Positive Puppy & Dog Training Classes and Behavior Consulting in Sacramento, CA or remotely via Zoom.

Puppy Classes in Sacramento

Don’t wait until it’s too late to….

  • socialize your puppy
  • start basic training foundations
  • prevent behavior problems 

The Complete Puppy Program – Puppy Classes in Sacramento

Puppies go through some remarkable mental and physical changes – birth to adolescent/adult in the first year. In hindsight it feels like warp speed!

You don’t have time to learn how to raise your puppy by trial and error.

Our Complete Puppy Program is 12 weeks, and includes three classes designed to be taken sequentially. Each class is a building block – the first class lays the groundwork, then subsequent classes build momentum as you and your puppy master skills, and gain confidence, with age-appropriate learning.

 

Level 1 – Puppy Beginner

Mondays @ 5:00 PM
4 weeks, $200

For puppies ages 10-18 weeks on the first day of class.*

This foundation class teaches you how to safely socialize your puppy while introducing basic training skills for a lifetime of good manners.

Our lively discussions in class cover important topics such as house training, puppy biting, chew-toy training to prevent household destruction, alone time training to prevent separation anxiety, exercises to help your puppy feel comfortable when visiting the vet and groomer, and more. Plus, you’ll have fun with your puppy!

*If your puppy is already older than 18 wks, please contact us for class recommendations.

New students register here

Level 2 – Puppy Intermediate

Mondays @ 6:00 PM
4 weeks, $200

Prerequisite: Puppy Beginner

Building on your foundations  from the first level class, we’ll start teaching your puppy to focus on you and pay attention to cues for reliability in a world of distractions.

You’ll learn how and when to fade out the food lures for newly acquired skills such as sit, down and stand.

We’ll also introduce valuable real world skills like leash manners and recall (come when called).

Level 1 grads register here

Level 3 – Puppy Advanced

Mondays @ 7:00 PM
4 weeks, $200

Prerequisite: Puppy Intermediate

Furthering your skills from the second level class, we’ll focus on carefully adding more complex work at an appropriate level for your now young adolescent, while reducing the use of food rewards.

We’ll explore alternative ways to reward your dog and grow their off leash reliability. We’ll get super recalls and focus with added distractions to get them ready for their life of adventures with you!

 

Level 2 grads register here

The benefits of Canefida puppy classes

The Socialization Period begins a couple of weeks after birth, when their eyes and ears start to open and ends at about 3 months of age. This is the period when they develop social attachments and learn what is “normal” and safe. After that time they start to become wary of novelty and of what they perceive are dangers.

Early positive experiences (or a lack of them) can influence your puppy for their entire life.

The time to start safely and thoughtfully exposing your puppy to a variety of things that he is likely to encounter in his lifetime is before he has completed the puppy vaccination series.

In our 12 weeks series we prioritize your puppy’s early experiences to help them feel comfortable with new people, dogs, and their future veterinary and groomer visits.

Well get them started with fun and simple training games so they learn to enjoy the training process and build their focus on you.

We’ll only use gentle, reward based methods that will help them learn to trust you and the training process.

Puppy classes are held at Pet Food Express in Land Park next to Raley’s.

4710 Freeport Blvd Suite 110, Sacramento, CA 95822

Frequently Asked Questions

What vaccinations does my puppy need before they can attend puppy class?

All puppies attending class must be current on vaccinations and deworming. Puppies under 16 weeks must have at least one DHPP at least 7 days before first class.

**Please bring vaccine certificates to the first class.

Does my puppy need to have all of his vaccines before starting class?

The ideal socialization period occurs during the time period when a puppy is not fully protected from certain diseases so there is some risk involved. Many veterinarians and pet owners recognize, however, that socialization benefits outweigh potential health risks.

For more info, see the Puppy-Socialization-Position-Statement

What should I bring to class?
  • Bring proof of their current vaccines to the first class.
  • Six-foot leash, made of cotton, nylon, or leather (no retractable please) and a flat or martingale collar that your puppy or dog can’t slip out of.
  • In addition, you may use a body harness but your dog should still wear a collar. For dogs over 15 pounds, leashes should be attached to a harness with a front/chest clip, not on the back for better control. Correction collars including choke, prong, pinch collars, or electronic collars are not allowed under any circumstances.
  • Please bring their kibble and some higher value meat based food treats for your dog (small, soft treats broken into pea-sized pieces work best), a water dish, tug toy and poop bags.

The beginner class is food lure/reward-based, so for best results, make sure your dog is a little bit hungry. We will be training with their regular meal so they shouldn’t eat right before class. We’ll introduce other rewards such as toys and play in the higher level classes.

Where is puppy class held?

Puppy classes in Sacramento are held inside Pet Food Express store in Land Park at 4710 Freeport Blvd Suite 110, Sacramento, CA 95822

How many puppies will be in class with us?

A minimum of 2 puppies are required for a class to run with a maximum class size of 8 puppies.

What precautions are taken to keep my puppy safe from disease?

Immediately before the puppy class,  the floors are mopped with Rescue, a veterinary grade cleaning agent that kills viruses and bacteria. Everyone is required to wipe the bottom of their shoes with this disinfectant before entering the training space.

 The class instructor examines each puppy as they arrive to make sure that they appear healthy and are behaving normally and are not showing signs of illness such as runny eyes or nose, lethargy, lack of appetite, sneezing, coughing, vomiting, watery or bloody stool, and diarrhea.

What if my puppy is over 18 weeks old and is too old to qualify for the Puppy Beginner class?

Your older puppy may be eligible for the Teen & Adult Dog Training Class. 

What if I miss a class?

In order to keep the class size small and consistent we do not offer make-ups. If your puppy is unable to attend the class you are welcome to come to class and participate in the discussion and observe the exercises without your puppy.

What is the class refund policy?

A full refund will be given if the request is sent to woof@canefida.com at least 7 days before the start of the first class.

What is the class COVID 19 policy?

All current local, state and federal laws will be followed related to COVID-19 and CDC recommendations will be followed. 

At this time, mask wearing is optional.

What Our Clients Say…

Puppy classes in Sacramento

“Her classes are a lot of fun!”

Best trainer I’ve found by far. Heidi has helped me as a veterinarian understand how a pet’s behavior develops, which has improved my ability to treat other’s pets and also to help me train my own pets.

For seven years she has been helping me increase my enjoyment of my pets and my client’s pets. Plus her classes are a lot of fun!

— Valerie