Personal Enrichment

Does your dog have an excellent temperament? Do they seem to gravitate toward people who love dogs or who need a pick-me-up? Do they love attention and affection? Then they might be a perfect candidate for therapy dog work! In this class we'll build the skills necessary for you and your dog to become certified as a therapy dog team and visit facilities such as nursing homes, hospitals, libraries, colleges, etc. In class, you will learn dog handling skills while exposing your dog to a variety of scenarios such as odd objects, medical equipment and unexpected loud noises. We will create scenarios where the therapy dog team discovers how to handle unexpected surprises. Dogs must be at least one year old to join this class and already have attend a group training class (or by instructor permission) with basic manners including sit, down, come, stay, and loose leash walking. Dogs must be comfortable working around other dogs and a variety of people. This class is not appropriate for dogs with fear, anxiety or reactivity issues. First class is people only, no dogs please.

These classes will be held at Somesville Fire Dept (1157 Main St., Mt. Desert). To accommodate the demand, Manners 1 will be offered multiple times/dates so please pay attention which section you register for.

All classes will be taught by Whitney Thurston, CPDT-KA of Salty Dog Obedience and Adventure. Each class runs 6 weeks for 50 minutes. Her goal and passion is to help other dog lovers learn how to effectively communicate with their dogs, to help them build lasting relationships.