FAQs (frequently asked questions):

- Which class is best for me and my dog?
If your dog is 6+ months - 1 year or older, we suggest our Basic/Novice Obedience.  This class will cover all the basic commands and prepare your dog to earn the AKC CGC Title.  If you think your dog is not ready to learn all the basic obedience skills, or needs more socialization, we'd suggest the Puppy Class.


- What are the training times like?
Basic Obedience classes focus on the fundamentals: crate training, name recognition, come, sit, stay, heel, (lay)down, stand, recall, loose leash walking and much more.

Training each week is very informal, but structured and lots of fun.  It is a great time for you to strengthen the bond with your best friend!  Most people don't want the classes to end and want to add more weeks, but all good things need to come to an end. For Basic Obedience class, we start at the very, very, beginning.  If you don;t know anything, great.  If you do know a few things, then you can fine tune till we get to the new skills.  We are here to answer any (and all silly) questions you may have. Each week, we teach 1-3 new skills. Then each additional week we will review and work on the skills we learned in the previous week(s) and then build on that and learn 1-3 new more obedience skills.  We wont spend all class practicing just one skill.  A trainer will explain the new skill (verbal), demonstrate it a few times (visual), then we will spend 10-30 minutes making sure everyone knows the skills, then move on to another skill.  The goal is not to waste your time.  Once you know what we are doing, then you can spend as little or as much time as you and your dog needs for those skills during the week.

- Are there any additional costs?
Not really.  We will suggest 3 more tools that will help your training, which costs about $50 total (see class resources below).  These include a training (chain) collar, a double loop leash, and a long rope leash.  We also suggest for your everyday collar to be a Martingale style collar. We will go into more detail about this week one. The last class, we have an AKC CGC Evaluator join us and test for the AKC CGC Certification.  If so, there is an additional $20, but that is optional if you want to get tested.

As your dog grows, you may need larger collars or crates over time, or you may want different colored leashes.


- Do I need to know anything else for the classes?
The first class is for humans only.  Leave your dog at home for the first class.  The first class is lectured and Q&A based and will answer many of your questions.  The additional classes are  practical and hands on.  The remaining weeks, prepare to be on your feet and walking the entire hour, so wear comfortable shoes.  Of course, if you get tired, you can take a break to rest at any time.  Sometimes the grass may be wet so open toe shoes may not be the best choice.  You may want to bring water for yourself and your dog and lots of dog treats.

- When and how do I pay?
We've never had anyone not happy with the classes.  Classes are fun, educational and a great bonding time for you and your dog.  Plus, you get to meet like-minded neighbors that are also dog lovers.  We also go to great lengths to find and schedule great locations to host our classes and enjoy SoCal. The first class is an opportunity for you to meet your Trainer and get a feeling for his/her expertise to make sure it's a good fit for you..

We are 'old school' and class tuition is paid in cash. To keep costs low, we do not accept ACH (Zelle, PayPal, etc.), debit/credit cards, or checks, so please visit the ATM before arriving and please bring exact cash. Large bills are prefered over a stack of $20s, if you facilitate that. We ask that you pay for all classes at once, so we don't have to deal with it from week to week. Once we get the payment out of the way, we can have fun, learn and grow. To save time and make the payment easier, we'd prefer large bills.  The class cost is a very low cost for what you will learn. Considering you will have your dog for at least a decade or more, the class cost is minimal compared to the lifetime of results you will have!  

- What if I'm not happy or can't make classes?
Our Registration fee is non-refundable and non-transferable.  If  you register for the class then make it a priority.  Our first class is similar to auditing a class.  You'll get to meet the Trainer, hopefully learn that he/she is very knowledgeable, a great teacher, and passionate about training.  At the end of the first class, we will ask you to commit and pay the remaining tuition fee.  If you have a family emergency, then we can pause your time in class and you can pick up the remaining classes in the future. If you simply don't make it to class, or make the class a priority, then, like college, that's your error.

- What about bad weather?
This is LA where it's sunny 360+ days per year.  On the very rare chance there is inclement weather, we will email you the night before and/or post info on our Facebook Page. But for the most part plan on 10 straight weeks of fun, learning and bonding 'rain or shine' as they say.  During our evening classes, a portion of the class may take place right around sunset time and end before it's dark.

- What about holidays?
Your dog won't care, but we recognize and honor the major holidays.  If any of your classes falls on a holiday, or holiday weekend, ask your instructor.  Most likely, we will take that holiday off and pick up with training the following week. You won't mess any training, your class will be extended so you get all 10 classes.

- What do I need to bring?
The first class, just yourself (did we say it was for humans only).  If you want, you can bring a notepad or your smart phone to take notes.  You can bring a lawn chair, blanket to sit on the grass or just stand at the first class.  Please also bring payment for the remaining classes.  Each additional class, bring yourself, your dog (wearing the training chain collar and on leash, under control) and 1-2 waste bags just in case your dog needs to eliminate.  Dog treats are used at different times during the classes, so bring a handful each week. Sometimes people like to bring a water bottle for themselves.  For Basic Obedience, week 6-10 you'll need a longer 25'-30' rope/leash, but we will give you more info on that as it gets closer. 

- What about Covid?
Thankfully this is becoming less of an issue. So many people love this class because it's a mental break from the pandemic craziness. You get to see your neighbors (socially distanced), be with dogs, and it's almost like we are back to 100% normal, what ever that means!  As the Covid requirements change, please follow national, state and local guidelines.  Every class you may choose to bring a mask for yourself if that makes you more comfortable.  We will be outside the entire time which greatly reduces the possible transmissions to almost zero.  You won't be touching anything other than your dog and leash, so you won't need gloves or hand sanitizer, but of course you can bring it if that makes you feel comfortable. Even prior to Covid, we maintain a social distance (4x8), so the dogs do not interact with each other.
 
In regards to your dog's safety, there are no studies that say that dogs can carry, transmit, or get sick from the human version of Covid, at this time.  
 
The Instructor is normally inside the ring and 20'+ away from any person, so he/she may not always wear a mask so you can clearly hear the instructions.  If you have any concerns, please let us know. 

This class will GREATLY help correct your dog's lack of socialization from the Covid pandemic.

- My dog is _________, is that okay?
The answer is, YES.  Perfectly trained dogs don't take our class.  Even if your dog is (old, young, lazy, active, stubborn, horrible on a leash, doesn't like other dogs, barks all the time, or any other bad behavior you can think of), it's okay!  We take you through an entire training schedule from the very, very, basic foundation and build upon it each week. You will see a huge improvement from week 2-10!  The only concern might be, is if your dog is possibly aggressive or difficult to control. They normally are okay, but most times 'aggressive' dogs can train with a little bit more distance. If it becomes a problem, we will discuss it as needed. Just be a responsible dog owner and maintain control of your dog the entire time and everything should be fine.

- Is there a minimum age?
For the Basic Obedience, a minimum of 6-12 months (unless it will be a large dog), but it all depends on the focus level of the dog. Instead of age being the benchmark, it's more about the attention span of the dog.  We've had some 4-month-old puppies do great because they could focus on the training, and some 9 month old puppies not do as well because they could not focus.  It depends on the dog.  Regardless, YOU will be taught the skills to teach your dog obedience skills, and whether it's applied during classes, or you continue to teach it at home. You and every aged dog will learn and improve from all of our classes. Experts tell us that a dog can learn in short 3-5 segments.  Our classes are designed to build confidence with the dogs by practicing what they have previously learned and then introducing new skills.

- What happens if I have to miss a class?
Of course it's not ideal, but don't loose sleep over it.  Let the instructor know. He/she always comes a bit early to each class and we can catch you up, one on one.  Each class we review what has been taught and practice skills over and over again. Don't fear, you'll be fine.   But if you have an emergency and miss 2 or more classes, we might suggest you wait for our next class series and pick up from where you left off, so that you can get all the training.  We want you to have a great experience, learn a lot, have a well behaved dog, and tell others about our classes, so if we aren't already, tell us how we can better win with you.

- Will there be homework?
Of course.  It wouldn't be a class without homework, right ?!?  But don't worry, homework is just 10-15 minutes each day between classes to fine tune your skills and strengthen your bond with your dog.  Many dogs become very obedient with just the one-hour class time each week.  Other dogs may need the extra homework time during the week.  Bottom line is, time equals quality.  The more time you put in with your dog, the better your results will be and the stronger your relationship between you and your dog will be.  The classes are designed to give you as much info as we can.  We will teach you how to train your dog, give you a few opportunities to work on it, then encourage you to perfect it during the week.

- What about private training?
There is no upsell here.  We do offer private training, but we find that 95+% of our students, learn and perform better in a group session.  The instructor covers all the training you and your dog should need for your lifetime.  During each week, the instructor will give instructions and demo the techniques a few times and then help individuals fine tune the techniques.  Just do your best and as they say, 'practice makes perfect'.  Each week the instructor shows up early and is the last to leave.  If you have any specific questions or need a few minutes of extra help, that is a great time to get extra help.  But, if you really, really, really, want some private lessons, ask us, we will be happy to take your money.  Private training is a bit on the expensive side since a trainer has to travel to you, train, and return back. Once you take the Basic Obedience, we find that 95% of the teams are happy and don't require further training. 

There are a few dogs that missed the natural maturing time and socialization during Covid and require behavior modification, which falls into our Board & Train service since we have to have a trainer work with your dog 10-12hrs per day to break (bad) old habits and learn better skills.  This usually takes 2-4 weeks.

If you do want some private training, to be efficient, we offer it in the area we will be that day.

We also offer a 3 week "Board and Train" where we train your dog for you, Our last 60-90 minute session is with you to show you how to work with your dog and the skills he/she just learnt.

- Can others come and train?
Come, yes. Train, no.  Visitors are welcome, but they typically find it boring since they are not handling the dog and actively participating in the training. As far as the training, we train teams.  We suggest there only be one handler for the dog over the class series.  Part of the training is for you to work together as a team and anticipate each other's needs, actions, and body language. If you switch out handlers or dogs, it slows down the process. During the week if you want to teach what you've learned to family members, or other dogs at home, that's great. This class works best for a team of one handler and one dog throughout the 10-week series. The truth is, we teach humans. If you miss a class, you can send a person in your place, but it's not as effective, its kind of like sending your calculator to math class, not very effective.

- What if I have more than 1 dog?
Training works best if we have 1 team that consists of 1 human handler and 1 dog.  If you change dogs for training, the 'new' dog may not know what you are asking him/her to do, because the 'new' dog wasn't at class past weeks to learn specific skills.  We'd suggest any of these options.  1 - you should train with one dog throughout the class series, then when you go home, you can teach the same skills to your other dog(s).  Or, 2 - many people with multiple dogs will sign up for a 2nd team, which would be your 2nd dog and another family member.  Very often it's the Husband and dog A and Wife and Dog B. Or, 3 - If you feel the training at home isn't going as well as you'd like, you take the class this time with dog A, then at a different time/location, or the next class series you take the class with dog B.

- When are the classes?
We teach classes all over SoCal, but once you sign up for a specific class, time, and location that class will be the same day of the week and time frame for the entire 10 week series.  We know this is LA and it's 'fashionable' to be late, but classes will start exactly when scheduled and last 45-75 minutes each week.  Class 1 & 2 is typically 60-75 minutes, the remaining class we try to end on time.  We'd encourage you to show up 5-10 minutes early, you can let your dog explore the area, speak with others or use the time to jump into the 'ring' early and practice, or ask for help with something.  If you show up a few minutes late, just hop in where you can.  For our Basic class, we treat it like college. No one is taking role and only you and your dog miss out. The only thing you can't do, like any class, is show up part of the way through the series and expect us to stop the class to re-teach you everything you missed.  If you can't make 2 or more classes, then we suggest you wait for a future series to be taught and retake the series.

- Where are the classes?
When you register, don't panic, if you only see a City mentioned and not an exact address.  It takes a LOT of effort to get permission and permits secured.  We are constantly trying to find new, 'better', and fun locations.  Very often, once we announce we are coming to a specific area, we have one or more locations confirmed.  We try to post the City as soon as we can, while still working behind the scenes, to secure the best location over another. Most people find it confusing if we announce one location then change it, so we typically wait till 1-2 weeks from the first class to officially announce a specific class location to those who have registered. We've had some people drive up to 2 hours each way, to take one of our classes, so many are thankful that we are close to them and don't care what side of the City the class is on.  

- What if my dog really likes to play?
No problem.  He/she will learn this is class time, not play time.  In the first class you will learn the 4x8 rule.  Dogs stay at least 4' away from each other at all times, and humans stay at least 8' away from each other (Covid precautions).  This means, no sniffing and no playing, at any time! This way dogs will never be close enough to play with each other or be aggressive.  Besides, you will be a responsible dog owner and follow the class rules and always have control of your dog the entire time, so there is nothing to worry about.  We know it's hard for us humans to see all the great dogs, and also for the dogs who want to sniff and explore, but this is class time, and dogs should not be interacting, with each other, at all.

- What about ________ ?
Being a first time dog owner, or even if you have multiple dogs, there can be a lot of "is this normal" type questions. Save the questions for class time.  Besides the obedience skills, we will spend a few minutes answering questions at the beginning and end of every class, either as a group or informally.  Chances are if you have a question, others do too. Don't be afraid to ask. 

- Because of Covid, my dog is really ________ (out of control).  Is there hope?
The quick answer is YES!  This is the number 1 problem we are seeing. During the pandemic, many dogs grew up without the necessary stimulation and both human and canine peer socialization, which we all take for granted to become a good canine citizen.  For 1 - 1.5 years, many dogs have not been introduced to life outside of their home, they may not have the best manners, or are just out destructive.  For many dogs, our classes will help them re-socialize during the training process.  For some dogs, they may require much more advanced help with socialization and behavior modification, which is very time intensive.  We do offer a board and train socialization service to correct those bad or never learned habits.  Each dog is evaluated on a case by case basis and may require weeks of intensive training, to become the dog you really desire as the perfect companion, and a welcome and respected member of the communities.

You're going to love this, have a great time, and see miracles happen before your eyes!  Your dog will be a better best friend because of this!

If this didn't answer all of your questions, send us your question, here.