Welcome to Sacramento SPCA Dog Training!

Thank you for your interest in training your dog. The Sacramento SPCA offers on-site dog training classes for dogs ages four months and older. In order to participate, your dog must be current on all vaccinations. The classes are taught by Val Masters, Certified Dog Behavior Consultant (CDBC) and Certified Pet Dog Trainer (CPDT), Sarah Kirschling, Valentina Mair, Vanessa Kalinowski and Elisabeth Rosen. We utilize only positive, reinforcement-based training methods, and do not allow dogs to wear choke chains or prong-type collars.

You must register in advance for all classes.

Please read the following information and make sure you understand all Sacramento SPCA policies before registering. Class schedules and links for registering can be found below.

CLASS LOCATIONS	Classes are held on-site in the SPCA Adoptions building at 6201 Florin-Perkins Rd, Sacramento.
CLASS DURATION	One night a week for six continuous weeks. Classes are an hour in length, except for the Orientation session (week one of Basic classes only) which is two hours. You do not bring your dog to the Orientation session.
FEES	Basic Class: $99 for the entire 6-week session; $85 for dogs adopted from the Sacramento SPCA, Sacramento County or City shelters. Intermediate and Tricks class: $70 for the entire six-week session if you completed the Basic Beginner or Intermediate Training Class at Sacramento SPCA, or $75 if you completed a Basic Beginner Training Class elsewhere. Senior discount: Seniors age 65 and older pay $60.00 for any class.
REFUND POLICY	Notification of cancellation must be received at least one (1) week prior to the first class session for a full refund. Cancellations received between one (1) week and 48 hours prior to the first class session will receive a 50% refund. No refunds will be given for cancellations less than 48 hours prior to the first class session or no-shows. No refunds will be given for failure to adhere to the Attendance Policy (below) *No refunds will be given for Sacramento City, County, or SPCA mandatory training class* participation**
ATTENDANCE POLICY	Attendance of weeks 1 (orientation) and 2 is mandatory for continuation in the Basic class. If you fail to attend those weeks, you will be dropped with no refund.
VACCINATION POLICY	For your dogs protection, they must be fully vaccinated against Rabies, Distemper and Parvovirus in order to attend class. You must bring proof of current vaccination week 1 of class. Puppies may attend from four months of age if they are at least one week past their final round of puppy shots (for Distemper and Parvovirus), and must have had or be scheduled to have their rabies shot, as of the first day you bring them to class.
CLASS PARTICIPANT GUIDELINES	Children may attend class with an adult, but must be 9 years of age or older. In order to get the maximum benefit from this class, participants should be able to handle the physical requirements and energy level of their dog. This includes, but is not limited to, the following: Walk two blocks without assistance. Maintain balance while walking the dog on leash, even when the dog is pulling in the other direction. Flexibility to bend/stoop in order to place dog in position on the ground. For individuals who do not meet these guidelines, you may opt for a private session so that we can focus exclusively on you and your dog.
DISRUPTIVE DOG POLICY	While we make every reasonable effort to accommodate excited/reactive dogs in the class environment, if your dog is too disruptive we may ask you to do a smaller number of private sessions, scheduled between you and your instructor, in order to complete the class.
TO REGISTER	You can register in person at the Sacramento SPCA, mail in an enrollment form, or register online. Links to register online can be found beneath the class schedules further down on this page. For more information, or to obtain an enrollment form to print and mail in, you can click here to email the training department. If you do not have email access you can obtain additional information or an enrollment form by calling (916) 504-2804. Please do not use this number to contact an individual instructor if you have already started a class – they do not check this voicemail.

BASIC DOG TRAINING

Three Dogs Sitting in a Row

The basic class is beneficial for dogs of all ages. You will learn effective ways to get your dog to do what you ask while building a trusting and respectful relationship. You will also learn how to give your dog the mental and physical exercise he needs, teach your dog not to jump on you, pay attention when asked, teach him how to sit, lay down, stay, come, walk on leash politely, wait at doors, and shake.

You will receive a packet containing step-by-step instructions on how to teach your dog these behaviors, plus additional information on how to resolve other behavior problems that aren’t addressed in the class.

Participants in the Basic Dog Training Class are REQUIRED to attend the first session WITHOUT THEIR DOGS. The session is mandatory and times differ from normal class hours.

July/August 2013 Beginner Class Offerings at the
Sacramento SPCA
6201 Florin Perkins Road, Sacramento CA 95828

Class Name	Week Day	Orientation Date/Time	Class Dates	Class Times
Basic	Monday	July 8 from 7PM-9PM	July 15 – August 12	6:15PM-7:15PM
Basic	Monday	July 8 from 7PM-9PM	July 15 – August 12	7:30PM-8:30PM
Basic	Tuesday	July 9 from 7PM-9PM	July 16 – August 13	6:15PM – 7:15PM
Basic	Tuesday	July 9 from 7PM-9PM	July 16 – August 13	7:30PM – 8:30PM
Basic (Small Breed – 4 mos and older – 25 lbs or less when full grown)	Wednesday	July 10 from 7PM-9PM	July 17 – August 14	6:15PM – 7:15PM
Basic	Wednesday	July 10 from 7PM-9PM	July 17 – August 14	7:30PM – 8:30PM
Basic	Thursday	July 11 from 7PM-9PM	July 18 – August 15	6:15PM – 7:15PM
Basic (Small Breed – 4 mos and older – 25 lbs or less when full grown) –	Thursday	July 11 from 7PM-9PM	July 18 – August 15	7:30PM-8:30PM
Basic (Sorry – class full!)	Saturday	July 13 from 9AM – 11AM	July 20 – August 17	9AM – 10AM

To Register: Click HERE to register ONLINE for all BASIC classes. For more information, or to obtain an enrollment form to print and mail in, you can click here to email the training department.

INTERMEDIATE DOG TRAINING

You and your dog will work with distractions – sit/stay, down/stay, and come, longer attention to name, heeling on leash, tricks, and more! The class also prepares you and your dog to pass the American Kennel Club’s Canine Good Citizen Test. The Sacramento SPCA offers the Canine Good Citizen Exam on a regular basis. Click HERE for complete details.

Prerequisite: Basic Dog Training (Your dog must be able to do the following with distractions and other dogs around: sit/stay and down/stay from six feet away for 25-30 seconds; come when called from 30 feet away using a long line; wait at the door; walk politely on leash; pay attention, i.e., responds immediately when you want him to check in with you).

PLEASE NOTE: If your dog attended Basic training somewhere other than the Sacramento SPCA, YOU WILL NEED TO ATTEND ORIENTATION in addition to the six-week Intermediate session. You can attend any orientation class during the first week of classes (see schedule above) except for the Thursday night orientation which conflicts with the first week of Intermediate class session. the Training Class administrator will contact you to schedule you into an Orientation class.

July/August 2013 Intermediate Class Offerings at the
Sacramento SPCA
6201 Florin Perkins Road, Sacramento

Class Name	Week Day	Class Dates	Class Times
Intermediate	Thursday	July 11 – August 15	6:15PM – 7:15PM

To Register: Click HERE to register ONLINE for all INTERMEDIATE classes. For more information, or to obtain an enrollment form to print and mail in, you can click here to email the training department or call 916-504-2804.

TRICKS TRAINING

In this class, you will teach your dog tricks for fun and mental exercise. The class will use clickers to reinforce training.

Prerequisite: Basic and Intermediate training using positive reinforcement-based methods.

Sorry, the Sacramento SPCA is not currently offering any Tricks classes at this time.

For more information, or to obtain an enrollment form to print and mail in, you can click here to email the training department or call 916-504-2804.

CANINE GOOD CITIZEN EXAM

This certification and exam is designed to reward dogs who have good manners at home and the community. When your dog passes, you will receive a certificate suitable for framing and displaying. This is a program that can help us assure that the dogs we love will always be welcome in the community. It is also the first step in qualifying your dog to become a pet therapy dog. This ten-part exam covers such topics as accepting a friendly stranger, sit and down on command, walking through a crowd, reaction to another dog, and many others.

Fee: $20.00

Class Name	Week Day	Class Dates	Class Times
Canine Good Citizen Exam	Saturday	August 10, 2013	9:00AM
Canine Good Citizen Exam	Saturday	November 9, 2013	9:00AM

To Register: Please click here to download the CGC flier which includes testing dates , then click HERE to register ONLINE or fill out, and mail or fax the registration form attached to the brochure. (271 Kb, Adobe PDF). For more information, you can click here to email the training department.