January 2024

Puppy Explorer Classes

Watch as Dory, a 3 month old mini Dachshund, practices her puppy agility.

Building a connection with your puppy during their early months is crucial. This class offers an opportunity for your puppy to practice off-leash skills and navigate a course filled with various obstacles and equipment. The aim is to enhance confidence, body awareness, focus, and trust, all in an enjoyable setting! This class is ideal for puppies aged 6 months or younger.

Duncan, a 3 month old Labrador Retriever, learning to trust his owner and get into a tub.

Sadie, a 4 month old Golden Retriever, focusing on her mom as she does the course.

Duncan learning there is an opening to the tunnel at the other end.

Puppy Basics & Beyond

In our puppy classes, puppies will learn basic commands, we will discuss behavioral issues and how to correct them, as well as setting out equipment and obstacles to help build trust, confidence, and body awareness. The classes teach you how to be successful in training your puppy, the ability to have your puppy understand and execute what you are asking, and finally to be a confident and well rounded puppy.

Keep in mind, your vet and groomers deserve a well trained puppy on their visits with them.

Watch as Callie, a 4.5 month old Australian Cattle Dog, learns the group Mat/Sit/Wait/Recall.

This is what happens when dogs do not greet on leash, you become the focus.

All dogs should learn to enter and exit doors without pulling. This exercise is for your safety so your dog does not pull you down the steps. It also ensures that your walk starts in a calm manner.

Watch Callie demonstrate!

Intermediate to Advanced Classes

These classes takes the commands your dog learned in “Puppy Basics & Beyond” or “Beginner Life Skills,” and challenges your dog more by increasing distance and including tougher distractions with added commands. They will also learn to perfect loose leash walking.

Watch Sunny, a golden retriever in our Advanced class, learning to focus on multiple commands in this exercise. She is being sent out to the Mat with a Leave-it next to her. She must Mat/Sit successfully then be Recalled back to her mom. Good job Sunny!

Left to right: Mishi, Sophie, Katie, Willow, Pepper and Ben. Class was working on group Distance, Recall one at a time past Leave-it.

Agility 101/Obedience 

The class isn't just about jumps. tunnels, and teeters....the goal is to build your dog's focus, core, confidence, body awareness, listening skills and trust!!

Watch as Obi demonstrates the commands Slow, Stop, and Baby Steps or as one of my classes likes to call it, "Creepin".

Check out Milton doing Jumps, On Stool, In Tub in Agility 101 / Obedience class.

The video below is of Tammy, a Mini Sheltie, working on distance jumping away and jumping back. She is one smart fire cracker!

Now it's time to STOP!

The next video is showing that Dash knows how to Stop immediately without questioning it. WOW! All dogs should learn to listen as well as Dash....Now we just need to get the timing better with his owners.

Then we COLLABORATE!

The Carolina Hurricanes have invited Dogs With A Purpose to help host their Mental Health Awareness Night on Saturday, January 27. Our dogs will be on the concourse during the game to visit with hockey fans. We are very honored to be a part of such a great cause. Come say hey as some of our therapy dogs will be present to give fans lots of love!

Finally, we LISTEN! Listening is exactly what your dog will need to master in order to pass the Therapy Dog certification.

Sophie and handler Zoe in a training session for Therapy Dogs to desensitize dogs with odd objects and sounds. I'd say Sophie passed the test.

For information on how to become a part of our Therapy Dog Team, Dogs With A Purpose web site will have information on testing, and training.