First Class Information & Equipment Checklist

We look forward to meeting you and working with both you and your dog!

What to Bring

•  A smile. Relax, wag your tail and enjoy some fun, quality time with your dog.

•  Proof of veterinary care is required at the first class.

•  Mark your calendar with class dates.

•  Please potty your dog prior to class. Be responsible: alway

  s bring clean up bags.

•  A hungry dog and 500 tiny split pea-shaped sized treats. A variety of soft healthy meat, hot dogs, liver, jerky, cheese or commercial treats that you cut up into tiny pieces. These positive rewards should be highly valued by your dog. Kibble and crunchy baked treats are stingy ‘minimum wage’ treats for most dogs. Adjust your dog’s calorie intake for the treats. Feed a small amount of treats 3 days in advance to adjust your dog’s tummy. We have plenty of healthy treats available at A Place for Paws.

•  Tug or Squeaky toy as a play reward and for playtime. If your dog is toy motivated you can use a game of tug as a reward instead of treats.

•  A treat bag that is easy access, washable, can be worn HANDS-FREE on your body and DEDICATED for treats. Some people are comfortable with a fanny pack. We have a variety of treat bags at A Place for Paws.

•  A Flat buckle/snap collar or a Martingale collar (please, no choke chains or prong collars!) and a Leather, nylon or cotton 4 to 6 foot leash preferred. (No chain, Flexi or retractable leashes.)

•  A rug, towel or bed for your dog to lie on when they are not working or when they are working on ‘go to your mat’ exercises.

•  Comfortable Layered clothing.

Bring a Hungry Dog

Please do not feed your dog before class. This means nothing after 12 noon for puppies eating 3 times a day and nothing after breakfast for dogs eating twice daily. Please do not free feed your dog as this hampers training.

Practice makes Perfect!

You’ll find that your dog will do better with a little practice and encouragement. Read your homework and practice for at least three minutes five times daily or five minutes three times daily. Before meals is a great time to practice. Set your dog up for success!

Missed Classes

We encourage you to try to attend every class but if you find that you must miss one, we can offer you a make up class at a reduced private lesson rate of $15. Please call to schedule this as soon as you know you will need it.

Referrals

We always appreciate your referrals! Please mention us to your vet and your friends.

We’ll see you at class!