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J9’s K9s uses motivational, reward-based training methods. We incorporate lots of food, petting, praise and play in our training. Reward-based training, often referred to as “positive reinforcement”, is a wonderful relationship builder between canines and humans and helps create a dog that willingly obeys his owner, rather than obeying out of fear of being corrected. Not only do reward-based training methods work the best – they’re a heck of a lot more fun!
Absolutely! Our group classes are always open to the public for auditing. Visiting dogs are not allowed, but humans are welcome to watch us in action anytime. Note: due to COVID-19 occupancy restrictions, we may not be able to accommodate in-person auditing. Please call us at 818-832-9906 if you’d like to watch a class session and if we don’t have room for you, we’ll send you a link to our live Zoom portal so you can audit it.
We don’t want you to “bribe” your dog either! There’s a huge difference between using food as a lure or reward, and using food as a bribe. This distinction is clearly explained throughout our classes and students are expected to refrain from bribing their dogs.
Click here to learn more about the difference between lures, reward and bribes.
Traditional harnesses (where the leash is attached to the back of the dog) are allowed, but for some dogs they can make it more difficult to teach polite leash walking. Training at J9’s K9s is typically done on regular buckle collars or for strong leash-pullers, harnesses like the Freedom No Pull, Balance or PetSafe 3 In 1 which also have a place to attach the leash on the front of your dog’s chest in case he’s an exuberant walker.
Choke chains, pinch/prong collars and shock collars represent “old fashioned” compulsory training methods designed to teach the dog to obey only from fear of being hurt. These methods are at best, damaging to the relationship between you and your dog. At worst, they can cause permanent physical and/or psychological damage. These collars are not allowed at J9’s K9s.
Modifying behavior is an ongoing process – it simply doesn’t happen overnight. As the saying goes, “If it looks too good to be true, it probably is.”
All dogs start their journeys with J9’s K9s in our Puppy Head Start Class (open to all pups who will be under 20 weeks old on the first day of class) or our Beginner Obedience Class (open to all dogs over 16 weeks old who have completed their vaccinations). If your dog will be between 16 and 20 weeks old on the first day of class and you are unsure which one to enroll him in, read on or call us at 818-832-9906 so we can chat about your pup.
There are a couple of exceptions to this, such as our K9 Nose Work Classes, which have no training prerequisites.
Puppy Head Start Class is designed for puppies who may not have finished all of their vaccinations, and we thoroughly sterilize the classroom before each session. Here your puppy will learn to interact nicely with size/age appropriate groups of other puppies in short play sessions, and you will learn how to teach basic obedience skills, how to safely orchestrate early socialization to the rest of the world that your young one needs, how to address common puppy issues such as house training, mouthing, jumping, and much, much more!
Dogs 5 months and older who are new to J9’s K9s must initially complete our Beginner Obedience Class. This class covers more formal obedience skills and control exercises, using positive reinforcement and fun games to improve your relationship with your dog and strengthen his ability to focus and obey you around distractions. There are no puppy play groups held in Beginner Class – it’s more about attention to the handler. If your dog has already had some training, make sure to let your instructor know and you will be given more advanced versions of the exercises taught in this class.
Once your Beginner Class is completed, you and your pooch will move on to our Intermediate Obedience Class. This class emphasizes strengthening skills such as coming when called, loose leash walking and stays by adding distance to the handler and varying levels of distractions. You’ll also learn fun tricks to show off to your family and friends!
The sky’s the limit after you complete an Intermediate Class! Many dogs go on to our Advanced Obedience Classes which are custom-designed according to the goals of the attending students. These classes always include at least one “Street Smarts” session for training practice in the real world and are packed with our innovative training games. Many of our students take this course over an over again, since no two are alike – some have taken it over 60 times! But Advanced Class is not the only class you can take once you’ve graduated Intermediate – check out all of our amazing classes and discover the many ways to spend quality, constructive time with your best friend at J9’s K9s!
Puppy Head Start Class is designed specifically for puppies between the ages of 8 to 20 weeks and is open to all who will be within this age range on the first day of class. This course covers common puppy issues such as house training, puppy biting, general puppy mischief and early socialization, etc. and introduces basic obedience skills.
Because of the minimum age of the dogs in our Beginner Obedience Classes (4 months), this course skips straight to basic obedience skills, expecting a level of focus and attention not possible with very young puppies. Play groups with appropriate other puppies are included in our Puppy Head Start Classes; in Beginner Obedience Classes the emphasis is on teaching dogs to pay attention to their handlers instead.
We require that all dogs begin their training with us in either our Puppy Head Start Class (for puppies who will be under 20 weeks old on the first day of class) or Beginner Obedience Class (open to all dogs over 4 months old). It’s not uncommon for us to have students with dogs that have previous training. We have many “extras” to offer these students so that nobody feels “bored” in class. Please feel free to call us at 818-832-9906 if you have questions about the various curriculums at J9’s K9s.
Most of our classes are six-weeks long, and tuition ranges from $175 to $199 for the whole course. The prices of our Specialty Classes/Workshops/Field Trips may vary. You can see the cost for all of our courses in their individual listings.
Most classes are 6 weeks long (6 sessions) unless otherwise stated in the description for the course. Some Specialty Classes, Workshops and Field Trips may be only a few weeks long or even a single session, and some are longer. Check the class descriptions for more information.
Group classes meet for one-hour sessions, once a week on the same day at the scheduled time. Occasionally there will be a skipped week due to holidays or other scheduling issues; if this is the case, you’ll see it noted in the details under that specific class listing and the graduation date will be moved accordingly. We also keep our Calendar Of Classes updated for convenient referral.
J9’s K9s offers group classes weekday evenings as well as on weekends. You can see the day of the week, start time, location, instructor and other details for each class in the individual listings. To see a calendar of current and upcoming classes, click here.
Click here to see upcoming class listings.
Click here to where our group classes are currently being held. You can also participate in most of our group classes virtually on Zoom!
All J9’s K9s classes are typically limited to 8 dogs. Certain Specialty Classes and Field Trips which may have less or more spots available for enrollment, as the training area allows. Most classes have at least one assistant in addition to the instructor, so every dog gets individual attention.
At J9’s K9s, we encourage all family members to come to each class! Children under 18 years old must be accompanied by an adult and we prefer that children under 6 years old have an additional adult or teen present to keep them company. Note: pursuant to our COVID-19 safety policies, we are currently only allowing 4 humans to attend in-person classes with each dog.
Multiple dog families are welcome in the same group class so long as each dog has his own adult (18 yrs. or older) handler. If your dogs are very closely bonded, it can be difficult for them to focus in a class setting when they can see each other, but can’t run around together. If you suspect this to be the case with your dogs, it’s recommended to bring them through classes separately so that they each experience some time apart.
Transitioning into a new home can be stressful for a dog. It’s wise to give him a week or so to adjust to his new surroundings. After that, training is an excellent way to begin building a lifelong relationship with your new buddy. If you need assistance during the “adjustment phase”, a private lesson in your home might be the answer.
Yes, but if your female dog goes into season while attending an in-person class, she’ll need to wear panties in our classroom and you’ll need to get her accustomed to wearing them beforehand. If your female dog isn’t comfortable wearing panties, you can still attend your class sessions while she’s in season via our live, interactive Zoom portal.
Some dogs, especially adolescents, become extremely excited in the presence of other dogs. We are able to incorporate many such dogs into our classes by providing a visual barrier against the other dogs in the classroom. This gives most dogs the privacy they need so they can learn to relax and focus on their handlers when other dogs are nearby, and we are often able to slowly remove the visual barrier. Your instructor will be able to offer you suggestions for improving your dog’s ability to remain calm around other dogs, and you can click here for lots more tips. In some cases attending your class virtually or training in Private Lessons first may be a better option for your dog if a classroom full of other dogs wouldn’t be a good learning environment for him. If your dog barks and/or lunges at other dogs or people, please feel free to call us at 818-832-9906 before enrolling in a class so we can discuss your best training option.
Therapy Dog work is a great way to spend time with your canine companion while helping others at the same time! Our CGC/Therapy Dog Preparation Class is an upper-level J9’s K9s class. We require that dogs complete Beginner through Advanced Obedience Classes at J9’s K9s prior to enrolling in the CGC/Therapy Dog Preparation Class. This ensures that you, the handler, are familiar with our training techniques and better prepares you and your dog to be successful throughout the class.
We do not offer make-up classes. However, if you let us know you can’t make it to a class session at least 24 hours in advance we can record it for you via our live Zoom portal so you can watch it later, and your weekly handout will cover what you missed, too. Students also have the option of scheduling a private session (at an additional cost) with a J9’s K9s instructor if the feel they need extra help.
If you are unable to attend the class (or event) you registered for and let us know at least 10 days in advance, J9’s K9s will happily refund your class tuition. No refunds will be made available to students who fail to notify us less than 10 days before the start of their class/event. If you wish to make any changes to your enrollment (switch class start dates: etc.) you must let us know at least 5 days in advance so that we may apply your prepaid tuition to your new choice. We regret that we cannot make any enrollment changes nor offer any credit from your prepaid tuition less than 5 days prior to the start of a class/event.
Private Lessons are coaching sessions conducted with you and your dog(s). In these sessions we will teach you how to train any behaviors you like and address issues like anxiety, reactivity and aggression. Private Lessons are available by appointment only in the comfort of your own home, at our Indoor Training Facility in Canoga Park, at other locations specific to the behavior(s) being trained or virtually on Zoom. (Initial Consultations for very fearful, reactive or aggressive dogs are held solely at our training facility or virtually.) Private lessons are recommended for behavior modification or for humans who prefer one-on-one attention to specific issues.
Day Training consists of a J9’s K9s trainer coming to your home to work with your dog four times a week (one hour each session) with or without you present. This service is available in two packages (two weeks or four weeks), and a 45 minute in-person consultation ($100) with you and your dog is mandatory prior to enrollment. No actual training will be done during the consultation; we do this to ensure that the trainer will be able to meet your goals for your dog before you purchase a Day Training Package. Every two weeks of Day Training, the trainer will come to your home for a “Transfer Session” where you and your family will learn how to cue and manage the behaviors that he’s been taught.
Day Training is not offered for puppies under 6 months old. Additional dogs in the household may be added to a Day Training Package at an additional cost. Please note that if your trainer will be working with multiple dogs it may take more time to achieve results.
As with all of our training services, both of these Private Training options included unlimited free support from your J9’s K9s trainer for the life of your dog!
Click here for more information about Private Lessons and Day Training.
Click here to see a complete list of J9’s K9s services and prices.
Private Lessons are coaching sessions with you and your dog(s) offered in the comfort of your home, in our Indoor Training Facility in Canoga Park, in locations specific to the behavior(s) being addressed and in live, interactive virtual sessions. Students with puppies and dogs whom we haven’t worked with before must complete and submit an online form to apply for this training service, and if accepted, start with an Initial Consultation Session.
Click here to see a complete list of prices. Additional travel charges may apply for in-home services.
A Day Training Consultation (prerequisite for all Day Training Packages) costs $100 and consists of a 45 minute consultation in your home to determine if Day Training is appropriate for your dog. Students with dogs whom we haven’t worked with before must complete and submit an online form to apply for this training service. No actual training will be done during the Consultation.
Two weeks of Day Training (the minimum for this training option) cost $1200 and consists of eight one hour training sessions (four times a week) and one “Transfer Session” (1 hour to 1.5 hours) where you and your family will learn how to cue and manage your dog using the behaviors he’s been taught.
Four weeks of Day Training cost $2300 and consists of sixteen one hour training sessions (four times a week) and two “Transfer Sessions” (1 hour to 1.5 hours each) where you and your family will learn how to cue and manage your dog using the behaviors he’s been taught.
Additional travel charges may apply.
No, we do not offer guarantees. There are too many factors involved in every case to be able to guarantee an outcome. These factors cannot be controlled by the trainer and so to guarantee a result would be a violation of the industry-wide Code of Ethics that we adhere to as professionals. A dog’s genetics and past experiences (including socialization etc.) plus the dog owner’s ability and willingness to comply with a training plan all play a significant role in the success of training. We will show you what your dog is capable of, however it is integral to the success of any training program that you do your part as well. Some more serious behavior issues are quite complex and may require more intensive training with continued commitment and management from you, possibly for the life of your dog.
You don’t need to have a PayPal account to make your payment. When you are purchasing one of our training services online you’ll be directed to the PayPal website, but if you’d like to pay with a credit or debit card, simply click on “Pay with Debit or Credit Card” or “Check out as Guest” at the bottom of the PayPal page. Please feel free to call us at 818-832-9906 if you are having trouble making your purchase.
Note: Please do not purchase a Private Training service unless you have already scheduled an appointment with us. Click here for more information.
You don’t need to have a PayPal account to make your payment. When you are purchasing one of our training services online you’ll be directed to the PayPal website, but if you’d like to pay with a credit or debit card, simply click on “Pay with Debit or Credit Card” or “Check out as Guest” at the bottom of the PayPal page. Please feel free to call us at 818-832-9906 if you are having trouble making your purchase.
Note: Please do not purchase a Private Training service unless you have already scheduled an appointment with us. Click here for more information.
