Which J9’s K9s Class should I take first?

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!