Pet & Companion Dog Training
At Dawgs at Work, we believe every dog deserves the chance to be a happy, well-mannered member of the family. While we specialize in Therapy Dogs, Emotional Support Dogs, and Psychiatric Service Dogs, we are equally passionate about helping pet and companion dogs thrive in their home environment.
Whether you’ve just welcomed a new puppy, adopted a rescue, or are working with an adult dog, our training programs are designed to build the foundation of good manners, strengthen communication, and create harmony in the home.
What We Offer
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Puppy Training: Early learning for house manners, socialization, and confidence-building.
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Basic Obedience: Sit, down, stay, recall, loose-leash walking, and polite greetings.
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Manners Training: Helping dogs develop calm behavior around people, guests, and other dogs.
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Behavior Support: Guidance for common challenges such as jumping, barking, pulling, or chewing.
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Custom Training Plans: Tailored lessons to meet the individual needs of your dog and household.
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Sourcing Support: We can also help you find and select your new puppy or dog and get you started right away on training, manners, and building a strong foundation.
Our Approach
We follow the LIMA (Least Intrusive, Minimally Aversive) model, using positive reinforcement as our core method. Our goal is not only to teach skills but also to respect and preserve the personality of your dog, building trust and joy along the way.
We work with all breeds, ages, and backgrounds because every dog deserves the opportunity to learn in a safe, supportive environment.
Training Options
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Private Lessons – One-on-one coaching for personalized training at your pace.
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Group Classes – A fun, social way to learn and practice skills around other dogs.
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In-Home Training – Convenient sessions in your own home, focusing on real-life manners where they matter most.
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Board & Train – Immersive, home-based training with our professional team (limited availability and for dogs 5 months and under).
No matter your dog’s age, breed, or background, our companion dog training is designed to make life together more enjoyable. From the basics of obedience to advanced manners, we’ll guide you and your dog every step of the way.
Group Class Schedule
Beginner Obedience
Ready to turn “sit… please?” into “sit!” the first time you ask? Our Beginner Obedience class helps you and your dog build the skills, focus, and teamwork needed for real-life manners.
For the first five weeks, we’ll cover two to three important skills each session, making training fun and rewarding for both you and your pup. In week six, we’ll use the time to review anything you’d like extra help with, then show off your new skills during a short course examination.
What You’ll Learn:
- Week 1: Marker Charging, Engagement, & Focus Cue: building attention that sticks
- Week 2: Loose Leash Walking & Sit: no more pulling, and sitting like a pro
- Week 3: Recalls & Down: coming when called and settling on cue
- Week 4: Wait for Food & Off: polite patience and keeping paws where they belong
- Week 5: Leave-It & Touch: ignoring temptations and touching on cue for fun and focus
- Week 6: Practice, Review, & Testing: wrap-up, polish, and celebrate your progress
Why Take Beginner Obedience?
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Better Communication: Learn how to clearly and consistently communicate with your dog so they understand what you want.
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Good Manners at Home: Teach your dog not to jump, pull, bark excessively, or ignore you—replacing bad habits with polite behavior.
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Social Skills: Safely expose your dog to new people, environments, and other dogs in a structured, positive setting.
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Confidence Building: Dogs gain confidence when they understand expectations and succeed at tasks.
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Stronger Bond: Training together builds trust, teamwork, and a deeper relationship between you and your dog.
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Lifelong Foundation: Skills like sit, stay, come, and loose-leash walking are the building blocks for all future training.
Important Notes:
- Homework will be emailed after each class directly through your client portal to help you practice at home.
- At the end of the course, you’ll receive a final report card outlining your dog’s progress and examination results.
- Attendance Policy: To earn your graduation certificate, all classes must be completed. If you miss a class, you must schedule and complete a 30-minute make-up session before graduation.
- Make-up sessions are paid in advance and can be scheduled with any Dawgs at Work trainer.
- Graduates receive a digital certificate in their client portal.
For just $15, you can order a beautiful hard copy perfect for framing and showing off your dog’s achievement .
Class Dates
Intermediate Obedience
Ready to take your dog’s skills to the next level? Your dog has mastered the basics — sit, down, stay, and leash manners — and now it’s time to turn good behavior into great behavior! Our 6-week Intermediate Obedience Class builds on the foundation you and your dog already have, adding distance, duration, focus under distractions, and real-life polish, all while keeping training fun and rewarding.
What You’ll Learn:
- Week 1 – Engagement & Proofing: Strengthen your dog’s focus under distractions and introduce reliable stay.
- Week 2 – Leash Skills with Focus: Perfect loose leash walking and introduce heel position with automatic sits.
- Week 3 – Recalls & Controlled Settling: Build reliable recalls and teach your dog to settle calmly on a mat.
- Week 4 – Impulse Control: Master wait, leave-it, and off with longer duration and mild distractions.
- Week 5 – Distance & Reliability: Practice cues from afar, refine heel patterns, and proof skills with mild distractions.
- Week 6 – Real-Life Application & Graduation: Demonstrate all your dog’s new skills in a fun challenge course and celebrate progress!
Why Take Intermediate Obedience?
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Stronger Reliability: Reinforce sit, down, stay, recall, and loose-leash walking with added distractions.
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Better Focus: Teach your dog to listen and stay engaged even when exciting things are happening around them.
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Improved Manners: Build on polite greetings, calm behavior in public, and better self-control.
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Teamwork & Bonding: Deepen your communication and strengthen your partnership with your dog.
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Preparation for Advanced Work: Lay the groundwork for therapy dog training, service dog work, or advanced obedience.
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Real-Life Skills: Practice in practical situations so your dog learns to behave at home, in public, and around other dogs.
Important Notes:
- Homework will be emailed after each class directly through your client portal to help you practice at home.
- At the end of the course, you’ll receive a final report card outlining your dog’s progress and examination results.
- Attendance Policy: To earn your graduation certificate, all classes must be completed. If you miss a class, you must schedule and complete a 30-minute make-up session before graduation.
- Make-up sessions are paid in advance and can be scheduled with any Dawgs at Work trainer.
- Graduates receive a digital certificate in their client portal.
For just $15, you can order a beautiful hard copy perfect for framing and showing off your dog’s achievement .