A VARIETY OF CLASSES FOR PEOPLE & DOGS OF ALL AGES Get your dog trained for the real world by signing up for obedience classes at The Mutt Hutt! Vet-recommended trainer Christy Paxton, and owner of Hand in Paw: Real World Training for You and Your Dog, will be teaching the classes, which emphasize how to interact with your dog on a day-to-day basis that so he will behave right in all circumstances, not just when the leash is on. For more information and/or to register, visit the Hand in Paw website, send an e-mail or call 440-263-2314.

WINTER 2007-08 CLASSES

Puppy/Dog Basics: Whatever the age, this class is for your dog! Learn the standard commands plus how to set up your home environment in such a way that your dog will always know how to behave, not just when the leash is on or you are giving a specific command. Group classes are small, so everyone can get individual attention.
APL class starts Saturday, January 19, 2008 at 2:00 PM. Cost is $130. - Call 440-263-2314 to sign up today!
TMH class starts Saturday, February 16, 2008 at 3:30 PM. Cost is $130. - Call 440-263-2314 to sign up today!

Canine Good Citizen/Therapy Dog: Get your dog certified as a Canine Good Citizen or prepare for Therapy Dog (Delta Society) work by attending this six-week course. CGC test is given by instructor during the last class. All classes are 1 hour long. Cost is $110. There are currently classes schedule at Westlake Animal Hospital starting January 13, 2008. Call 440-263-2314 to sign up today!

Leash Workshop: This class will allow owners to work through their dog's trouble spots by passing multiple distractions in a controlled indoor environment. This one day workshop is being held on Sunday, February 10, 2008 from 12-2 PM. Cost is $50. Call 440-263-2314 to sign up today!

Level 1 Trickility - Six-week class starts Saturday, April 5, 2008 at 2:00 PM. Call 440-263-2314 for information or to sign up today!

More About HAND IN PAW: REAL WORLD TRAINING

There are lots of trainers out there with lots of philosophies. It's important to choose the right philosophy for both you and your dog! My methods have been used successfully on all sorts of dogs, from pampered pets to shelter dogs, from out-of-control puppies to growly adults. Even the nuttiest dogs respond well when these techniques are properly applied! What makes my philosophy different? Read on…

Among the things I believe make me different from other trainers are:

I teach so much more than come, sit, stay. A well-behaved dog needs guidance in all environments, not just when he's on a leash or you need him to do something. I teach you to relate to your dog in a way that will create a calm, relaxed, happy dog that will be good the majority of the time. I share with you the Dog Rules that will allow you to relate to your dog on a day-to-day basis, in a way that makes sense to him. So he will understand what you expect from him and will happily give it to you because he is positively motivated to do so.

I teach pack order the right way. Sorry, many trainers simply do not understand how to properly apply pack order to their relationship with their dog. There is no need to "show him who's boss" by doing things like shakedowns, staredowns or hitting. I show you the right way to establish your leadership.

Good behavior starts in the home. What good is a dog who obeys you only when you have treats or have him on leash? I show you how to set the right tone in your home so he's good all the time.

GROUP CLASSES OFFERED

• Puppy/Adult basics: Whatever the age, this class is for your dog! Learn the standard commands plus how to set up your home environment in such a way that your dog will always know how to behave, not just when the leash is on or you are giving a specific command. Group classes are small, so everyone can get individual attention.

• Dog basics: Same class as puppy, without the play time, for the dog who missed puppy class.

• Tricks training (with clicker): Teach your dog some cool tricks and find out what clicker is all about! This is a great way to bond with your dog and also it can help with confidence, aggression and other problems. When the trick is learned the clicker goes away. Good prep for agility or Trickility too.

• Canine Good Citizen/Therapy Dog: Show the world how well-trained your dog is by getting certified
by the American kennel Club (Canine Good Citizen) or the Delta Society (Therapy dogs that can visit
hospitals, nursing homes, etc.).

• Trickility (Tricks + Agility = FUN!): Keep your dog busy with this new activity. Send your dog
over, around and through low-level obstacles AND perform tricks in between! A great physical AND
mental workout.

• Leash Workshop: This one-day, two-hour workshop lets you and your dog practice your leash skills in a controlled, secure, indoor environment where multiple distractions will be set up. Included are a basic skills review/troubleshooting session, plus walking past people distractions, object distractions and animal distractions. A MUTT HUTT EXCLUSIVE!

Am I all-positive, correction-free? No. All-positive does not work. There are times when you simply must tell your dog that what he is doing is unacceptable.  The critical things to remember, though, are to make sure he is taught and properly motivated to do the right thing, always use the least amount of correction necessary and always always redirect to the right behavior so you can praise and love him!

See you in class,

Christy Paxton