Dear Dog Owners,

We offer our Pet Dog 101 classes to you, the public, sight unseen (unless you have already taken our Puppy K).  So, we, and sometimes you, have no idea how your dog will react while being on-leash in a room with other dogs, also on-leash, and people until your dog is actually there!  You will notice that we have barriers set up in the room that are portable so that we can move them around as necessary to restrict a particular dog's view of other dogs.  We use these barriers all the time, and they have been a great help in keeping dogs focused on their owners and not on other dogs.  

So, dogs have to learn that while they are on-leash with you, they cannot just go up and greet other dogs as they would like.  This can be very frustrating for some dogs and they may vocalize their frustration.  In other cases, the dog is so overwhelmed being in a room with other dogs/people that he/she cannot greet that they become completely unable to respond to you.  This can come out as barking, yowling or even power whining.  In severe cases, the dog will actually refuse to take food.  This is a sign that we have lost a teachable moment with this dog in this sitution.

A group class is for the group as a whole.  If one dog is vocalizing so loudly that the trainer cannot hear the owner of the vocalizing dog, and the owner cannot hear the instructor, "What??"" then it's clear that the rest of the students also cannot hear the instructor.  This means that the class cannot be conducted, at all.  Therefore, for the good of the class as a whole, we are required to remove the vocalizing dog.  We are so sorry, but logistacally, class cannot be conducted when a dog is vocalizing so loudly that the instructor cannot be heard.  Our instructors have years of experience, and all are able to determine, in a very short time, whether or not they will be able to help the owner bring their dog into a manageable and trainable place for class, or if this is not possible.  

If this happens to you, PLEASE do not be offended!  

If you are the owner who enters our Pet Dog 101 class, and it turns out that your dog is having difficulty with the situation of being in class, please do not be offended if we transfer you to:

●  Reactive Dog Class with Marianne Finney

●  Private lessons with Marianne Finney

●  Private lessons with Greg Lagios May through September

WE CARE ABOUT OUR STUDENTS!!!!!  DOGS & HUMANS!!  We do what we do because we love helping you with your dogs. If class doesn't work out for your dog, you can STILL train your dog via private lessons.  Thank you for understanding!  Dogs do not fit a "cookie-cutter" model of exhistance, just like people!