09/30/2025
NEW FALL 2025 CLASSES ARE HERE!!
Nana-n-Paws
10444 W Grand River Hwy.
Grand Ledge, MI 48837
(517) 622-6262
Important notes: All Monday classes are a single 90-minute long
session starting promptly at 6:00 p.m. Please bring plenty of soft treats,
a 6-foot leash, and be ready to work! We will cover a great deal of
information in these sessions so come with questions!
Fees:
$50 per
session for Puppy and Foundations Obedience.
$75 per session for
Reactive Dog
Puppy Class
Level 1 October 6
Level 2 October 13
This is a two-session class designed to set new puppies and their owners up for
success with a strong foundation in basic manners and socialization. The
curriculum is built on positive reinforcement to help you establish clear communication and a lasting bond with your puppy. Target age: For puppies between 8 and 20 weeks old, as this is a crucial socialization period.
• Requirements: All puppies must be up-to-date on vaccinations for their age,
including their second set of combination distemper/parvo shots.
October 6 Puppy Session 1: Foundations and Behavior
This introductory session focuses on key concepts and tackling common puppy issues.
• Essential skills: Learn to effectively teach your puppy their name, establish
focus, and begin foundational commands like "Sit" and "Down" using lures and rewards.
• Communication: Understand how to use treats and positive praise as
effective rewards, not bribes.
• Behavior management: Get advice on managing common problem behaviors, such as mouthing, nipping, chewing, and jumping.
• Socialization: Learn how to safely expose your puppy to new sights, sounds, and people to build confidence and prevent fear issues.
• Household basics: Cover crucial topics like house-training and crate training
routines.
• Homework: Receive specific exercises and practice plans to work on at
home until your next session.
October 13 Puppy Session 2: Reinforcement and Next Steps
The second session builds on the fundamentals and introduces more advanced concepts and distractions.
• Recall and leash manners: Practice leash-walking without pulling and learn a reliable recall command, even with increasing distractions.
• Impulse control: Continue working on important "Leave It" and "Drop It"
skills to manage your puppy's impulses.
• Building duration: Work on holding basic commands like "Sit" and "Down"
for longer periods.
• Supervised play: Engage in structured, off-leash playtime with other
puppies, allowing them to practice social skills and bite inhibition.
• Transitioning rewards: Discover how to start phasing out food lures in favor
of hand signals and praise.
• Open Q&A: Get personalized answers and troubleshooting help for any
lingering behavior questions.
• Preprequisites: Session 2 requires completion of Session 1.
Foundations Obedience
Session 1 October 20
Session 2 October 27
This is a two-session introductory obedience class designed for dogs 6 months and older who have little to no prior training. This course is perfect for first-time dog owners or for those with newly acquired pets looking to build a strong foundation of communication and trust. The curriculum focuses on essential commands and practical skills needed for a well-behaved family pet.
October 20 Session 1: Foundational Commands
The first session focuses on establishing the basics of positive reinforcement and introducing core obedience commands.
• Essential commands: Learn how to teach your dog to respond to
fundamental cues like "Sit," "Down," and "Stay".
• Focus and attention: Master techniques to get and hold your dog's attention, even with distractions.
• Loose-leash walking: Begin working on walking politely on a leash without
pulling.
• Communication: Understand how to use body language, treats, and verbal
cues for clear communication.
• Homework: Receive specific exercises to practice at home to reinforce the
commands learned in class.
Session 2: Real-world application and reliability
The second session builds upon the foundation from the first, focusing on adding
duration and distractions to create more reliable behaviors.
• Reliable recall: Work on a reliable "Come" command, a crucial safety cue,
especially with distractions present.
• Impulse control: Introduce and refine the "Leave It" command to prevent
your dog from picking up unwanted items.
• Polite greetings: Practice how to handle polite introductions with strangers
and other dogs without jumping.
• Generalizing skills: Learn how to transfer your dog's new skills to different
environments, such as during walks in public.
• Open Q&A: Get personalized answers and troubleshooting help from the
instructor for any persistent behavior issues.
Class details
• Target age: Dogs 6 months and older with no prior formal obedience
training.
• Prerequisites: No prior training is required. Complete immunizations are
required: distemper/parvo, bordetella, rabies. Session 2 requires completion of Session 1.
Reactive Dog
Level 1 and 2
November 3
November 10
This intensive, two-session class is designed to provide you with the foundational skills and understanding needed to manage and help your reactive dog. Whether your dog barks and lunges at other dogs, people, or traffic, this course will provide you with practical, positive reinforcement techniques to build confidence and
promote calmer behavior in real-world situations. The small class size and
controlled environment ensure safety for all participants.
Prerequisite: To ensure a safe and productive learning environment, this class is not suitable for dogs who are aggressive or reactive toward humans. Dogs that exhibit significant aggression toward other dogs or show predatory behavior are best served through private training sessions.
Enrollment in Session 2 requires
completion of Session 1
Session 1 November 3: Understanding reactivity and managing triggers
The first session is focused on helping you understand the underlying causes of your dog's behavior and learning management techniques.
• Deciphering body language: Learn to recognize and interpret your dog’s
stress signals and triggers before they escalate to a full reaction.
• Management strategies: Understand how to prevent reactive episodes by
creating a safe and predictable environment for your dog. This includes
smart leash handling, avoiding triggers, and creating distance.
• Behavior modification basics: Introduction to counter-conditioning and desensitization, techniques that change your dog's emotional response to a trigger.
• Foundation skills: Learn essential "engagement games" to build your dog's focus on you, even when triggers are present.
• Homework: You will receive exercises and a clear practice plan to work on
in low-distraction environments.
Session 2 November 10: Training practical skills and building real-world
resilience. This session builds on the foundational knowledge, helping you apply your new skills and proof them in a controlled setting.
• Practical handling skills: Practice leash handling techniques, such as U-turns
and changing directions, for navigating unexpected encounters.
• Calmness in the face of triggers: Work on basic behaviors like "Look at
That" and mat work to teach your dog to be calm and settled around triggers
at a safe distance.
• Applying counter-conditioning: Practice desensitization and counter-
conditioning techniques to reward calm behavior while triggers are present.
• Q&A and troubleshooting: The session includes a dedicated time for
participants to get personalized advice and address specific challenges.
Class details
• Environment: Held in a low-distraction environment, often with visual
barriers, to ensure dogs remain "under threshold" and can learn effectively.
• Format: Includes a mix of theory, trainer demonstrations, and practical
exercises with your dog. Dogs will be worked one-on-one while others rest
out of sight.
• Tools: Positive reinforcement and science-based methods .
Requirements:
All dogs must be up-to-date on vaccinations.
6 Week Classes ($150 for 6 weeks)
Tuesday: Advanced Skills and Drills (Agility) 7:30 PM: Must be actively
competing in agility at mid-advanced levels. 2 spots available.
Classes start October 7
Thursday 6:00 PM Introduction to Agility: This beginner course provides a fun, low-impact introduction to the exciting sport of dog agility. Handlers and dogs will learn the foundation skills needed for success, focusing on teamwork, body awareness, and obstacle familiarity.
Duration: 6 weeks, 1 hour per session
Skills you will learn
• Building a bond: Develop clear and positive communication between you
and your dog through confidence-building exercises.
• Obstacle introduction: Safely introduce your dog to beginner equipment, such as low jumps, tunnels, and a pause table.
• Basic handling techniques: Learn foundational cues and body language for guiding your dog through short sequences of obstacles.
• Teamwork and focus: Practice working together with your dog while other
dogs are present in a supportive environment.
Prerequisites
• Dogs should be at least 10-12 months old. Completion of a basic obedience
class is recommended, and dogs must be comfortable working off-leash with
distractions.
Who is this class for?
This class is perfect for newcomers to the sport and offers a great way to provide both mental and physical enrichment for your dog. Whether you have competitive aspirations or just want to have fun with your companion, this is a great starting point for any dog and handler team.
Beginner Skills and Drills (Agility) Thursday 7:30 PM
Must be competing at the novice level in agility or close. 2 spots available.
Questions? Call/text Chris @ 517-775-2332
All students must be registered through the Gingr app and have provided proof of vaccinations prior to the first class. Gingr app code is 696512. Please call the Nana N Paws office to sign up for a session. General questions please call 517-622-6262.
