Canine Initiative Training

01/27/2025

There’s a new foster dog here at Canine Initiative, and he’s doing amazing so far! If you’re looking for an active, spunky, playful young companion - he might just be your boy!

01/21/2025

TUESDAY GROUP CLASSES CANCELLED

Today is the kind of day to snuggle in with some PJs and stay inside! Due to dangerously low temperatures, all group classes scheduled for tonight will be postponed, to resume next week.

Previously scheduled private training appointments will not be cancelled automatically, but will be be on a case-by-case basis, and our usual cancellation policies will be waived if clients would prefer to reschedule.

01/07/2025

* Class Opportunity: TRICKS! *

We still have a few openings in our Tricks class on Thursdays at 4:30pm!

This is an excellent class opportunity to keep your dog’s mind and body active during the cold winter months! Teams who are ready can test for the AKC Novice and Intermediate Trick Titles at the end of class.

Details and registration are available on our website, or message us for more information!

01/06/2025

* Class Opportunity *

Our Intro to Agility class starts on Tuesday at 7:30pm! Battle cabin fever with us - this class is a great opportunity to get your dog out for physical and mental exercise during the winter months!

Dogs should be at least 1 year old and must have completed the FitDog class previously.

Find more information on our website, or message us with any questions!

01/05/2025

UPDATE: Class is full! Our next session will start in March.

We just had an opening become available in our Play as the Way Dogmanship 1 class on Mondays at 6:00pm, starting this upcoming week, January 6th. Don’t miss out on this chance to get your new year off to a good start with training!
Comment or message if you’re interested in taking the open spot!

12/25/2024

Merry Christmas! ❤️💚

12/20/2024

Give your dog the gift of training for Christmas! 🎁
Registration is now open on our website for our January classes!

11/23/2024

When Scout’s owners brought him in for a Consultation a couple months ago, they were in a rough spot - at their last vet visit, Scout wouldn’t tolerate much of anything. They needed to see some big changes in his behavior before their next visit.

Now, Scout was not a malicious dog - he was just young, extremely energetic, easily aroused, a little anxious, and had VERY low frustration tolerance. He believed the world should function on his terms. His energy and excitement, when mixed with a little frustration or anxiety, would very quickly escalate to unmanageable behavior that shared a lot of similarities with true aggression. He wouldn’t tolerate a muzzle being put on, but he also couldn’t be safely handled for veterinary care without a muzzle.

Scout completed a 4-week Board and Train program with me in October. We worked on appropriate play, following rules and boundaries even when aroused, emotional control and energy regulation, turning off the play and energy, yielding to spatial pressure, moving away from triggers that stimulated him, channeling energy into appropriate games and building calm polite behavior where appropriate, relaxing or downshifting energy on cue, and of course, accepting muzzles, restraint, and veterinary handling procedures.

But the real test happened yesterday, a month post training. Here’s what his owners shared:

“Today was the big day! Scout had his first vet appointment since training and he did SO well. He was still excited and energized, but his ability to relax and stay still when we needed him to blew me away. He even laid down in the room while we waited for the vet to come in! I was shocked!

“Dr. Pallen and her tech took him back to the back room to do his vaccines and such and they said he did amazing. Even with the kennel cough vaccine he did so well and she said it was like night and day. We can’t thank you enough for the transformation Scout has gone through. He’s so much happier and well prepared for new situations and life now. Thank you thank you thank you!”

I’m so proud of Scout and his owners. The Board and Train program instills good skills and habits, but the owners still have to keep it up when the dog goes home. Scout’s owners have put in the work and made this happen.

Also, shoutout to Hoerr Veterinary Service for their excellent care and support in the training process!

10/25/2024

Thanks to everyone who joined us for the pack walk today! We had a good time and the dogs did great! We’d love to see the pics you got of your dogs if you want to share them below! ⬇️

This pack walk was very impromtu, but we had great feedback from it, so hopefully we will be organizing more in the future. Keep an eye out!

10/24/2024

Pack Walk (Hike) + Fall Photo Ops!
Friday, October 25th at 4:30pm

This pack walk is open to all past and current clients whose dogs can walk responsibly in a group of other dogs. Dogs must be under physical control of their owner at all times, and must display self-control around the other dogs. All dogs must be kept on leash through the hike, and dogs will not be allowed to greet each other.

We will meet at the training facility and walk/hike from there. We will aim to start the hike at 4:30, so please try to arrive a few minutes early if you can.

We will be hiking trails that are not paved, and that include wooded areas, uneven terrain, hills, sections alongside a lake, etc. Please plan accordingly. The loop will likely take somewhere around 45 minutes.

Feel free to stop at any point along the way to snap some photos of your dog with the fall countryside! We have a couple of spots in particular that should provide some scenic backgrounds.

Please let me know if you are planning to come so I have an idea of numbers. We may need to limit numbers if the group gets too big. You can leave a comment here or send a message to RSVP!

10/17/2024

**Training Seminar Opening!**

Due to a participant getting sick, we have an unexpected opening for a Working Spot at our seminar this weekend with Kassie Coverdale!

The topic of the seminar is Training Through Play and Social Responsibility. It’s a fantastic introduction to play-based training, the GRC Social Responsibility test, and just generally improving your communication and relationship with your dog! Open to handlers and dogs of any skill level. Seminar will run 9am-5pm Saturday and Sunday, October 19-20.

You can find more information at canineinitiative.com/events, or message me.

Come play with us!

10/08/2024

UPDATE: Class is full!

We just an opening become available in our “Happy Howlidays” Holiday Preparation class. The class is on Thursdays at 6:00pm starting this week, and it’s only offered once a year, so don’t miss out on this chance!

Prepare your dog for Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years so you can make the most of your holiday season! This class will help your dog:
* Gain confidence around masks, costumes, and holiday decor
* Practice polite (and safe) doorway manners
* Learn how to greet guests appropriately
* Practice impulse control and good behavior around food and meals
* And more!

Learn more and sign up at https://canineinitiative.com/classes

10/06/2024

Class Highlight: Competition Obedience

In this class we will be discovering the FUN of competitive obedience, working on skills and exercises from all three levels of competition - Novice, Open, and Utility - including retrieves, jumping exercises, scent discrimination, go outs, stays, heeling, and more. All exercises will be adaptable for any skill level, so this class is open to teams who are brand new and just starting to learn about competitive obedience, to teams who have competition experience and are looking for new practice opportunities!

Dogs should have instructor approval prior to joining - shoot me a message if this sounds like something you and your dog might enjoy trying!

This will be a drop-in style class, so it is not necessary to attend every week of class, but participants will be required to RSVP for the classes they plan to attend.

Classes will be held on Mondays at 7:30pm, starting October 14th. Learn more and sign up at https://forms.gle/tsEas8sqiGeT7CVi6

10/05/2024

Class Highlight: Fit Dog! (Agility Prerequisite)

The focus during the AKC Fit Dog course is to have fun with your dog by incorporating play into skill building lessons. The course is designed to expose dogs to a variety of exercise types including cardio, flexibility, balance and strength training, as well as mental fitness and confidence building. These benefits also result in a reduced risk of injury for canine athletes. We know that increased mental and physical stimulation also helps with behavioral wellness. Fitness programs can reduce boredom, increase confidence, and help eliminate problem behaviors. Teaching any new skill to a dog will target their mental fitness and navigating new equipment will boost confidence and proprioception skills. Benefits for your dog in this program include increased strength, cardiovascular health, flexibility, balance, and coordination.

While this class is excellent as a stand-alone class, it is also a prerequisite class before taking our Intro to Agility class, which will be available in our January session of classes.

Dogs must have completed Dogmanship 1 and 2 or had prior approval before joining the FitDog class.

FitDog is a 6-week class and will be available on Tuesdays at 7:30pm starting October 22nd. Cost is $100. Learn more and register at https://canineinitiative.com/classes

*Just 1 opening left!*

10/04/2024

Class Highlight: Dogmanship 1

Does your dog... Pull on the leash? Dart out doors? Try to steal food? Jump on people? Refuse to come when called?

In Dogmanship 1, we will help you learn how your dog learns and how to communicate clearly about what behaviors you want, and what behaviors you don't want.

We will cover a number of basic obedience commands like sit, down, place, come, and polite leash walking, as well as learning how to reduce behaviors that are problematic.

Dogmanship 1 is open to all dogs, with or without any previous training, who are 6 months old or older at the start of class. 6 weeks of class for $150, limit 6 dogs per class.

Join us on Tuesdays at 4:30pm starting October 22nd! (Our Thursday class is full.)

Register now at https://app.acuityscheduling.com/schedule.php?owner=18763175&appointmentType=12399802

Where to Start? Group Classes Private Lessons Board and Train Day Training Daycare Boarding Online Learning Training ClubGroup Classes Group instruction with a personalized feel   Our small group classes are available for a variety of different training goals, including puppy training, basic obedie...

10/03/2024

Class Highlight: "Play as the Way" Classes

Does your dog blow you off when distractions are present, or get excited when you are trying to relax, or run off and play by themselves while you are trying to play with them? Do you feel like your relationship with your dog is unbalanced, with either too much fun and no rules, or too many rules and no fun?

"Play as the Way" uses play-based training techniques to teach your dog important life skills like focus, commitment, bravery, self control, cooperation, and more, while also teaching your dog how to turn playtime on and off, and how to chill out and relax when appropriate. In addition to life skills, we will also teach important foundational obedience commands through a play-based approach, and introduce rules and control in a fair and fun way!

Play as the Way Dogmanship 1 will introduce dogs and owners to the foundational concepts of play-based training, teaching skills through play, helping dogs learn to chill, and addressing simple behavior issues.
Class is available on Mondays at 4:30pm starting October 14th.
UPDATE: Level 1 class is full.

Play as the Way Dogmanship 2, for dogs who have completed the level 1 class, takes play-based training to the next level and focuses on increasing reliability of our training skills, even with increasing distractions.
Class is available on Mondays at 6:00pm starting October 14th.

Register online now at https://canineinitiative.com/classes