Course Details
This course brings together the best of therapy dog preparation and Canine Good Citizen training, creating a strong foundation for both ends of the leash. Whether your long-term goal is to become a registered therapy dog team, to earn your CGC certificate, or simply to have a calm, reliable companion at home and in the community, this class will set you up for success.
We’ll focus on essential skills such as polite greetings, loose-leash walking, settling calmly around distractions, building confidence in new environments, and responding reliably to basic cues. These are the same core exercises required for therapy work and CGC testing, but they also prepare your dog to handle the real-world challenges of daily life with grace and confidence. Beyond everyday manners, this training creates a solid stepping stone toward dog sports and other advanced activities, ensuring your dog can stay focused, engaged, and cooperative no matter the setting.
By the end of this course, you’ll have the tools to:
- Prepare for the Canine Good Citizen or Therapy Dog evaluation
- Build reliability in distracting environments
- Foster calm, confident behavior at home and in public
- Lay the groundwork for future training goals or dog sports
Teaching Approach:
Instructor: Heather LawsonHeather Lawson (she/her) is a Certified Professional Dog Trainer - Knowledge Skills Assessed (CPDT-KSA) and also a Karen Pryor Academy Certified Training Partner (KPA-CTP), a CGN evaluator and a free-style judge. She has been training dogs and their humans for more that 20 years after deciding that...(Click here for full bio and to view Heather's upcoming courses)
