To register for one of CVHS’ Dog Training Classes, please fill out and mail or fax a Dog Training Class Registration Form, then email training@cvhumane.com or call 476-3811 ex 113.
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Dog Training Course Descriptions
STANDARD SIX-WEEK COURSES: Meet once a week, same day and time each week, for six weeks.
Good Manners 1 For all dogs of older than 16 weeks including those who missed Puppy K. This is an introduction to all of the basics above, plus extra tutoring for those “perfectly normal” doggie habits humans might find undesirable. First class humans only.
Good Manners 2 The next step toward better manners: more advanced work on basic skills using distance, distraction, and difficulty. Becoming an effective dog/handler team in the face of increased distraction is the goal of this class. First class with dogs.
Beyond Good Manners This class will help you to further your training adventures with your dog. Each week will incorporate activities from various dog sports. Learn to live in the moment with your dog!
PUPPY CLASSES: Puppy classes are open enrollment: choose to attend four out of six scheduled classes. Cost is $100. Puppies come to all four classes.
Puppy Kindergarten For all puppies ages 8-17 weeks. Pups at this age have short attention spans we will teach them to learn and practice socializing with other puppies. You will learn how to prevent unwanted behaviors from the start instead of having to fix them later on. Pups will learn sit, lie down, walking nicely on a leash, waiting reliably when asked, and a reliable recall!! In addition, we will discuss safety and socialization topics that will ensure your puppy is ready for any new situation!
Puppy Next Step Is your pup too old for Puppy Kindergarten, but still just a baby? Come join the fun with our new, advanced puppy class: more off leash work and more skills covered, but still at a puppy pace.
SPECIALTY CLINICS:
Six Weeks
Reactive Dog Class For dogs who bark, lunge and growl at the end of the leash. Curriculum by Emma Parsons, author of Click To Calm: Healing the Aggressive Dog. First class humans only.
Canine Good Citizen/ Therapy Dog Prep This class is for those interested in taking the Canine Good Citizen test and/or becoming a working Therapy Dog team; Dogs in this class should have decent self-control skills and not be reactive to other dogs or people.
Four Weeks
Come Here Now! This four-week class is specifically designed to teach dogs to COME when they are called, RELIABLY! This is the only topic that is covered in class. We will explore what makes dogs WANT to come to us each and every time we call them!!! The ONLY prerequisite is that your dog gets along well with other dogs, as they will be running free, off leash. First class humans only.
Intro to Agility Jumps, weaves and tunnels could be in your dog’s future! Come join our fun-filled Intro to Agility class, which will focus on handler skills (our body language is so important to the sport of agility!), and introducing the dogs to basic equipment used in this popular doggie sport. Dogs will have a chance to try their paws out on jumps, tunnels, weave poles, and more!
EXTRA HELP:
Private Behavior Consults If you feel that you and your dog need some special attention other than class time, we are available to meet with you privately to discuss a host of issues you may be experiencing.
Trainer Bios
At CVHS Training and Behavior Center our instructors make learning fun! An educational resource for the region’s human and animal communities.
Bill Grant
Bill has spent much of his life-helping dog owners develop positive, loving relationships with their canine companions. He began his career at Canine Consulting, a nationally recognized training center in Massachusetts, where he trained for ten years, until relocating to Vermont. Although there are a variety of methods used to train dogs, Bill uses his expertise to train PEOPLE to train their dogs in ways that encourage a partnership that lasts for life. 
Along with lots positive reinforcement, Bill helps his students explore how dogs think, thus unlocking the possibilities for effective communication and learning. He believes that many of today’s training issues are a result of “miscommunications” between human and dog. As these lines of communication are opened in a series of easy steps, many issues cease to exist. Bill’s classes are upbeat and fun for dogs and the entire families.
Bill Grant currently resides in southern Vermont with his partner and 7 Akitas; He attributes much of his training success to what his own dogs teach him and to Jake, his very first dog, who led him to start teaching others about the wonders of life with their companions. Bill has been involved in Canine Therapy Work and has a number training articles published. He has consulted with a variety of local and national rescue associations, is a member of the Akita Club of America, Inc. and an active participant in the Canine Good Citizen program.
Kasandra Fleury
Meet Kasandra Fleury, our Dog Training Program Coordinator! Ever since she was a child, dogs have been a huge part of Kasandra’s life. She and her family raised several puppies for Guiding Eyes for the Blind and she has worked as a trainer at both Upper Valley Humane Society and at The Ranch at Etna Road. Kasandra received her degree in Veterinary Technology in 2004 from Vermont Technical College and currently works as a certified veterinary technician at the Animal Clinic of Enfield in Enfield, NH. She also took an online dog training course through Animal Behavior College, and has attended several seminars related to behavior and training. Kasandra is a Canine Good Citizen evaluator and both her dogs have received their CGC titles. She is also a member of Therapy Dogs of Vermont with her Southern Mystery Mutt, Maggie Mae.
When Kasandra is not working, she is usually out exploring some new hiking trail with her two trailhounds, Maggie and Oliver Twist (a Plotthound mix). She loves to attend agility classes with her dogs, and is also currently teaching Maggie new moves for the fun dog sport of freestyle.
Kasandra currently lives in Braintree, VT with her husband, Jason, and their four-footed menagerie of dogs and cats. Her goal is to help strengthen the canine-human bond, one paw at a time, and to have fun doing it.
