Drop-In Group Classes
No commitment besides that week’s registration
“But how exactly does it work?”
The question, posed to me by April Leitzsch of VIP Dog Walking and Pet Sitting in Maumelle, Ark., gave me pause.
I’d met April through the comments of a community Facebook group. We grabbed coffee and learned we shared similar methodologies when it came to understanding and interacting with dogs. Her mother is an agility pro, and April grew up interacting with animals before embarking on a pet-focused career, spending three years as a vet tech, nine years as a groomer, and the past five years as a professional pet sitter/dog walker. April had her own successful dog walking business in Florida before she moved to Maumelle, where she continues to offer pet sitting and dog walking to those on the Boulevard.
We’d been chatting about Princess when I mentioned my group classes in the SoMa area of Little Rock. April had taken classes before and was taking some now at a local dog training club, but never a drop-in style format.
I’d explained the concept of these sorts of classes plenty of times, but never to another dog professional. Our conversation helped me remember that what is common sense to me now hadn’t always been.
Most people, myself included, were used to six to eight weeks of consistent dog training classes. I’d taken classes like that myself for basic training, Canine Good Citizen, and agility. But I’d also gotten lost in groups of ten or more people, growing increasingly frustrated over whether or not I was training correctly and having no idea how to trouble shoot problems.
It’s been seven years since I took my first group class. I’ve been offering drop-in group classes at SoMa Animal Clinic for about two months now. Before this, I was training at a local doggy daycare, also offering drop-in classes, along with training sessions during the day and private sessions at clients’ homes. And before that, I was working with Philly Unleashed, working on a southern New Jersey farm, training with behavior walks, and getting nervous every time I drove into Philadelphia to assist or teach classes.
Before I learned how to teach that way, I didn’t understand how it worked, either.
The idea of not knowing who would walk into my classroom every week used to scare me.
We had our class list available through an app on our phones, but it was often not finalized until about an hour before classes started. Sometimes less than that. There were early cancellations, late cancellations, and no-shows. The class roster changed every week, depending on client availability.
And I wasn’t quite sure if I was doing it right. Any of it.
It all felt like a lot of pressure.
But now that I’ve been teaching on my own, it’s easier. I’ve gotten used to the format.
A dog owner simply has to register for the class with their dog. If they come more regularly, they can get more out of training.
And when they’re ready, whether for Puppy Kindergarten or Level 1, they’ll test out if they’d like or simply decide they’ve gotten what they need.
It’s that easy.
Possible commands include: sit, down, stay, take a break, look, drop it, leave it, touch, loose leash walking, recall, appropriate greetings, target, heel, go to place, plus some fun ones like sit pretty, spin, paw, pull, target, and take a bow. if the pups need a break or they really move fast through everything I’d planned. Every class is different, depending on the day, the dogs, and their owners.
In Puppy Kindergarten, because they also get to play, I pay attention to the puppies becoming tired or overstimulated. When it’s time to rough house, I’ll walk the owners through appropriate play behavior and when to intervene, redirect, or wait. We discuss calming methods and what indicates that a puppy should take a bit of a time out.
Each class covers anywhere from four to six commands. We also go through how to move from a lure (treat in hand) to treat out of sight (typically in a treat pouch). And if there’s a dog that doesn’t know the command, while another is more advanced, I simply teach the command, and then provide ways to make it harder for the dog that knows it already.
Each class is never more than four to six owners and their dogs, which means a customized training experience that eliminates frustration.
It’s a whole lot of fun.
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Drop-in group classes take place every Saturday at SoMa Animal Clinic. Puppy Kindergarten starts at 9:30 am and Level 1 starts at 11 am. There is no commitment to continue for any number of weeks, but due to limited space, all participants must be registered, with vet records on file. Each class costs $20. Email Elizabeth at info@telltaildogtraining.com for more information.
