Do you have a dog who might need a little extra training? What about working to get them certified as a therapy dog? Instructor, Jo Downing, offers it all! Want to know a little more about Jo?
Jo developed a love of animals at a young age, growing up with dogs, horses and a variety of other farm animals. In recent years, building on the experience and training with her dogs, she has trained/competed/titled multiple dogs in multiple venues, in Rally Obedience, Agility, Obedience, Fast Cat, Rally FrEe, Barn Hunt, Herding and doing Therapy Dog work. Her commitment to educating dog owners has led her passion on K9Fitness and Conditioning work.
Jo has been teaching a variety of basic manners, CGC/Therapy Dog, Agility, Rally, Tricks and K9 Fitness classes for over 10 years. She believes very much in "training the dog in front of you" and loves to troubleshoot skills and training needs of the teams she works with. In addition to helping individual pet owners with their training needs, Jo also works with Goochland Pet Lovers, providing training and guidance to the staff and volunteers of the Goochland Animal Shelter. The goal of this training is to allow the shelter dogs to be able to learn some usable skills, in turn making them more adoptable and more successful in their expected new homes.
When Jo is not helping others with their training needs or training her own dogs, she's busy working on her farm, that houses sheep, a mini-hereford steer named Sebastian and her flock of chickens. She shares the farm with her 4 Australian Shepherds: Houdini (12), Choo (9), Orion (4) and Khord (18 months).
Jo’s certifications include: UT-CCFT (Certified Canine Fitness Trainer), AKC CGC Evaluator, AKC Tricks Evaluator, ATD Tester/Observer, DMWYD Certified Trick Dog Instructor/evaluator and AKC Farm Dog Judge.
CGC/Therapy Dog Prep Class
Students in this class will have had prior basic manners training with their dog. Dogs should know basic skills such as: sit, down, stay/wait, recall. Teams should have a good working/training relationship prior to enrolling in this class. This class will prepare teams who are interested in testing for their AKC Canine Good Citizen and/or Alliance of Therapy Dog certification. Testing may be done at the end of the 6-week session.
Tuesdays
January 4-February 8
11:00-11:50am
$135
CHS Gym Classroom
HELP! My Dog Has Hit the Teenage Phase!
Has your puppy forgotten all it knew? Maybe acting a bit like a teenager? Pushing boundaries, testing the waters? Or maybe you are in between needing puppy training and being ready for your CGC? This can be a challenging time to navigate! In this class we will work on skills that will help you survive their "teenage phase" and keep them on the right track to being that fantastic companion we know they can be!
Mondays
January 3-February 7
6:30pm-7:20pm
CHS Gym Classroom
or
Tuesdays
January 4-February 8
12:00-12:50pm
CHS Gym Classroom
$135
K9: Intro to Canine Fitness
Did you know?...Keeping your dog fit, flexible, and mentally stimulated helps extend their lifespan and quality of life? In this class we will explore the foundation elements and principles behind canine fitness work...the how's, why's, in's, and outs of all things fitness related. There will be a few props/equipment needs for this class that will be discussed the first week. Dogs should be 6 months or older and injury free to participate in this class.
Mondays
January 3-February 7
5:30-6:20pm
CHS Gym Classroom
$135
Puppy 101
Calling all puppies! In this class we will work on your training foundation with your new puppy! Skills will include name recognition, sit/stay, down/stay, mat/place work, recalls, plus fun games and other ways to keep your young puppy on the right path.
Wednesdays
January 5-February 9
11:00-11:50am
CHS Gym Classroom
$135
Tricks! For Pups!
Are you looking for fun ways to connect with your dog? Tricks is the perfect answer for that! From the beginning of tricks, to more advanced tricks, this class will walk you through a variety of fun training with your pup! Testing for trick titles through AKC or DMWYD available over the course of the session!
Wednesdays
January 5-February 9
12:00-12:50pm
CHS Gym Classroom
$135