Beginner Classes

Beginner classes are designed for those handlers and dogs who are new to the world of dog training! If you have never taken a class before, this is a great place to start! We teach the basics so you and your dog can create a solid bond and foundation on the track to meeting your overall behavior and training goals, as a team.

Please see Vaccination Requirements for all our classes below.

Learn how you can save more on your dog’s education by “bundling” your Beginner and Intermediate/Advanced Level classes together!

Puppy Stars (NEW)

6 week class: For puppies between 8 and 16 weeks of age by the first day of class.

Bringing out the Einstein in Your Puppy: Start your puppy off right in our cutting edge puppy socialization class. We’ll provide positive exposure to people, dogs, and novel stimuli; help you prepare your pup for grooming, vet care, and other handling; teach you foundation training skills such as relaxation on a mat, sit, recall, leash walking, and targeting; and we’ll focus on puppy-specific topics, such as resource guarding prevention, crate training, potty training, and teething. This class is everything you need to know to raise a puppy!

Prerequisites: None.

Price: $175 for 6 week class ($150.00 for adopted animals)

Skill Builders – Level 1 (NEW)

5 week class: For dogs over 16 weeks of age.

Foundation Skills for the Constant Companion: Do you want to know how to have a dog with delightful manners in the home who can also accompany you everywhere dogs are invited? This class is designed to put you on that path by building a solid training and relationship foundation. Training skills include recall, sit, down, door manners, polite greetings (i.e., no jumping), nose targeting, relaxation on a mat, polite leash walking, and developing play skills. This course comes with a bonus video lesson that should be watched prior to the start of the first class.

Prerequisites: None.

Price: $175 for 5 week course plus video lesson ($150 for adopted animals)

Canine Coaching Crash Course (NEW)

3 week class: For dogs over 16 weeks of age.

How to Teach Your Dog Anything: Too busy to commit to a 6-week training course but love your dog and want to learn what to do at home to train good manners? This is a mini, 3-week class geared toward teaching the human how to train their dog to do anything. Bring your dog to class to practice, but the focus of this course is you!

Prerequisites: None.

Price: $75 for 3 week class

Vaccination Requirements

We are dedicated to the safety of all the dogs that attend classes, therefore we ask you to have at least 2 DH2PP vaccines before coming into any class. This shot should include Distemper and Parvo. We encourage a Bordetella vaccination, but it is not a requirement. For dogs 4+ months old, we also ask that your rabies vaccination be up to date. Please bring in your vaccination papers to your first class.

We do strongly recommend that you vaccinate your canine companion against the Canine Influenza Virus (CIV). For more information on CIV talk with your veterinarian or visit our Canine Influenza Virus information page.

“Bundle” Discount for Beginner & Advanced Classes

We offer a 15% “bundle” discount when you purchase a 5-week beginning level class and a intermediate/advanced level, Part 2 class at the same time. For example, if you register for Puppy Kindergarten – Part 1 and Puppy Kindergarten – Part 2 at the same time, you will receive the 15% discount when you check out. We offer this discount to encourage you to commit to your dog’s ongoing education! To take advantage of this discount, contact training@eastbayspca.org for the special coupon code to enter at checkout.