Companion Dog Classes
In the Training Barn, facial masks may be required. See the covid policy for more details. We allow up to two family members per dog in classes located in the Training Barn.
All dogs must be up to date on all vaccines including Bordetella. Puppies should have at least the first puppy shot.
Puppy Kindergarten - for puppies 2 to 4 months old (8 weeks - 16 weeks)
This four week class is ideal for new puppy owners with limited experience in raising a puppy. You will learn practical solutions to the challenges of puppyhood – including puppy biting and mouthiness, crate training and confinement, potty training, problem prevention and other puppy related matters. We will focus on engagement, relationship, socialization, and basic life skills. This is not a skills/obedience class. We recommend that you take Companion Dog Manners concurrently or shortly after.
This 4 week class has rolling admission. You pick and join any week that has an opening.
Once you start, you have a reserved spot in that class for 4 weeks class. If your puppy is over 16 weeks and you feel this is a more appropriate class for your dog based on its size, confidence level, mental maturity, etc., please contact us.
Companion Dog Manners - Basics
This is a foundation/basic manners class where we will focus on teaching you how to teach your dog good manners and behaviors using reward and engagement. This class is great for dogs of all ages, from puppies to adolescent dogs, or even older dogs that just need a refresher. This class is also perfect for dogs just getting settled in a new home and could use a reminder on their manners (or who may not have had any training previously). Topics will include good manners, appropriate greetings, leash walking, sit, down, stay, coming when called and more.
This is a 6-week in-person class and a self-directed online orientation that you should complete prior to your first in-person class. The online orientation can be taken at any time prior to your first in-person class and you can continue to access this online information for the duration of the class session. You will receive information about the online orientation in your registration confirmation email. The 6 week in-person classes have a fixed start and end date as stated in the schedule. Bring your dog with you to all in-person classes.
If your young dog barks, growls, or is aggressive to people or dogs, your dog is not eligible for this group class. Please contact us at training@argusranch.com for recommendations.
Companion Dog Manners - Intermediate
If you have completed Companion Dog Manners and would like to take your skills to the next level, this class is for you! We will work on loose leash walking in more real life scenarios, recalls with bigger distractions, polite people greetings, and more. Companion Dog Manners is a prerequisite for this class.
AKC® S.T.A.R. Puppy Program
The AKC® S.T.A.R. Puppy Program is designed to help you and your puppy off to a good start. S.T.A.R stands for Socialization, Training, Activity and a Responsible owner. This program is open to puppies from 8 weeks to up to 6 months of age. To be eligible for this program, you and your puppy will need to complete both Puppy Kindergarten and Companion Dog Manners - Basics. If you are interested in this program, please contact us at training@argusranch.com prior to your first class so that we can send you the appropriate information.
At the completion of Puppy Kindergarten and Companion Dog Manners - Basics, your instructor will have administered all the elements in the AKC S.T.A.R. Puppy test. Upon passing, you’ll get an application to send to AKC® for enrollment in the AKC S.T.A.R. Puppy Program. All dogs are welcome to participate in the AKC S.T.A.R. Puppy® Program including purebreds and mixed breeds.
Rowdy to Well-Mannered
Do you have an overly friendly*, bouncy dog, bursting with energy? Often impulsive, these dogs have a difficult time focusing and seem to act without thinking. Rowdy to Well-Mannered is similar to our Companion Dog Manners class but specifically geared for these excitable dogs. We will focus on skills to help these dogs be successful by channeling this energy with impulse games, building focus, as well as appropriate greetings and basic manners.
*If your dog barks, lunges, or growls at people or dogs, your dog is not eligible for this group class, but might be suitable for Reactive Rover. Please contact us at training@argusranch.com with questions or for recommendations.
This is a 6-week in-person class and a self-directed online orientation that you should complete prior to your first in-person class. Bring your dog with you to all in-person classes.
Wonderful Walking
Does walking your dog feel like a shoulder workout? Do you want a walk in the park to feel easy and fun? Learn how to teach your dog to walk on a loose leash in this 4 week class! We will be covering fun games and practice scenarios to help teach your dog to walk nicely with you to prep for neighborhood walks, walking in a store, walking on a trail, and more! Reactive dogs (aka dogs who bark, lunge, or growl at other dogs) are not appropriate for this class.
Performance Manners
If you are considering dog sports activities for your dog such as agility, tricks training, flyball, herding, field work, dock diving, nose work, barn hunt, or rally obedience this is the class for you. This is a basic manners class with an emphasis on engagement, focus, and dogs learning to work enthusiastically with their handlers. This class is great for dogs of all ages, from puppies to adolescent dogs, or even older dogs. Topics will include foundation sport skills such as learning how to work at the handler’s side, an introduction to using targets and stations, toy and food play and using play as a reward and more. Plus all the basics like - sit, down, stay, coming when called.
This is a 6-week in-person class and a self-directed online orientation that you should complete prior to your first in-person class. The online orientation can be taken at any time prior to your first in-person class and you can continue to access this online information for the duration of the class session. You will receive information about the online orientation in your registration confirmation email. The 6 week in-person classes have a fixed start and end date as stated in the schedule. Bring your dog with you to all in-person classes.
This class is not appropriate for dogs who tend to react with barking or aggression towards other people or dogs. Please contact us at training@argusranch.com for recommendations.
Beyond Basics - Sports Prep
Beyond Basics Sports Prep is ideal for dogs that already know the basics, but need to build the foundation skills necessary to pursue a competitive career in agility, flyball or other dog sports. Topics include: effective toy play techniques and/ or food reinforcement to build and keep engagement; strategies for managing arousal, focus, and understanding how to redirecting their dog away from distractions; collar and leash restraint by a stranger; training techniques such as shaping, targeting and chaining; reinforcement strategies and placement of reward skills to encourage both working near and moving away from handler; shadow handling/circle work and come to side on both sides of handler. Advanced sit/down stays, off-leash casual heeling and recall skills with distractions will also be covered.
This 6-week class has a fixed start and end date. There may be occasional skip week(s) due to holidays, or special events – outlined in the schedule. Prerequisite for this class is successful graduation (not just attendance) from one of our Companion Dog Manners class, or instructor approval. This class is not appropriate for dogs that tend to react with barking or aggression towards other people or dogs. Please contact us at training@argusranch.com for recommendations.
Beyond Basics - Canine Good Citizen Prep
Beyond Basics – Canine Good Citizen Prep is designed to prepare you for the AKC Canine Good Citizen test and is ideal for anyone who wants to expand their skills, teach their dogs advanced behaviors and build reliability of existing behaviors at a distance and around distractions. Topics will include building distance, duration and distraction to sits and downs; continue to practice polite leash walking and coming when called; impulse control; as well as additional exercises to successfully pass the 10 skills necessary to earn the AKC Canine Good Citizen (CGC) certificate and/or official AKC CGC title.
This 6-week class has a fixed start and end date. There may be occasional skip week(s) due to holidays, or special events – outlined in the schedule. Prerequisite for this class is successful graduation (not just attendance) from one of our Companion Dog Manners class, or instructor approval. This class is not appropriate for dogs that tend to react with barking or aggression towards other people or dogs. Please contact us at training@argusranch.com for recommendations.
Rapid Recalls
Does your dog refuse to come when called? Run away or play keep away when you try to catch him at the park? Chase after squirrels or other dogs even when you call him? Learn how to teach your dog to reliably come when called, in any scenario! In this four week class, we will be going over fun games and exercises to help your dog learn to listen in controlled training scenarios as well as real life situations. Reactive dogs (aka dogs who bark, lunge, or growl at other dogs) are not appropriate for this class.
Beyond Basics - Therapy Dog Prep
Beyond Basics – Canine Good Citizen Prep is a 6-week course, you and your dog will learn the skills necessary to volunteer to visit hospitals, special needs centers, schools, nursing homes, and other facilities. Therapy dogs need to have a calm and gentle disposition. They must be good around other dogs, calm when strangers pet them all over, not jump on others, walk on a leash without pulling, and not be startled by things such as strange noises, smells, and medical equipment. This course provides specific instruction to prepare for testing with Alliance for Dogs (formerly TDI), which is an accredited therapy organization through the American Kennel Club (AKC).
Doggy Parkour
Doggy Parkour is a fun, interactive activity in which dogs can safely explore and conquer challenges found naturally in their everyday environment. Dogs will be introduced to the world of jumping, climbing, balancing, crawling under and going around different obstacles. Doggy Parkour can also help with confidence and overcoming fears, as well as provide physical activity and mental stimulation.
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Reactive Rover
Does your dog bark, lunge, growl, snap at, or pull towards other dogs while on walks? Does your dog suddenly stop being able to listen or notice you when another dog appears? This six week class is designed to help fix on-leash reactivity towards dogs when out and about in public and on walks. You will learn management skills, focus and attention techniques and other routines to help your dog be successful and walk more calmly when seeing other dogs. You will also learn to read dog body language, techniques for relaxation, and helping your dog perceive other dogs as positive through counter conditioning and desensitization. This class is limited to just 4 dogs.
The first class is for humans only, so NO DOGS during the first class.
This 6-week class has a fixed start and end date. In this class, we will build upon the skills learned the prior week. There may be occasional skip week(s) due to holidays, or special events – outlined in the schedule.
Dogs with a bite history are not appropriate for this class.
Rally
Rally is a fun sport that combines elements of obedience, trick training, and agility while developing your dog’s focus and teamwork. Handlers guide their dogs through a numbered course of 10 – 20 stations, where dogs need to perform one skill or a combination of skills at each station before moving on. Obedience skills include turns, sit, down, stand, and stay. Agility skills include jumps and moving through cones in different configurations. Advanced rally skills include off-leash heeling, bypassing distractions, and tricks like backing up, and spins. Novice Rally classes focus on the core skills of heeling, cueing, and maintaining engagement with your dog and will prepare you for Novice level competition challenges. Advanced class will focus on working seamlessly off leash, and skills like stand stays, spins, and managing distractions and will prepare you for Advanced and Excellent level competition. The Masters Skills class introduces additional distance challenges and skills that would be useful in rally, advanced trick titling, or even dancing with your dog.
Rally-Free is a unique sport combining trick behaviors of Canine Musical Freestyle with the format of Rally Obedience. It emphasizes the precise execution of fundamental freestyle and obedience skills while encouraging creative and novel behaviors on a Rally-Obedience style course. This course is for beginners - Skills to be learned include attention & focus, heeling on both sides, bow, spins, finishes, leg weaves, paw raises, and more.
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Tricks for Fun, Sports and Titles
There are so many reasons to teach your dog tricks. It’s not only fun for you and your dog, but also provides your dog with both mental and physical exercise. Plus you can show off what cool things dogs can do to your friends! Some tricks teach dogs practical skills they can do around the house – turn on a light? Close a cabinet door? Get you a tissue? All are fun tricks that your dog can learn! Tricks are also a great outlet for bored dogs, plus our all positive training approach can increase your dog's enthusiasm for learning and take your relationship with your dog to a higher level.
In our Tricks for Fun, Sports and Titles class, you will be teaching your dog new foundation tricks and fine-tuning ones it already knows. Once your dog masters trick foundations, you will be combining tricks to create new complex your ones. Trick training is fun and creative! When a dog learns tricks, it becomes adept at learning new behaviors. While teaching your dog tricks, you become adept at mastering training techniques you can use in all types of training.
Several exciting dog sports are based on tricks: Canine Parkour, Rally Freestyle Elements and Canine Musical Freestyle. You can earn titles in these sports via video submissions of your dog's tricks. If you're interested in trick dog titles, AKC and Do More With Your Dog offer several levels of trick dog titles. Your instructor, an AKC CGA evaluator and a Certified Trick Dog Instructor, can witness your tricks and sign your application.
Scent Games
Looking for a fun, new activity to try with your dog? Scent Games I is the perfect class for teams interested in a casual introduction to nosework. Dogs will learn to search for food using a series of fun games that you can practice on rainy days and in the comfort of your own home, no special tools or equipment needed! While there will be no formal introduction to competitive nosework odors in this class, those teams interested in a sniffing sport will benefit from developing their dog’s hunt drive and establishing strong, problem-solving foundations.
Absolutely no experience needed for this course. Scent Games is appropriate for all breeds and ages, including puppies as young as 6 months old! Nervous or anxious dogs will benefit from games that build independence and confidence, and hyperactive dogs will learn how to focus and work calmly.
Private Training
We offer private training for all ages of dogs from puppies to adults. This is a great alternative for dogs that need specific training on skills not offered in group class, or to fine tune skills taught in class. This is also a great option for dogs that are not able to handle a group class environment.
Example of skills or behaviors private training can help you with include: Basic Training (sit, down, stay, etc.), Puppy challenges (house training, biting, mouthiness, chewing, socialization), Recall and Loose Leash walking, Jumping, Vocalization, Focus and Attention, Confidence, Multi-dog Household, Pre-adoption/purchase counseling, Introductions of new dogs into a home environment, Reactivity, Fearful and Anxious behavior, Pre-sport, toy play and foundation skills. Please contact us at training@argusranch.com for more information.