There WILL be class today!

There will be class today in Dublin.  It is sunny and dry but pretty cold, so be sure to layer:)  See you soon!

Beginning Obedience and Manners class starts Monday!

There is still space in the Monday, 5pm Beginning Obedience and Manners class that starts this Monday, February 28 in Dublin.  Please contact me if you are interested.

Lecture on the Lawn at Dublin Creek Kennel, March 4 at 6:30pm

On March 4 at 6:30pm, I will be doing a Lecture on the Lawn at Dublin Creek Kennel.  This will be a one hour talk on Crossing Over from Traditional Training to Positive Reinforcement Training.  The cost is $20 and will include the talk as well as coffee, tea, hot chocolate and snacks.  Please contact me if you would like to attend.

Marshmallows Class and Confidence Building Class Start March 19

We have both a Marshmallows Class and a Confidence Building class starting on Thursday, March 19 in Dublin. 

The Marshmallows class was designed specifically for shy or fearful dogs.  Owners will learn to understand fear or shyness and ways to help their dog cope with it.  Every exercise and lesson is designed to meet the needs of shy and fearful dogs.  There is less pressure and all the exercises are modified with shy dogs in mind.  Because there are so many shy and fearful dogs out there this class has been very successful and because I have a soft spot for Marshmallow dogs I really enjoy teaching it.  Please contact me if you are interested in registering.

The Confidence Building class is designed to allow dogs to use their seeking system (hunting, exploring, playing, investigating) to find them reinforcement and build confidence.  Dogs are worked one at a time in this class, which makes it perfect for dogs that are uncomfortable with other dogs.  Dogs who have issues with people are also welcome in this class as it is designed in a way that allows us to keep dogs with issues safe and protected.  This class is a perfect next step from Marshmallows class or can be done in conjunction with Marshmallows.  Please contact me if you are interested in registering.

The Marshmallows class and the Confidence Building class are both 5 weeks and $150. 

Reliable Recall Workshop this Wednesday!

I still have openings in The Dog Who Came When Called - Reliable Recall workshop to be held in Dublin this Wednesday at 6:30pm.  Cost is $45 and includes a booklet!  Please contact me at braveheartdogs@gmail.com if you would like to register!

Drop In Conformation Classes!

Since many of you travel quite a ways to attend my conformation classes, I have decided to add a Wednesday 12:30pm class.  So, we will have a Wednesday, 12:00pm class and a 12:30pm class. You may still use your discount cards and the same offer will apply to people staying for the second half hour. Whether you pay cash or use a discount card for the first class, the second class will be just $5 cash if you wish to stay with your dog or switch dogs. I will try this for a bit and see how it goes. If there is interest, I will continue it. If not, I will drop it at some point.

Also, there will be NO classes on Tuesday, February 22 or Wednesday, February 23 following the four days of shows in Santa Clara.

The Dog Who Came When Called - Emergency Recall Class Scheduled!

We just scheduled an Emergency Recall class for Wednesday, February 23, 6:30-8:00pm.  This one time workshop will be held at Dublin Creek Kennels.  The cost is $45 and includes a booklet.  Please contact me to register.

February BraveHeart to Heart

Can you believe it's already February?  I know, me neither!  Time flies!  There is a lot going on with Braveheart and I hope that you will all find some new exciting activities to do with your dogs through our classes!  Take a look at the class offerings and see what fits best for you and your dog!

As for me, I spent three days in Long Beach in January to attend Clicker Expo.  Clicker Expo is a huge, clicker training conference.  There are many quality speakers offering lectures throughout the three days.  I saw some great speakers including Kay Laurence (great dog trainer from England), Ken Ramirez (multi species animal trainer very well known for his marine mammal work), Michelle Pouliot (champion canine freestyle trainer).  Since one of my goals is to teach canine freestyle, and I am taking Michelle's online course it was great to meet her in person.  I also met Victoria Stillwell from it's me or the dog which was a lot of fun.  In this business, continued education is so important and I take every opportunity to see this talented people and improve my skills and knowledge.

DOG OF THE MONTH
Mimi Krist

 
  Mimi is a sweetheart of a girl who has taken our beginning class and also our Canine Good Citizen class!  Mimi belongs to Pat and as a team they both just passed the certification test so that Mimi can do therapy dog work!  Great job!



UPCOMING CLASSES

Rally On!, Wednesday, February 9, 7:30pm,6 weeks,$150,Instructor Dawn Bushong

Rally is a fun, relatively new dog sport that emphasizes teamwork and communication as dogs and handlers navigate a course of varied and interesting obedience exercises.  This class will teach you and your dog how to perform a wide variety of Rally exercises, how to read the Rally signs, and how to string the signs together into full Rally courses.  You will learn Rally exercises from both APDT and AKC, as well as the similarities and differences in rules and scoring between these two venues.  Rally is great fun whether you are interested in competing or just looking for a new and challenging activity to try with your dog.

Clicker Conformation, Friday, February 4, 12:00pm, 5 weeks, $150, Instructor Vicki Ronchette

This course will help people wanting to get started with clicker training their show dogs.  We will work on teaching the dogs to stack, gait and accept examination.  While this is a class to teach conformation or show ring behaviors, dogs need not be show dogs to enroll.  This class will help dogs learn to accept handling and everything worked on is appropriate for pet dogs as well.  

Marshmallows, Thursdays, March 17, 6:00pm, 5 weeks, $150, Instructor Vicki Ronchette

Is your dog shy or uncomfortable around certain things?  Is he or she nervous of new people?  Then this class is for you! This class is designed especially for shy dogs.  The goal will be to teach owners of shy or fearful dogs to understand their dogs behavior and body language and how to help their dogs become more comfortable with different things.  We will work on some manners and obedience behaviors while also learning to help dogs cope in a new environment.

Confidence Building Class, Thursdays, March 17, 7:00pm, 5 weeks, $150, Instructor Vicki Ronchette

This class is all about building confidence in dogs through choice.  Using the seeking system in dogs (searching, investigating, exploring and experimenting) we build confidence by setting up situations that encourage seeking that the dog learns is rewarding and reinforcing which encourages more confidence and seeking.  This class is a great next step for many of our "Marshmallows" graduates looking for the next step in their dogs journey to confidence and security.  This class is limited to 5 dogs per session and to dogs that can be safely left in the car during the other dog's runs as dogs are worked individually (one at a time), which makes it a great choice for dog reactive dogs as well.

Lectures on the Lawn

These informative one hour lectures are held at Dublin Creek Kennels in the training yard. Chairs, blankets (in case it's chilly), hot chocolate, tea or coffee are all served.  The Lectures on the Lawn are designed to be informative, affordable and relaxing. The cost is $20 per person, people only please, no dogs.  Please see the following Lecture on the Lawn schedule.  Contact Vicki to register.

Friday, March 4, 6:30-7:30pm, Crossing Over from Traditional Training to Positive Reinforcement

As a crossover trainer, I will explain the differences between traditional, correction based training and positive reinforcement training.  I will talk about how they both work, how they are different and why I prefer positive reinforcement methods after having done both.  

Friday, April 1, 6:30-7:30, Why do dogs do that?

Do you ever wonder why dogs do some of the puzzling things that they do?  This lecture will address some of those things and give you insight into why dogs do those things.

Friday, May 6, 6:30-7:30, An Introduction to Canine Body Language 

Dogs communicate with body language.  In this lecture, we will take a look at canine body language to give you an idea of what your dog is trying to communicate with his or her body language.  

Drop In Conformation

Tuesdays, 7:00pm, All Breeds

Tuesdays, 7:30pm, Small Breeds

Wednesdays, 12:00pm, All Breeds

The Wednesday evening drop in conformation has been canceled until further notice.

BRAGS!

Congratulations to Mimi Krist who became a therapy dog!  Yay Mimi!

Congrats to Beckham Pitchford (an English Cocker, who is owner handled by mom Debbie) who has picked up several points including a win at San Mateo and one day at Cow Palace!  Go Beckham! 

Congrats to Splash Bay (a beagle, who is owner handled by mom Jessica Bay) who picked up several RWB to majors awards!  Good going Splashie!

Congrats to Allie Copen (a French Bulldog, owner handled by mom Michele) already a Grand Champion who got BOB and a group pull in January!

Please remember to let me know about your brags so that I can put them in the newsletter!