For a flowchart of all the classes we offer, and to give yourself an idea of where you and your dog fit in to our curriculum, take a look at this Dog’s World Curriculum Guide (.pdf format).
Answering the following questions will help you decide which class to sign up for. If you’re still not sure, call us at 253-863-2258, or email us.
My dog is less than 3 months old
You will want to start with our Puppy Preschool classes. Puppy preschool is for puppies aged 8-12 weeks old. The focus of this class is socialization, Puppy Playtime, and an Introduction to Training for both owner and dog. This class is held on an on-going basis, and is paid for six sessions at one time. A session is one hour. Puppy preschool is taught by our trainer Cindy Boone, and is on Tuesdays from 6pm to 7pm. If you are interested in this class, you will need to plan on arriving by 6pm to register, and your puppy must be current on all of it’s vaccinations.
OK, your puppy is 3-6 months old. You will want to start with our Puppy Kindergarten classes. The next step in our curriculum at Dog’s World is Puppy Kindergarten. Puppy Kindergarten is for those puppies aged 3-5 months. Dogs and owners are introduced to attention and focus exercises, sit, down, stay, come, and loose leash walking. There is no prerequisite for this class, but classes do fill up quickly! Take a look at our schedules to find out when the next class starts.
I’ve taken Puppy Kindergarten, now what?
OK, here’s another question:
Has your dog taken a class at It’s A Dog’s World before?
My dog is older than 6 months, but I have not taken a class at It’s A Dog’s World before.
Appropriate for puppies six months and older, Pet Dog Obedience 1 is the stepping off point for all of our other classes here at It’s A Dog’s World. From here, you can continue with obedience, with an eye toward your Canine Good Citizen title, or perhaps Rally Obedience. Or, you can continue on in to our Fun and Focus classes, with an eye toward eventually doing agility with your dog. In Pet Dog Obedience 1, dog and owner will be introduced to attention exercises similar to those introduced in puppy kindergarten, as well as sit, down, stay, come, and loose leash walking, starting with minor distractions, which gradually increase, so that your pet can be well on it’s way to becoming a well-adjusted member in your household, and out in public.
My dog is older than 6 months and I HAVE taken a class at It’s A Dog’s World before.
If you and your dog have already participated in Puppy Kindergarten or Pet Dog Obedience I, then you have a few options. You may sign up for either of the classes below:
| Pet Dog Obedience 2: In Pet Dog 2, we continue working on the material learned in Pet Dog 1, with ever more increasing distractions, challenging your dog in a fun and safe environment. Those who successfully complete Pet Dog 2 may move on to Rally Obedience, or participate in our Canine Good Citizen classes. | Fun and Focus 1: Fun and Focus classes are very popular here at Dog’s World. These are our “pre-agility” classes, and are suitable for those dogs who have completed Puppy Kindergarten, or Pet Dog Obedience 1 or higher. Dogs learn to navigate wobbly boards, are taught to walk through ladders and other objects that help develop body awareness, and also learn lots of other fun games that help lay a solid foundation for obedience, agility, or rally, later in training. |
I’ve taken Fun and Focus 1, now what?
Now, you can take Fun and Focus 2! After Fun and Focus 2, you again have several options:
| Agility Foundation 1 and 2: Our agility foundation classes are where you and your dog are introduced to safe and fun obstacle performance, as well as to the basics of handling your dog around an agility course. The focus is on FUN! BEFORE ENROLLING IN THESE CLASSES PLEASE CONTACT OUR TRAINING DIRECTOR FOR AVAILABILITY! You may be able to join a class already in progress with additional private lessons from our instructors. | Rally-O 101 Class: This class is a six week class. Learn the basic skills needed to successfully navigate a Rally-O course. This class is a perfect way to continue upon the skills learned in Pet Dog Obedience Two and/or Fun and Focus One, either of which are a prerequisite for this new class. |
I’ve taken Pet Dog Obedience 2, now what?
Those who successfully complete Pet Dog 2 may move on to Rally Obedience, or participate in our Canine Good Citizen classes.
| Rally-O 101 Class: This class is a six week class. Learn the basic skills needed to successfully navigate a Rally-O course. This class is a perfect way to continue upon the skills learned in Pet Dog Obedience Two and/or Fun and Focus One, either of which are a prerequisite for this new class. | Canine Good Citizen (CGC): Our CGC Classes are held during the year, as demand dictates. This is a six week class culminating in a CGC test, which is also open to the general public to participate in for a fee. |
I’ve taken Rally-O 101, now what?
If you have taken Rally-O 101, you’ve probably already discovered just how fun Rally-O is! You will want to continue on with Rally-O 102, or if you are actively competing, you can join our Rally-O Competition Drop In Classes.
Fun and Focus classes are very popular here at Dog’s World. These are our “pre-agility” classes, and are suitable for those dogs who have completed Puppy Kindergarten, or Pet Dog Obedience 1 or higher. Dogs learn to navigate wobbly boards, are taught to walk through ladders and other objects that help develop body awareness, and also learn lots of other fun games that help lay a solid foundation for obedience, agility, or rally, later in training. You could also take Rally-O 101!
