site builder




BRAINS, BONES AND BEHAVIOR

We offer group classes, private training, day training, board and train or the online Academy

2022 Group Classes

Brains Bones and Behavior – Reactive Dog Group Class

Reactive dogs are not hard to spot. These feisty fidos may lunge at people or dogs that get too close. They may also bark loudly, and/or growl and some may even try to bite anyone foolish enough to get close. In the home, the reactive dog can appear threatening to visitors as he or she jumps, barks and stares.


Reactive dogs tend to stress out their embarrassed owners as these owners try to keep visitors and passersby safe from their intimidating or noisy best friend. This aggression can be fear, frustration or excitability based and this behavior is called reactivity. On the other end of the spectrum is the dog that's too afraid to go anywhere and will hide, tremble, or whine. If your dog can't calm down within a few seconds, he or she is probably a reactive dog.


In the Reactive Dog class you will:

• Acquire the tools you need to understand and handle your dog with confidence.

• Learn what your reactive dog is doing, why he's doing it, and how to change it.

• Teach your dog to relax and trust and overcome fear and anxiety, the root of his or her reactivity

• Develop a better working relationship with your dog.

• Learn how to decrease the stress in your dog and teach confidence and focus. With decreased stress real learning can begin.

• Learn calming and management techniques, coping responses, and emergency escape exercises.


Come work with your dog in a controlled, supportive environment with a small group of dog owners who understand your issues because they share them. In class, the dogs will be separated from each other by the use of visual barriers. Slowly, as you gain skills and your dog gains confidence and starts to shed fears, the individual dogs will begin to work together from a decreasing distance. The counterconditioning and desensitization training and handling techniques are personalized for each dog's emotional readiness and needs. 


There is no longer a need to feel lost or confused when your dog becomes reactive. This very special class will help you change or manage your dog that overreacts in new situations or with new people or other dogs.


Please be aware that the group behavior class is a highly structured and controlled class that will work strictly on your dog's reaction to other dogs. Reactive Dog Group Class is 8 weeks long for $400.00. Discounts are available to those who have adopted from a rescue, the local pound/shelter, Human Society or SPCA (with paperwork) in the prior month, seniors, those with a disability or active military. 


Requirements

Owners must be able to hold on to their dog or come up with a way to anchor the dog for security and safety purposes.

Dogs must be licensed and have proof of DHLP combination, Rabies & Bordatella vaccines.

If you have a muzzle for your dog, please bring it as not all the dogs in this class are reactive/agressive, some are just overly excitable.


Puppy Learning Games

410 4th St Southwest, Largo
Start Dates
Feb 5th at 10am
6 week class $250 ($215 if paid a week in advance)

Foundation Skills including AKC Canine Good Citizen Test at the end

410 4th St Southwest, Largo
Start Dates
Feb 5th at 11:30 am
6 week class $300 ($275 if paid a week in advance)

Fitness Fundamentals for Injury Prevention and Confidence Building for Shy Dogs

410 4th St Southwest, Largo
Start Dates
Feb 5th at 3pm
6 week class $300 ($275 if paid a week in advance)

Scent Detection Foundations

410 4th St Southwest, Largo
Start Dates
Feb 5th at 4;30 pm
6 week class $300 ($275 if paid a week in advance)

Snake Avoidance Without Shock

410 4th St Southwest, Largo
Start Dates
March 5th 10am
6 week class $125 ($100 if paid a week in advance)

2022 Private Sessions


Private sessions can occur once a week, twice a week or 5 times a week. The more

per week the less time needed to get to the end of the program and have a dog

meeting the goals of that program.

Puppy Learning Games

Bootstrap 4 has been noted

There are many way to train or condition a puppy. Science tells us about learning theories, reinforcers, punishers, schedules, timing, criteria and a host of different ways to use equipment in the training process.

There are dozens of leashes, collars, harnesses and other devices touted as the new magic wand. We even have one of our own - Canine Game Theory. However, Game Theory and it's uses in education has been around for at least 100 years. Task training and reward based training has been around for 1000's of years and is how shepherds train their sheep puppys, carters train their mountain puppys and guardian breeds are taught self-control and discrimination.

Foundation Skills

One of Bootstrap 4's big points

Foundational skills are the fundamental, portable skills that are essential to conveying and receiving information that is critical to training and real-world success. These skills are fundamental in that they serve as a basis—the foundation—for supporting additional behaviors/tasks and learning. They are portable because, rather than being task specific, they can be applied at some level across a wide variety of behaviors.

SELF-CONTROL
FOCUS AND ENGAGEMENT
TARGETING
FOCUS ON YOU
LEASH WALKING SKILLS
SELF CONTROL
DEFAULT SIT OR DOWN
EMERGENCY U-TURN
HANDLING DISTRACTIONS
SIMILARITIES AND DIFFERENCES
DISTANCE DOESN’T MATTER – PAY ATTENTION
COME HERE

Advanced Real Life Skills

Google has a highly exhaustive list of fonts

In adition to Foundation Skills, we really get down to business in this class! This is great fun for all of our Bacherlor level graduates! We will cover more advanced topics of dog obedience, encouraging both dog and owner to continue the journey of disciplined learning. Here is a sample of key commands and concepts covered in our Manners II class:

Wait in the car- Having problems with your dog wanting to leap out into traffic?
Pass by other dogs -- Dogs nearby? No problem after learning this!
Wait at the door with Distractions -- Can you carry a bag of groceries, push the baby carriage and open the door easily all why having your dog on a leash?
Warm up time with distractions - while you are out of sight, builds confidence.
Leashing up manners with distractions (toys or children nearby and the door open).
Sit, Down and Stand for physical evaluation, vet visits, grooming and meeting new people.
Recall -- in-sight and out of sight with many distractions.
Handling - Awkward petting, pulling ears, picking up paws by owner and strangers.
Stay with distractions
Loose leash walking in the real world
Leave it with food, toys and other dogs.
Touch - Using this behavior to play games and tricks.
Shaping Behaviors - the fun of it!

Life Without A Leash

Mobirise gives you the freedom to develop

Life Wihtout A Leash is a 20 session program that cover Foundation and Advanced Skill and gives you off leash control of your dog.

Addtional skills include:

Brillian Recall
Boundary Training
Don't run In the Street
Watch that Squirrel, Don't Chase
Retroeve
Heeling Without a Leash
Advanced Handling Disctractions

Behavior Change Program

Choose from the large selection of blocks

Dogs are not humans. Dogs do dog things. Chewing a bone or the wooden table leg is how a dog reduces stress or staves off boredom. Obviously we don't want the dog to chew all the wood in the house. These behaviors are easily handled with a standard program that shows the dog what IS allowed but still within what a dog does as a dog. Being a dog and doing dog things is not "bad", just unacceptable to a human. Several our of private programs address these issues and show you how to teach your dog what to do instead of drive you to drinking.

Seminars and Workshops

I can come to your city and do a seminar or workshop.  

You advertise it and get people to buy tickets.  

Each seminar/workshop is 3 full days for $4000 plus airfare and


hotel.

Medical Alert Foundations Workshop

Bootstrap 4 has been noted

The field of service dog training has expanded exponentially over that last 15 years. From only guide dogs, hearing dogs and a few mobility and assistance dogs, the areas of expansion cover diabetes, eiplepsy, narcolepsy, PTSD and other panic disorders, and our specialtes of anaphylaxis and early childhood diseases.

Come do our work shop and learn how to train your dog to alert you to your medical event and support you during the event.

This workshop will teach you the basics of training medical alert. You will learn the foundation skills that set your service dog in training up for success.

Snake Avoidance Without Shock Workshop

One of Bootstrap 4's big points

Snake avoidance is purely about teaching a dog that the sight, smell or sound of a rattlesnake is to be avoided. This is no different than teaching a dog not to cross the street without our approval, rush the open front door, beg at the table or poop in the house. It’s also a lot easier then teaching a dog to alert someone to an impending seizure or a dangerous drop in blood sugar levels. 

Raising a Service Puppy Workshop

Google has a highly exhaustive list of fonts

 When you raise a puppy to be a service dog, you are ensuring that the puppy grows up prepared for duty. For years, puppies have been raised as service dogs for the blind. But today, puppies are raised to assist the deaf, injured military veterans, children with autism and people with disabilities of all kinds, according to the American Disabilities Act. Raising a service dog requires you to spend time socializing and training the dog for the first 12 to 18 months of his life. Organization requirements vary, but the goal is always to raise a puppy who can bring a higher quality of life to his disabled owner. 

What To Do When Training Doesn't Stick Seminar

Mobirise gives you the freedom to develop

Dog training is a hit or miss proposition. Everyone starts out loving their dog. Some read a number of training books, attend an obedience class, get plenty of advice about training and try to follow the directions of the trainer.

Even if a person doesn’t attend a training class and only listen to TV or well-meaning neighbors, family and friend, the advice ranges from be the boss to be his friends.