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Training

Clackamas County Dog Services is pleased to offer a variety of different classes and training sessions to help you and your dog become the best of friends.

All classes are held at Clackamas County Dog Services, 13141 SE Highway 212, Clackamas. Directions:
• From I-205, take Exit 12 (Estacada /Mt Hood Hwy 212/224). Proceed 2.0 miles through five traffic lights.
• The shelter is on the north side of the highway, behind Clackacraft. Look for the large, red drift boat on the left, which is next to the entrance driveway.

CLASSES

Pet First Aid/CPR Class

Have you ever wondered how to treat a small laceration on your pet? Or when and how to perform CPR on your pet? What are the signs you pet is in distress? Come join us at Clackamas County Dog Services for answers to these questions and more that can help you care for your pet and save money. Learn Pet First Aid/CPR with Wayne Winter (retired firefighter) who will teach you all the basics.

Class Schedule (A class is one session.)

January 21, 2012 1:00 – 2:30
April 21, 2012 1:00 – 2:30
July 21, 2012 1:00 – 2:30
October 6, 2012 1:00 – 2:30

Registration: $15 (including a $5 donation to the Dog Shelter). Preregistration is encouraged, but not required. For more information: 503-655-8628.

Puppy Kindergarten

Puppies can be as challenging as they are cute!

  • Are you having housetraining problems?
  • Is your pup chewing everything?
  • Is out-of-control-behavior starting to take the joy out of having a pup?
Take heart: ALL puppies need some basic training! Many times our expectations of puppies are different than they would be for any other animal; we need to teach them how to live in a human world!

The good news:
  • Training can be fun for both you and your puppy;
  • Training does not need to take over your life ~ you can have a well-behaved dog in minutes a day!

Raise your puppy proactively and learn how to easily prevent problems - and how to deal with those that crop up!

Puppy Kindergarten is moving to Saturdays beginning in January. We will continue Friday mornings (10 – 11 am) through the end of the year. In 2012, Puppy K will be held Saturday mornings from 11:30 am-12:30pm.

Check www.clackamasdogs.org/calendar.html for confirmation of class days (we occasionally will skip a Saturday).

Your New Dog: Helping Families Bond

One of the challenges of adoption is helping our families and our new dogs make all of the transitions needed to become a loving family. We know that many of the reasons that adopted dogs are returned to rescues and shelters are because that transition can be hard and frustrating.
We are here to help. We are replacing our 4 weeks to family classes with an opportunity for you to get more targeted help for the issues you and your newly adopted dog are experiencing. We can help with housetraining, walking on lead, crate training, learning new expectations (the dog that is).
The new program -- Your New Dog -- will be scheduled twice a month on both Saturdays and weeknights to try to better accommodate everyone’s schedules. Please watch our websites at www.clackamas.us/dogs and www.clackamasdogs.org for the most up-to-date scheduling.

In January, please join Deena on:

Wednesday, January 11 , 7-8pm and on

Saturday, January 21 from 10-11am at Clackamas County Dog Services, 13141 SE Hwy 212, Clackamas. There is no charge for “Your New Dog” classes (of course, donations are always appreciated).

Basic Manners

We are now accepting registration for our next Basic Manners Class. Class series are 8 weeks (first week is human partners only please). The next class series begins September 18th. Classes are held Saturday mornings from 10-11 am at the Clackamas County Dog Services facility located at 13141 SE Hwy. 212, Clackamas.

Registration fees are $125 ($25 discount if your dog was adopted from Clackamas County Dog Services). Class sizes are limited, so register early and ensure your dog’s good manners.

November 5, 2011 – January 14, 2012 10–11 am – FULL

February 4 – March 24, 2012

Intermediate Obedience

This class is all about taking the bond and communication we started in the Basic class to super-practical levels. You will learn how to train effectively for real-life situations and distractions.

The result will be:

  • Increased reliability
  • A deeper bond
  • More fun with your dog

What will we learn in class?

This class will take the introductory level skills learned in the Basic class to a real-life level. You will learn to teach reliable:

  • Stays
  • Loose leash walking in the real world
  • Recalls (come when called)
  • Self control
  • Ignoring distractions

Dogs that are trained enjoy more freedom than untrained dogs; people enjoy being around a trained dog. This class will move you and your dog to a new level – you will become a team!

November 5 – December 17, 11:30 am – 12:30 pm

Canine Good Citizen?

If you are interested in prepping for the Canine Good Citizen test, check out our C.L.A.S.S. sessions. They provide super practical skills for every day life with your dog, and the Ph.D. level is also a CGC prep class.

C.L.A.S.S. – Canine Life and Social Skills

C.L.A.S.S., or Canine Life and Social Skills, is an educational program to promote training focused on the use of positive reinforcement and to strengthen relationships between humans and their canine companions. C.L.A.S.S. is a three-level evaluation for dog owners to demonstrate the real-life skills of their dogs, as well as a knowledge assessment of the owners’ understanding of basic dog handling and care.

Developed by the Association of Pet Dog Trainers (APDT) based on input from dog owners, non-dog owners, shelter workers, and professional dog trainers; C.L.A.S.S. benefits pet owners, dogs, and everyone in the community!

The three levels of the program are named after human university degree programs:

  • the B.A. for Dogs™ (Bachelor’s level-Basic),
  • the M.A. for Dogs™ (Master’s level-Intermediate), and
  • the Ph.D. for Dogs™ (Doctorate level-Canine Good Citizen prep class)

The skills in each level vary in the level of difficulty and distractions. For example, at the B.A. level, we allow the use of treats as rewards after the completion of an exercise, and some of the “real life” skills that are assessed are waiting at the door, drop it, and settle. In the M.A. level, dogs are asked to walk past several dogs of different sizes, breeds and genders, to wait in the car before exiting, and to allow the student to handle various parts of their body. And in the Ph.D. level, students must carry everyday objects such as a cardboard box or paper sack while walking their dogs on a loose leash, ask their dogs to back up, and have their dog demonstrate table manners during a simulated dinner session. Each level also allows for two “bonus rounds” that students may elect to try or not with their dog.

Another key difference in the C.L.A.S.S. approach is teaching these real life skills through games. People find teaching new skills to their dogs much less stressful and way more fun when it is a game, and consequently, the dogs have an easier time learning too. Reliability is built into this format, and everyone involved actually wants to train.

Canine Life and Social Skills classes will be held on Wednesday evenings beginning in January, running in six-week sessions.

  • B.A. for Dogs - January 11- February 15, 6:30-7:15 pm
  • Ph.D. for Dogs – January 11- February 15, 7:30-8:15 pm
  • B.A. for Dogs – February 22 – March 28, 6:30-7:15 pm
  • M. A. for Dogs – February 22 – March 28, 7:30-8:15 pm

Workshop Classes

Beginning in 2012 we will begin offering Workshop classes to help you with various targeted training skills, needs, challenges. What a fun way to work on behavior challenges and gain new skills, usually in and hour or two.

Fix Your Jump! Is your dog jumping on your and others? Would you really like them to regularly use all four feet? Join Deena at 11 am on Saturday, January 21 to learn simple ways to “fix your jump”.

Fix Your Jump workshop registration cost is only $25. Advance registration encouraged but not required.

I’m coming! (developing a dependable recall) Ever tried to recall your dog only to have them look at you like they have never heard that word before (their name ☺)? We all have had that experience and while it is frustrating, it can also be very dangerous for the dog (imagine not being able to recall them near a street). This workshop will show you fun, easy ways to develop a much better recall. You will learn new ways to help your dog think coming to you is the most fun, amazing thing they’ve ever done.

Join Deena for this two session workshop: part one will be held on Monday, February 6 and part two on Monday, February 13 from 7-8pm.

I’m Coming! workshop registration cost is only $40. Advance registration encouraged but not required.

Who is walking whom? Is going for a walk with your dog an adventure or a power struggle?

Walking your dog should be enjoyable for both of you. It should be a fun adventure not a struggle for you to keep up and for your dog to pull you faster. Loose leash walking really isn’t a myth – you can do it too.

Join Deena for a two session workshop; part one will be held on Friday, February 17 and part two on Friday, February 24 from 7-8pm to learn lots of new ways to make going for a walk not only good exercise, but an enjoyable, bonding experience for you and your dog.

Who is walking whom? workshop registration cost is only $40. Advance registration encouraged but not required.

Coming Soon:

Scentwork classes!
Tricks classes!
. . .check back for details!