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Are you wanting to start a dog-related career, improve your skills to help in your canine-related volunteer work, or simply learn more skills to help your dog be successful? The Fundamentals of Dog Training Independent Study Course will provide you with a rock solid start to understanding how dogs think, behave, and are trained. The skills taught in these courses are the same strategies we use here at Tug Dogs to help dogs overcome problem behaviors, follow obedience commands even with distractions around, excel in having good manners, and just live their best dog lives.

Course one gives you the underlying knowledge you need to understand how dogs learn, how to get dogs to engage with us in training, how to present information to dogs in ways they understand, how to motivate dogs to follow our instructions, and how to create a solid training relationship with any dog you may work with. Course 2 & 3 build on your understanding of dog training to delve into advanced behavior modification techniques that prevent and address everything from doggy manners issues to complex behavior challenges like fear, aggression, and anxiety.

The independent study format of these courses allows you to work at your own pace while still receiving clear lectures and video demonstrations. Best of all, you can return to the material to revisit any topics you may want a refresher on at any time.

Our Fundamentals of Dog Training Class takes all of the information we provide in our independent study program and teaches it live and in person for small groups of students. We offer the class only 1-2 times per year in the Sacramento, CA area. Class time consists primarily of lecture and demonstration with occasional hands on practice.

Class curriculum includes canine psychology overview, building a cooperative training relationship, understanding how dogs learn, the role of motivation in dog training, preventing common problem behaviors, stopping impolite dog manners, diagnosing complex behavior issues, and behavior modification treatments for fearful, aggressive, and anxious dogs.

This class is FULL of information and will leave you with a deep understanding of dog behavior and training. Students are expected to take notes, practice homework a minimum of 20 minutes per day during the class, and complete a training examination. To learn more, including when our next available class is taking place, please contact us.

Trainer’s Club is an opportunity for graduates from either our independent study course (must have completed all 3 courses) or our Fundamentals of Dog Training Class (must have graduated) to use their skills to practice more hands on training with the help of one of our skilled instructors. Students will participate in active training cases we have in through Tug Dogs as well as have the opportunity to work with their own dogs. Trainer’s Club is suited for dedicated students who want to work professionally as dog trainers or who are otherwise deeply passionate about honing their training skills.

Available to graduates of either of our trainer’s courses, our monthly trainer’s workshops are weekend training opportunities designed to provide more learning and hands on training opportunities with our skilled instructors. Students will be watching and learning real live cases that our training team has taken in for training.

Graduates from either of our trainer’s courses can participate in a private and customized shadow program where they will get one on one instruction and practice with a lead Tug Dogs Trainer.