Open to all puppies 12 weeks- 5 months at the start of class.
Puppy Kindergarten classes are key to a well behaved, well socialized, confident dog!
Your puppy will learn proper play etiquette, bite inhibition, play off-leash games and learn basic obedience.
Puppy Kindergarten:
Starts your puppy with....
Sit
Down
Stay
Focus Exercises
Loose-Leash walking
Leave It!
Jumping
Mouthing.
***Please note the location of your class. We hold classes at Wags Doggie Daycamp in Danbury one night a week. All other classes are at The Exceptional Pet in Newtown,
Click BOOK NOW to see the upcoming schedule or to get on our waitlist.
Group Obedience Classes (6 week sessions) *Monday evening classes are held at Wags Doggie Daycamp in Danbury. All other classes are held in Newtown at The Exceptional Pet.(3)
For dogs over 6 months of age.
Do you have a new dog in your home? How about a dog who's been there a while but could use a refresher course? Well then we have the class for you! Our Elementary School is a class for both dogs who need a beginner course in manners, and for dogs who have been around the block and might need some help remembering.
During this six week class your dogs will learn:
Sit
Down
Stand
Stay
Leave It
Loose Leash Walking
Recall
Heel
Not only is this class a fun way to bond with your dog and get out and meet new people but it will start you on the path to passing the Canine Good Citizen test. It will also teach you how to train through real life situations, which aren't always ideal. ***Please note the location of your class. We hold classes at Wags Doggie Daycamp in Danbury one night a week. All other classes are at The Exceptional Pet in Newtown
Click BOOK NOW to see the upcoming schedule or to get on our waitlist.
Once you and your dog have learned the basics it's time to put these skills into real life situations. This class will get you on the right track to having your dog well behaved in public. Many dogs can pass the AKC Canine Good Citizen test after this class.
We will cover...
Sit for Petting
Greeting a Stranger
Walking through a Crowd
Stay at a Distance
Go to Bed/Settle in Place
Hand Signals
Mastering this class should be everyone's goal! A well mannered dog needs all of these skills to be a good citizen.
***Please note the location of your class. We hold classes at Wags Doggie Daycamp in Danbury one night a week. All other classes are at The Exceptional Pet in Newtown.
Click BOOK NOW to see the upcoming schedule or to get on our waitlist.
Once you and your dog have learned the basics it's time to put these skills into real life situations. This class will get you on the right track to having your dog well behaved in public. Many dogs can pass the AKC Canine Good Citizen test after this class.
We will cover...
Sit for Petting
Greeting a Stranger
Walking through a Crowd
Stay at a Distance
Go to Bed/Settle in Place
Hand Signals
Mastering this class should be everyone's goal! A well mannered dog needs all of these skills to be a good citizen. ***Please note the location of your class. We hold classes at Wags Doggie Daycamp in Danbury one night a week. All other classes are at The Exceptional Pet in Newtown
Click BOOK NOW to see the upcoming schedule or to get on our waitlist.
Sharpen your dogs obedience skills and behavior in public and at home! Have fun while you and your dog navigate a course of signs, like agility, but with obedience. Each sign provides instructions for the skills to be performed that transfer into real life situations. Spend time bonding with your dog, while increasing attention, focus, and impulse control.
Those looking to earn an AKC title, the official virtual course maps will be used during class and video taping will be available.
Prerequisites: Middle School or equivalent with trainer approval. Dog must reliably know basic commands: sit, down, come, stay. Dogs must be at least 6 months old.
Equipment needed: flat buckle collar, martingale collar, or harness, 4 foot clip leash, bait bag, tons of tiny treats, and tons of enthusiasm.
Want to teach your dog some amazing tricks or pretend you are an agility star! This one hour class will get you there. You and your dog will have fun completing crazy courses that will wear your dog out while building muscle and confidence. They will also learn basic skills that are the foundation to all tricks like targeting with nose, targeting with paws, back up, hold an item in mouth, controlled jump, and tugging. You can even work towards AKC Trick Dog Titles. For more information on what is required check out Do More with Your Dog. Taught by our very own Certified Trick Dog Instructor!
Your dog will leave exhausted and your cheeks will hurt from smiling. This class is all about FUN!
This class is limited to 4 dogs so everyone gets plenty of attention on the equipment.
This class is for all non-reactive dogs.
We will teach your dog the basic skills needed to safely use our agility and FitPaws equipment as well as explore other tricks that your dog might be appropriate to learn.
Click BOOK NOW to see the upcoming schedule or to get on our waitlist.
Take your skills on the road! Join our small group class at local dog friendly businesses and parks each week and put the skills you have learned in the center into real life situations. Work as a team to expand your skills with higher level distractions, socialization, and fun!
Your dog must be under control and not reactive to people or other dogs in order to join this fun class. Great for those that have completed Middle School, considering therapy dog, and those working towards their CGC.
Click BOOK NOW to see the upcoming schedule or to get on our waitlist.
Games, tricks, obstacle course & more; Meet for one hour for 6-weeks.
Completed basic obedience and ready to strengthen your skills and learn new ones? Play fun training games while gaining a reliable focus and settle in a distracted environment. Increase confidence while playing on our obstacle courses. Win your team relay race while improving your loose leash walking and recall skills. Learn new tricks and fitness exercises to increase your dogs brain and physical activity. Each session and week will be unique. Designed to increase socialization, work comfortably around other dogs, advance your obedience skills, all while building a strong relationship and connection with Fido. All skills learned transfer into real life situations helping you and your dog live more harmoniously.
Great for:
Dogs of all ages and sizes.
Teams hoping to do therapy work.
Middle school grads or like skills.
Pawrents that want to keep and expand their dogs training.
Dogs working towards AKC trick titles and AKC CGC tests.
Not appropriate for:
Reactive/aggressive dogs
Dogs that do not have basic obedience skills
Click BOOK NOW to see the upcoming schedule or to get on our waitlist.
This workshop runs for a total of 4 weeks and focuses on making you and your dog's walks more enjoyable.
Don't be the passenger on your dogs journey through the neighborhood. Take back your walks with a special class just for loose leash walking.
We will focus on:
Loose leash walking, leave it will be practiced with various distractions to give dog parents more control when walking their dogs in their neighborhood or around town. This can prepare them for Dogs Around Town. This will just be open to previous TEP students.
This class is for all non-reactive dogs.
Click BOOK NOW to see the upcoming schedule or to get on our waitlist.
Join us for this new 4 week class to help keep your dog active this winter with activities you can duplicate right in the comfort of your warm home. Dogs of all ages will benefit from the mental and physical exercise movement puzzles provide, leading to good decision making and physical coordination for a healthy long life. Your dog will build confidence, resilience, and body awareness that transfers over in new, stressful, exciting situations by using the 2-bowl game (Vito's Thinking Game). All while having fun and building a stronger connection with you.
A Reliable Recall is the most important skill you can teach your dog. One in three pets will become lost at some point during their life. Our Reliable Recall class is designed to help you build a strong and dependable recall, using different levels of distractions while engaging in fun activities and games. 4 weeks
Don’t become a statistic! One in three dogs get lost in their lifetime. Join us to build and strengthen your recall to keep your puppy safe and at home. 4-weeks
Always wanted to try a class to build on your bond and relationship with your dogs while improving their focus, attention, and obedience skills... all while having fun? This is your chance to try agility and learn a few tricks in Crazy Canines; take your training on the road and visit local dog friendly places during Dogs Around Town; learn new skills during Rally Fun - all in one 6-week session.
Click BOOK NOW to see the upcoming schedule or to get on our waitlist.
Want to see if your dog has what it takes to become a Therapy Dog?
This class will give your dog and you the opportunity to work around medical equipment and the public to see if your dog truly wants to be a therapy dog. We teach a visit command, handling skills for you and your dog, and prepare you for a typical therapy dog test.
Your dog must first pass the AKC Canine Good Citizen Test before enrolling in this Therapy Dog class. This class meets both at The Exceptional Pet as well as at different businesses in the area that welcome our clients.
Click BOOK NOW to see the upcoming schedule or to get on our waitlist.
Therapy dogs come in all shapes and sizes, and their most important characteristic is their temperament. They are friendly, patient, confident, gentle, and at ease with strangers. They provide unconditional acceptance and never fail to put smiles on the faces of children and adults.
A therapy dog must not only enjoy human contact and excessive petting but seek it out. They must be comfortable staying in place, whether it is on a floor, chair, couch, bed or lap, or in their handler's arms.This class expands on the basic handling skills introduced in Therapy Dog 101 and focuses on the skills needed to pass the AKC Urban CGC tests required by The Exceptional Sidekick before taking their therapy dog test. This class will travel in and around Newtown for visits in pet friendly public spaces.
Prerequisite:
*AKC Community Canine test or approval from a TEP trainer.
*All age of dogs can participate in class but training must continue well into adulthood for any working dog.
*Be in good health and sound body.
*Handlers must be 16 and up and supervised by an adult if under 18
Rules and Guidelines:
*Dog must be trained using only positive training techniques.
*Dog must be well groomed.
*Dogs may wear harnesses, flat collars, or head collars. No choke or prong collars allowed.
*Dogs can never show fear, shyness, aggression, or agitation. If they get startled they should recover quickly.
AKC Canine Good Citizen, Community Canine, and Urban test are given separately. All therapy dog testing will be done through The Exceptional Sidekick Therapy Dog Program or you could apply through another national organization.
Click BOOK NOW to see the upcoming schedule or to get on our waitlist.
Congratulations on all of your training successes to this point. If you believe you are ready to test your skills with the AKC Canine Good Citizen test, you can find more information at https://www.akc.org/products-services/training-programs/canine-good-citizen/.
Congratulations on all of your training successes to this point. If you believe you are ready to test your skills with the AKC CGC Advanced or Urban tests, you can find more information at https://www.akc.org/products-services/training-programs/canine-good-citizen/.
Thinking your dog is a great candidate for therapy work? Come to this 1-hour session to learn more about this important job and if it is right for you and your best friend. Session is for humans and canines. Dogs reactive to other dogs or people are not appropriate for therapy work. Click BOOK NOW to see the upcoming schedule or to get on our waitlist.
Come laugh and play with your pup while refreshing all those family manners. Fun games such as musical chairs, red light/ green light, sandy says, and more will be played!
Click BOOK NOW to see the upcoming schedule or to get on our waitlist.
Life gets hectic - take a break and spend a little quality time with Fido! The obstacle course will provide physical and mental exercise, as well as build confidence. Includes creative ideas to do at home when it's too cold or snowy for that daily walk.Not appropriate for reactive, nervous, or fearful dogs. Click BOOK NOW to see the upcoming schedule or to get on our waitlist.
Bring your mat, we will bring the puppies. Join us for a 50 min yoga class with a litter of 6 week old lab puppies. This is your time to stretch, laugh, and get some puppy kisses. No experience necessary. Taught by Certified Yoga Instructor, Trish Wootton. Puppies brought to us by Southpaw Labrador Retrievers. ***Our system requires a pet to be entered but you will not be bringing your dog to class.***
This is a two session special! Tricks are great ways to expand your dog's repertoire and help her learn to learn faster! Fun will be had while we explore the foundations of trick training. All AKC levels of tricks will be taught based on the group's experience. Click BOOK NOW to see the upcoming schedule or to get on our waitlist.
