Group Classes
Enjoying the companionship of a well behaved dog is a gift. The time invested in training will pay off for the entire lifetime of your dog.
Canine University is dedicated to providing the very best training and teaching methods to assist families in raising their dogs to be polite members of the family. We are dedicated to providing the most up to date and scientifically sound practices to help our clients succeed in achieving the dog of their dreams. We believe that dogs are thinking and emotional beings who deserve the chance to learn what is expected of them without fear of punishment.
All of our classes are taught using positive reinforcement methods for both the dogs and their handlers. We sincerely believe that people and dogs learn best when they are in an environment of mutual respect and trust. Our staff of instructors and teaching assistants have extensive training in animal behavior and training. We are pros at helping you reach your goals!
At Canine University we believe in forward investment. We advise our clients that in order to lay a strong training foundation, (one that you can rely on for the next 12 yrs or so), you will need to invest in at least 12 wks of training. You will not only acquire the foundation for the core behaviors essential for living peacefully with your dog, but you will also take away the skills to teach or change any other behaviors that come up within your dog’s lifetime.
Group Classes
All of our classes are taught with positive reinforcement through the use of a clicker and treats. These are temporary tools we use to get fast, accurate results and make sure that both the dogs and their people are having fun and making fast progress toward their goals. The goals is to wean the dogs off of needing the clicker and treats when the behaviors we are teaching are reliable and solid. We have found in our 30 yrs training dogs and people that our methods yield fast results and without any kind of fall out and the feedback we get from our graduates is that they have well behaved companions for years after their initial time with us.
We offer group classes in an open enrollment format. This means that you can start any week by submitting your regisration and payment and then attending one of our orientations without your dog. Orientation does not count toward your training package and will give you the chance to ask questions and let us help you set some goals and choose the best training package for the goals you’ve set.
Beginner Students
Puppy Kindergarten
For Puppies: 8-18 weeks at beginning of class
Orientation is 7:30pm any Tuesday without your pup.
Student Level: Beginner
Tuesdays: 7:30 – 8:30pm
Open Enrollment Plan
8 Classes: $450
12 Classes: $600
16 Classes: $725
A true puppy kindergarten with focus on the appropriate development of puppies.
Start your puppy off on the right paw by enrolling him in our Puppy Kindergarten class. Each class meets for 1 hour a week for the number of weeks you sign up for depending upon the package you purchase.
Class will cover the basics skills: sit, down, stay, come, walk nicely on leash, leave it and greeting visitors without jumping. Playtime with other puppies is also included as well as guidance on what good play is and how to make sure your puppy is getting the right kind of socialization with other dogs and people.
Puppy Kindergarten will give you a strong foundation for training so your puppy grows into a dog that listens to you and is a dog people like to have around. The time you invest in training and socializing your puppy now will pay off for years to come.
We encourage signing up for the larger training packages as puppies need A LOT of training that first year. There is significant savings for 12 and 16 wk packages and you can move your puppy up to the more advanced Good Manners class as he or she masters the beginner level skill set.
Beginners Obedience
This class is for all age beginners and covers all the basic obedience behaviors as well as problem solving, dealing with distractions and helping your dog stay focused on you instead of other dogs or people. A great way to get to know a newly adopted dog or work with a dog you’ve had for a while but has some areas that need work.
Ages: 18 weeks to adult
Orientation is 7:00pm any Wednesday without your dog.
Student Level: Beginner
Wednesdays: 6:30 – 7:30pm
Open Enrollment Plan
8 Classes: $450
12 Classes: $600
16 Classes: $725
The perfect way to get to know your newly adopted dog or puppy, or to finally teach your rowdy adolescent dog some good basic manners
Enjoy the benefits of living with a dog that listens to you and is nice to be around. This class meets for an hour each week for the number of weeks you sign up for.
Class will cover all the basics: sit, down, stay, come, walk nicely on leash, leave it, people greetings without jumping and being around other dogs without getting overly excited.
We consider this class an essential foundation for raising a great family dog. We welcome and encourage the whole family to attend. We know how busy you are and want to help you accomplish a solid foundation quickly that will benefit your family for years to come.
Intermediate Students
Good Manners Advanced Obedience
A continuation of our beginner class skill set with increasing distraction as we strive to perfect reliability, attention and focus.
Ages: All age graduates of any beginner class
Student Level: Intermediate
Wednesdays: 7:30 – 8:30pm
Open Enrollment Plan
8 Classes: $450
12 Classes: $600
16 Classes: $725
This class is a continuation of training from the beginner level classes to help students polish and proof behaviors so that they are reliable and consistent.
Class content will include: getting your dog to the next level of training weaning off the clicker and treats for fluent behaviors, reliable down/stays and come, as well as walking without pulling , polite dog-to-dog greetings, and calm manners around guests. The goal of this class is to improve your dogs reliability in response to commands and continue to work on self control.
Pre-requisite: Successful completion of either Puppy Kindergarten or Adult Beginners class, or with Instructor permission.
Gerilyn Bielakiewicz
Lead Instructor/ Co-Owner Canine University
Gerilyn Bielakiewicz, is a published author of 7 books on training and behavior including “The Everything Dog Training and Tricks Book”.
Gerilyn holds a Bachelors degree in Biology from Boston College as well as two certifications, a certified pet dog trainer certificate (CPDT) from the Association of Pet Dog Trainers and a Certified Training Partner Certificate (CTP) from Karen Pryor Academy.
Gerilyn is a prior member of the Faculty for Karen Pryor Academy for Animal Training and Behavior. She has been teaching people and dogs for close to 30yrs. She is well known for her ability to simplify complicated material into easy to understand, usable tools to assist people in making their relationships with their dogs more enjoyable
