnels only, so dogs need only be proficient at those obstacles.  More than one level of handling skills may be offered depending on students needs.

Sequencing Skills:  Dogs in this class must be able to perform all obstacles at full height and perform sequences up to 5 obstacles long.  This class will focus on running increasingly longer sequences while maintaining correct obstacle performance criteria.  Learn the strategies of walking the course and planning a good path for both handler and dog.

Novice Competition:  This class is geared towards teams who are ready to compete in lower levels of AKC/CPE.  Courses will contain all the obstacles (6 weave poles) and will feature challenges appropriate to the level of dog/handler skill.  We will run standard courses and probably a few different games as well.

Advanced Competition:   For dogs and handlers already competing in mid-level AKC/CPE or USDAA. 12 weave poles, plus all other obstacles.   We will work on a new, challenging course each week, focusing on more difficult skills and obstacle discriminations.

Agility Run Thrus:  A novice NADAC, AKC or USDAA course will be presented each week. Participants will help build the courses and then be given the opportunity to walk the courses and discuss them before running them with their dogs. The instructor will be available for assistance with individual training issues. Minimum requirement: Completion of one session of Agility 3 or equivalent. Teams need not be proficient at full height but should have working experience on all obstacles.