K9 Best Manners is a family-friendly dog training service serving Sarasota and Charlotte counties on Florida's west coast.
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Check our page for upcoming classes or contact us directly for private classes. Bess Walmsley is the owner of K9 Best Manners LLC, a positive, family-friendly dog training business. She has been an instructor for the Greater Venice Dog Club since they began offering classes more than ten years ago. There she teaches a variety of classes, including Obedience, AKC Scent Work, Pet Therapy, Fungility
(a combination of obedience and agility,) AKC Star Puppy, and Canine Good Citizen. She also conducts dog classes sponsored by Suncoast Humane Society and provides in-home private lessons to pets and their guardians. She is a certified AKC Good Citizen Evaluator, a member of the Association of Professional Dog Trainers, The Pet Professional Guild, and a supporting member of the International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants. Bess has formerly taught Advanced Obedience for the Peace River Dog Fanciers, Canine Good Citizen classes for Peace River Search and Rescue and has served as State Coordinator for American Brittany Rescue. One of her proudest accomplishments was teaching inmates at the Charlotte County Correctional Facility to work with Suncoast Humane Society shelter dogs. She says of that experience, “I was fortunate enough to be allowed to coach inmates on training these dogs to become more adoptable. It was a learning process for everyone involved, and gratifying to see the men become vested in the betterment and welfare of these dogs.”
To improve her skills and stay current on the latest information available in the field of dog training, Bess travels the country attending workshops, seminars, and conferences to learn from the most highly regarded trainers and behavior scientists in the world. This is the knowledge she brings back to share with her students. Bess has trained hundreds of dogs and the people who love them and finds that she learns new things every day. She says of her work, “I love seeing a shy, timid dog blossom and bond with their new guardians after a few classes, or a dog that is reactive and unsettled learn to trust, relax, and enjoy life. I love to show people how to read their dogs and learn how to teach them to become happy family members. Dogs are wonderful beings and I am passionate about teaching people how to realize the potential in their pets.”
Bess’s current canine family consists of Roxxy, a three-legged Brittany, O’Henry, a three-legged Golden Receiver, and Shamus, the only four-legged of the group, a senior Brittany.
** EDIT!** Original date was wrong. It is correct now.
TELL ME A SECRET!
Wouldn't it be fun to teach your dog this and other tricks? You can even win an AKC Tricks title -- all while having fun with your best friend! Class starts Wednesday, July 10 at 7:00 p.m. Contact Bess at 941-232-9397 or [email protected] for details or to sign up.
INTRODUCTION TO PET THERAPY
Does your dog love people and want to be a therapy dog? Have you thought of volunteering with your dog providing support to people in need? A five-week “Introduction to Pet Therapy” class will begin Monday, July 8 at 4:00 p.m. at the Greater Venice Area Dog Club. Contact Bess at 941-232-9397 or [email protected] for details or to sign up.
NOTICE OF UPCOMING PET THERAPY CLASS
The Introduction to Pet Therapy class will begin July 9, 2024. This will be a four-week class where dogs and their handlers will learn and refine the necessary skills for providing this very rewarding service to the community. If your dog loves people, this is a great place to start your Pet Therapy journey. Details to come.
Here it is, as promised,!
Class dates and times:
Tuesday, May 28, 2024
6:00 p.m. Pet Manners
7:15 p.m. AKC STAR Puppy
Wednesday, May 29, 2024
9:30 a.m. AKC STAR Puppy
11:00 a.m. Pet Manners
12:15 p.m. CGC
Friday, May 31, 2024
10:00 a.m. Small Dog Fungility
11:30 a.m. Large Dog Fungility
7:00 p.m. Mixed Size Fungility
All classes are five weeks and cost is $135. Contact Bess at [email protected] or (941) 232-9397 for information or to enroll.
Next session classes beginning May 28, 29, and 31st. Stay tuned for details or call for more information!
Good morning puppy parents! Give your puppy a positive start! Join us for positive training and socialization for your new addition. There are openings available in the AKC S.T.A.R. Puppy classes starting Tuesday, April 9 at 7:15 p.m. and Wednesday, April 10 at 9:30 a.m. Contact Bess via text at 941-232-9397 or email at [email protected] for more information.
Bess and her class out in the real world (otherwise known as the parking lot.). The real world has planes, trucks and automobiles that sometimes appear without warning. If you've been to the training center you may have noticed the planes flying low overheard, to the surprise of the dogs and their caregivers. Also, since the building and parking lot are shared with a moving company, there are frequently large trucks arriving, leaving, and beeping while backing up. And let's not forget the cars speeding by, sometimes loudly. All these distractions offer great training opportunities, especially when the class goes outside to enjoy a little sunshine on a cool Florida day.
We're celebrating the 1st graduating Tricks for Clever K9s class co-taught by The Konnected K9 & K9 Best Manners Positive Training! All students passed their AKC Novice Trick Dog Title eval with flying colors and learned even more tricks than required. Most importantly everyone had FUN - including the instructors!
Bess has been away at a conference learning the latest and greatest in positive dog training. Her classes are filling up fast, though, so be sure to call or email soon to get enrolled in classes starting up next week.
This was found this hanging from a post while out for a walk today. I hope the owner threw it away in favor of force free training!
Group dog walk will be starting up again on Sunday, October 8, 2023 at 6:00 p.m. Meet at the gazebo at Centennial Park, downtown Venice. The walk is a mile and a half round trip. Please bring pick-up bags and water for your dogs. See you there!
New classes begin next week!
Tuesday, November 8:
Pet Manners/Beginner Obedience @ 6:15 p.m.
Star Puppy @ 7:30 p.m.
Wednesday, November 9:
Star Puppy @ 9:00 a.m.
Pet Manners/Beginner Obedience @ 10:30 a.m.
CGC/Level 2 Obedience @ 12:00 p.m.
Friday, November 11:
Advanced Small Dog Fungility @ 9:00 a.m.
Novice Small Dog Fungility @ 10:30 a.m.
Large/Medium Dog Fungility @ 12:00 p.m.
Mixed Size Dog Fungility @ 7:00 p.m.
Contact Bess at [email protected] or 941-232-9397.
Two other puppies from Star Puppy class. A tiny terrier/shih tzu mix and a giant golden doodle. They loved each other!
Check out all the good looking dogs and their people graduating from the Star Puppy class!
How to teach a Whistle Recall
Dog whistles can be helpful in communication with your dog but are particularly good at calling them from distances, as the sound carries through bad weather, traffic noise, and thick cover. There are various whistles that can be used, from silent dog whistles to inexpensive plastic whistles. Different blasts from the whistles can mean different things. Long blasts may mean turn left. Two short blasts may mean turn right, (think herding dogs).
How to use the whistle for recall:
1. Stand by your dog and blow your whistle and immediately give your dog several high value treats (cooked chicken, freeze dried liver, freeze dried salmon). Something you dog normally doesn’t get. (You can also use a toy that your dog loves.)
2. Pause for a moment and wait for your dog to look away. No talking and no touch.
3. Blow the whistle again and treat your dog again with high value treats.
4. Repeat this 10 times in a row twice a day. Your dog doesn’t have to do anything except be near you.
5. Start moving away from your dog and blowing the whistle and look for a visible response. Hide in the house when your dog isn’t paying attention and blow the whistle and have lots of treats. Try it in the backyard with a long line. Wait for your dog to look away or move away and then blow.
Keep in mind this may not work for a shy or sound sensitive dog. It may take extra time to desensitize that dog by quietly blowing the whistle for a shorter length of time.
Do not use it to make your dog stop barking!! Use it for recalling your dog and make it FUN!
Classes are back in session! All classes are back, starting tomorrow. I hope everyone can make it.
There are no classes today. We hope to be able to start up again next week. For now, the building is not useable due to some minor damage. We will be in touch as we know more.
Dog classes are canceled for today and tomorrow. Bess is busy dealing with the aftermath of the storm, as, I'm sure, many others are as well. The status of Friday's classes has not yet been determined. Stay tuned. Be well.
We're hoping all our furry friends and their guardians are safe from the effects of Ian, and our hearts go out to those to the south who suffered the worst effects. Bess and her dogs are safe (though trapped) at a friend's house in North Port.
Hope to see everyone soon, under better circumstances.
Melanie (Safe in the mountains of North Georgia.)
The Canine Good Citizen class takes a field trip to Lowe's. Look at all those happy dogs!
Starting next week a new class has been added! Introduction to Pet Therapy, Thursdays @ 630 p.m., six sessions from Apr 7-May 12. If you've ever wondered whether your dog has what it takes to "Heal" as a therapy dog, this class is the place to start.
Graduation is this week with new classes starting right up again next week. There's still room in the Wednesday morning Star Puppy class at 9:15, the Friday Large Dog Fungility at 11:00 a.m., and the Small Dog Fungility at 2:00 p.m., also on Friday.
The Fungility classes have been having fun jumping. Enjoy these videos from the large dog class, and note one of the champion jumpers, Shorty, who is NOT large.
The CGC class recently took training on the road. The dogs and their handlers successfully navigated the chaos and activity of downtown Venice on a busy afternoon. Members of the citizenry participated in the lesson by acting as friendly strangers, bouncing a basketball, and even leaving treats within reach of hungry muzzles. All students behaved perfectly.
Last minute notice! There is still room in tonight's Fungility at 7:00 p.m. Help your dog gain confidence, or just have fun with your dog while teaching him good manners. Venice Area Dog Club.
Puppy graduation!
This week was graduation for all the fall classes. As we bid farewell to all the students and their handlers, we marvel at the progress they have made in the past six weeks. It really is a treat to see the shy and overwhelmed, the bold and well-adjusted, and all the dogs in between learn new skills and gain confidence. It is a tribute to their handlers that through their dedication and commitment they have created such positive results in only a short period of time. Good job, everyone!
Dogs love to use their sense of smell to forage for food. We can provide them a safe place to do this by feeding them in food dispensing toys. A very simple version is a snuffle mat. Amazon has several to choose from, or you can make your own -- check You Tube for instructions. https://smile.amazon.com/s?k=snuffle+mat+for+dogs&crid=5S37DK2O48T0&sprefix=snuffle%2Caps%2C199&ref=nb_sb_ss_ts-doa-p_1_7
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