Sure, your dog can sit and stay (if you’re lucky), but have they passed their Canine Good Citizen Test? Is their nose in tip-top shape? Could their focus use some finessing? Grrreat news–there are classes available for all these things and more in this fab city of ours! Here’s the quick sniff on Seattle dog training classes:
Be a Doo Gooder
Pup is here to be the goodest boy possible! While other doggos dream of treats and scratches, your pup dreams of helping people (so he can get treats and scratches). These classes train your pup to be the best canine citizen he can be, literally.
- CGC Preparation. I mean, come on. Being able to say your dog passed the Canine Good Citizen test? That pays dividends in bragging rights alone.
- Therapy Dog Preparation. A decade ago these classes didn’t exist, but now the benefits dogs bring to nursing home residents, hospital patients, and people everywhere are well known. If your pup has the temperament to bring joy to those who need it the most, read our handy-dandy therapy dog guide and look into these classes.
Show ‘Em What Pup’s Made Of
Fido swears he isn’t competitive, and he’ll prove it by beating everyone else! Whether you enroll him in show training or competitive obedience, these training classes can unleash pup’s competitive spirit.
- Breed Ring. So you got a “show” dog. Now what? This class teaches you how to handle your pooch like a pawfessional, whether or not you two want a taste of the limelight.
- Competition Obedience. There’s obedience, and then there’s COMPETITIVE OBEDIENCE! That’s right, your doggo can win awards for being a good boy or girl. You’ll both be so paw-roud!
Develop Mad Skills
Your doggo might already be a trick master (no need to hold your ap-paws), but dogs young & old love a new trick. Whether it’s developing a super sniffer, workin’ on some hardcore parkour, or mastering the art of the shake, pup can learn all the tricks of the trade at these training classes.
- Trick Dog Training. It’s tricky to train a dog to train a dog that’s right oh right it’s TRICKY! TRICKY TRICKY TRICKY. We can’t promise Run DMC will be playing at this class, but we can tell you that rolling over and shaking hands will be a puppin’ breeze afterward.
- Nose Work. Get Fido’s snuffly sniffer in tip-top shape with a class that teaches him how to find balls, treats, or even truffles. (Yes, truffle dogs are a thing here.)
- K9 Dexterity Parkour. Parkour’s an urban sport where people jump and run over and through obstacles they find in the environment. Now, there’s parkour fur your pup, so she can work on (and then show off) her jumping, climbing, and balancing skills all over town.
Learn to Listen Like a Pro
Look, distractions are distracting and we totes understand why Fifi needed to go after the squirrel, but we hoomans get worried. Focus and recall training is great for adventurous pups whose ears seem to stop working when excited.
- Focus and Control. Raise your hand if you could use this class (us too). But for now, helping Fido focus when there’s a lot going on will have to do.
- Walk With Me and Come When Called (Outdoors). You think your dog’s pretty well-trained, and then you go on a walk and everything goes out the window. Squirrels! Dog friends! Smells! It’s not just you, we promise.
Work on Quirks
Even the best beagle can have some quirks. Like maybe he’s a bit of a shy fluff, or it’s time for you to start him a podcast bc he has so much to say. Whether you need to coax him out of his shell or teach him to use his inside voice, these training classes can help.
- Wallflowers. There’s nothing wrong with being a wallflower, but sometimes it means a dog is scared, and we def don’t want that! Ahimsa works with shy dogs so they can enjoy any and all environments without fear.
- Growly Dog. Is your pup the, um, “chatty” one at the dog park? Don’t worry, he can be trained! This class is specifically for those of us with big talkers. Arooo!
Did we forget your pup’s fave Seattle dog training classes? Woof at us in the comments! And as always, tag @sidewalkdog in pics of you and your class-y pup in action.
Featured photo: Matthias Zomer
Sidewalk Dog’s mission is to help dog parents spend more time with their puppers by discovering and sharing activities they can do and places they can go—together! Sniff out our award-winning newsletter and Instagram, then join our Dog-Friendly Seattle Facebook Group.
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