Specialty Pet Training Courses and Workshops

Is your New Year's resolution a better trained dog?

Start the New Year right by training your dog to be the well-behaved dog you always knew she/he could be! We have a great new line-up of SPECIALTY PET TRAINING Courses  to help you make 2012 the best year for you and your dog!

Kinderpuppy

The Kinderpuppy Course is an extensive and in-depth 8 week training program designed for puppies 8 to 18 weeks of age. This course provides puppies with the foundation necessary to be a great pet. Developed by renowned dog trainer and veterinarian Dr. Jennifer Messer, this course focuses on socialization and basic training, two of the most important things you can provide to your puppy. This Kinderpuppy Course has been described as “An optimal curriculum for the most important course in a dog’s life” by popular dog trainer and author, Jean Donaldson. Dr. Ian Dunbar says, “Dr. Messer’s Kinderpuppy Course is simply the very best course material you will find.”

The Kinderpuppy Course curriculum includes puppy handling and socialization to people, proper play and socialization with other puppies, self-control training exercises, and training the basics, such as sit, down, stay, and come. Included in the training curriculum are lots of fun games, making this class very family friendly. Children’s participation is heavily encouraged!

Drop-In Puppy Socialization Saturdays

In addition to our Puppy Pack Mondays and new Kinderpuppy course, Pampered Pets will soon be offering Drop-In Puppy Socialization Saturdays! When your puppy is between the ages of 8 to 18 weeks, they are going through a very important time in their development. This critical period is their socialization period. The more positive and safe experiences you can give your puppy, the better! Without proper and broad socialization, a puppy may grow up to be scared, timid, or even aggressive of new places, people, or things. The best and easiest way to prevent behavioral issues in puppies or adult dogs is early and comprehensive socialization. Bring your puppy to Puppy Socialization Saturdays for as many sessions as you feel necessary and learn vital socialization do’s and don’ts. You will be an active participant to the hands-on process of socializing your young puppy!

We will be socializing your young puppy to:

·        Human touch and handling

·        Grooming procedures and tools

·        New people, New places, New noises

·        Friendly adult dogs

·        Other Young puppies!

Puppy Manners and Doggy Manners

Puppy manners is a new six week class for graduates of the Kinderpuppy Course or puppies that missed the age requirement for Kinderpuppy. Doggy Manners is a class for adult dogs that haven’t yet been through a group class or can also be taken as continued practice for Kinderpuppy or Puppy Manners graduates.

Manners classes curriculum includes:

Ø Name Recognition and Attention

Ø Sit, Down, and Stand

Ø Loose Leash Walking

Ø Leave It & Take It

Ø Stay

Ø Come

Ø Four on the Floor (No Jumping)

Canine Good Citizen Preparation Course - Ohio location only
This six week course focuses on expanding on what your dog has already learned in the Manners classes. Dogs and puppies practice their new manners and skills around a variety of distractions and in new circumstances. Dogs continue to practice and improve their skills in preparation for the Canine Good Citizen test.

The Canine Good Citizen Program is a two-part program that stresses responsible pet ownership for owners and basic good manners for dogs. The CGC Program is designed to reward dogs who have good manners at home and in the community.  All dogs, including both purebred and mixed breed dogs are welcome to participate in the AKC’s Canine Good Citizen® (CGC) Program and upon completion receive a certificate from the American Kennel Club. For more information on the Canine Good Citizen program, please visit www.akc.org/events/cgc.

One Topic Classes/Workshops

 Is your dog a great dog, but just has that one bad habit?  Don’t have time to commit to a 6-8 week training program? Has your dog already completed some training, but needs some extra practice in a certain area? These might be the classes for you! Come to this workshop and get a crash course and practice that one issue that needs more work! One Topic classes include:

1. Four on the Floor
2. Loose Leash Walking
3. Problem Solving

Trick Training Class

A great way to make training your pet a family activity for the whole family! Trick training enriches your dog’s life by providing mental stimulation and is a great way to include your children in the training process! Tricks make training fun for everyone! Trick training also is a great way to tire your pup out on cold, rainy days or when you have been snowed in. In this class/workshop, we will focus on teaching your dog at least one trick. Quick learners may be introduced to a few tricks.  Tricks to learn include: shake, high five, speak, beg, play dead, rollover, crawl, and the list goes on. You may also bring your own ideas of tricks you would like to teach your dog and I will help show you how!  This class/workshop can be taken unlimited amount of times. We look forward to trick training with you and your pooch!

Call for more details

Napoleon, Ohio 419-592-7387

Fort Wayne Indiana 260-489-7387

Pointers From Parker: Holiday Safety Tips Part Two

It is starting to look a lot like Christmas

I just love a beautifully decorated Christmas tree, with all those sparkling balls!

Christmas Trees and Cat Behavior

Tree attraction is natural. Kitty thinks you've bought her a new climbing perch, complete with cat toys that swing, sparkle, and invite paw-pats and biting. Cats love heights and the Christmas tree challenges them to climb-and knock the whole thing down. Some cats take "aim" at the tree just as they would your outside shrubs and baptize the greenery. Cat play includes using teeth and claws to target twinkling lights and dangling ornaments.

Instead, smaller trees can be set on table tops, inside of baby play pens, or in a room protected by a baby gate. Situate breakable and dangerous decorations on the top of the tree out of reach of inquisitive pets.

Create a Cat Christmas Tree for your cat's enjoyment. Attach guy-wires or twine to protect topple-prone trees from the cat's airborne assault. Just make sure the ornaments are kitty safe. Decorating with catnip mice and kitty treats, fresh mint or dried or silk flowers, bows, strings of beads or popcorn instead of tinsel, soft sparkle-ball pom-poms and soft cat toys. Keeping them on the lower branches encourages the cats to stay at floor level.

If you have a live tree cats may drink from the water in the tree base. Anything added-fertilizer, preservatives, aspirin-can make pets sick. Chewing tree lights, swallowing tinsel, eating tree needles or other holiday décor can kill a pet.

Instead, make the area around the tree unattractive to keep paws at bay. Aluminum foil deters many cats since they dislike walking on that odd-feeling surface. Silver foil also offers a festive holiday look, so use this as a tree apron around the base. Or, invest in some clear plastic carpet protectors and place under the tree-nub side up. That makes cruising or lounging under the tree uncomfortable.

The soft "tacky mats" available from home product stores designed to keep throw rugs from sliding around work well to keep cats away because they dislike walking on sticky surfaces. Another option is

Sticky Paws which is a double-sided tape product designed for cat training. Sticky Paws now is available in larger sheets as well as strips that you can apply directly to carpets beneath the tree, or to place mats situated on table tops or wherever needed.

Use your cat's smell sense to keep her away from the tree. Citrus scents are off-putting to cats so scatter orange or lemon peels (or potpourri) around the base of the tree. Vicks

With proper preparation, your holidays can be enjoyable for your whole family. Save a few empty boxes and ragged bows after the gift-giving frenzy. Boxes, bags, crinkled wrapping paper and other "cheap thrills" will encourage your cat will forgive any perceived snub regarding the holidays.

Have a great & Safe Holiday!

Love Parker :)



Pointers From Parker! Holiday Safety Tips

I'm a curious cat just like many of us are.  The Holidays are my favorite time of the year - with so many new things to explore.  Over the next few days I will be posting Safe Holiday tips to help keep your pur-fect feline out of trouble this Holiday Season.


Homes become pet playgrounds at this time of year so you need to cat proof holidays. Cats delight in un-decking the halls, climbing the tree (or watering it!), eating decorations, and otherwise wreaking havoc. The result is a Christmas that's anything but merry.

Plants and Cat Behaviors
· Cats rarely eat plants, but they do claw them and then lick/groom away the residue. So beware of poisonous holiday plants and floral arrangements that include lilies. Many varieties-including Tiger, Asian, Japanese Show, Stargazer and the Casa Blanca-can cause kidney failure in cats. Holly and live mistletoe cause nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and lethargy if ingested by your pet. Poinsettias are NOT deadly but can cause nausea and/or mild vomiting.

· Instead, silk or plastic holiday plants make an equally showy statement without the poison potential.
This is also good to do if you have a canine in your family as well.  They also are curious!