SAT-9AM-Basic Manners Dog Training Class

Basic Manners is a semi-private group dog training class. It is for those who:

• have completed a ForceFreePets Puppy and Rescue Headstart-ONLINE class and,
• those who have NOT completed our Puppy and Rescue Headstart-ONLINE class, but who have a dog and want to learn more about integrating them into their family.

At ForceFreePets, we recognize that each dog is an amazing, sentient being with physical and emotional needs that differ greatly from those of a person. We will teach you how to meet their needs and to live with them in harmony. Additionally, we will help you understand how your dog communicates and how you can best “speak” to them, which often does not involve your voice. We will then teach you how to train a visual and verbal cue for the following behaviors: Attention, Give, Sit, Down, Come, and Heel.

Our goal is for you and your dog to become and remain best friends for life.

If you need assistance with typical puppy behaviors such as play-biting, housetraining, jumping on people, and chewing, we suggest taking Puppy and Rescue Headstart-ONLINE first, or concurrently with Basic Manners.

What Does Basic Manners Include?

• Six 40-minute training and coaching sessions at Green Acres Kennel Shop, in a semi-private class with no more than two dogs, on the day and time you signed up for when you enrolled. If only one dog is in the class, the class time may be limited to 20 to 30 minutes at the instructor’s discretion. Classes may be held in our upstairs training room or outdoors in our training field, depending on the weather and the subject matter that week.

At the time of registration, you will be asked whether you wish to have immediate access to the class materials: the book, the handout, and the videos (see below). We encourage you to say yes so you are fully prepared the day you begin class.

If you say no, you will receive an email approximately two weeks before your first class with your dog, containing links to our orientation videos and a reminder to pick up the coupons and book listed below at Green Acres. Please set aside ample time to read the book and view the videos before your first class.

• A copy of the book Beyond Belly Rubs: The Compassionate Pet Guardian by Niki Tudge and Louise Stapleton-Frappell. (a $15 value) which we encourage you to read before the class starts
• Best Friends for Life, a 130+ page handout emailed as a downloadable PDF file.
• Several complementary coupons with a value of more than $100.
• Access to 5.33 hours of video, which we encourage all family members to watch before the class starts. You will need internet access and a desktop computer or tablet to watch these videos. While you can watch them on a smartphone, we do NOT recommend it.

• Preparing for Your Basic Manners Class with ForceFreePets, 22 minutes
• Introduction to Human and Canine Communication, Part 1, 15 minutes
• Introduction to Human and Canine Communication, Part 2-Calming Signals, 24 minutes
• Introduction to Human and Canine Communication, Part 3-How Our “Language” Affects Our Dog, 27 minutes
• Introduction to Human and Canine Communication, Part 4-Signs of High Arousal & Stress, 12 minutes
• Stress and How It Affects Our Dogs, 28 minutes
• Fundamentals of Canine Behavior, 47 minutes
• Fundamentals of Dog Training, Part 1–Best Friends & What’s Covered. 10 minutes
• Fundamentals of Dog Training, Part 2–Food, Fun, & Fundamentals. 25 minutes
• Fundamentals of Dog Training, Part 3–How Dogs Learn. 40 minutes
• Fundamentals of Dog Training, Part 4–Clicker Training. 35 minutes
• Fundamentals of Dog Training, Part 5–The Name Game and The Look (Attention) Behavior. 12 minutes
• Fundamentals of Dog Training, Part 6–Gentle Collar Control & Restraint. 12 minutes
• Fundamentals of Dog Training, Part 7–Final Thoughts on Training. 10 minutes

Green Acres Kennel Shop/ForceFreePets has been voted the Bangor region’s Best Dog Trainer every year since 2011. The program is under the direction of Don Hanson, a Professional Canine Behavior Consultant (PCBC-A) accredited by the Pet Professional Accreditation Board (PPAB). Don’s accreditation requires ForceFreePets programs to follow strict ethical guidelines, which you can review at https://www.forcefreepets.com/ethics-policies/.

The ForceFreePets team is committed to the Pet Professional Guild’s (PPG) Guiding Principles, which state: “No shock, No prong, No choke and No Pain, No fear, No Force are ever employed in the training, behavior modification, care, or management of any pet. “. ( https://www.petprofessionalguild.com/join-ppg/principles-conduct/guiding-principles/ )

We reserve the right to postpone or reschedule classes for the following reasons:

• Inclement weather.
• Instructor or facility availability.
• Public health emergencies.
• Other unforeseen circumstances.