Group Levels Training

At A Closer Bond, we offer an innovative approach to group training. With our 8-week Group Levels membership, you get the training and support you need to succeed at the pace that is best suited to you, your dog, and your schedule. New dogs are welcome to join our Group Levels Classes on a regular basis!

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How it Works

Training classes are held throughout the week. When you and your furry friend are able to successfully complete the criteria of the level, you graduate and move up to the next level! Some teams may spend a few weeks learning and practicing the skills needed to advance and some teams advance quicker to the next level. The best part, if you miss a week, you won't fall behind and if you would like to train more than once a week as you advance through the Levels, that's okay too! You can train twice a week to advance twice as fast. In each class your instructor reviews the criteria necessary for you and your dog to pass to the next level. You'll be training your dog for the majority of the class.

What Level Does My Dog Start At?

You may begin your dog in Levels Classes at the age of 16 weeks. All dogs, regardless of their abilities, begin with Level One and work their way through. For puppies under 16 weeks, we recommend our Puppy Training programs.

When a Level is successfully completed, you are more than welcome to join in on the training class for your current Level and the Level that you most recently completed. For example, if you and your pup have completed Level 1 and have moved onto Level 2, you are free to come to class during any Level 1 or Level 2 time slot. This means you could be training one or two times each week with a professional trainer to really help to set those skills in place.

The Details

We provide you with an orientation presentation sent to you via email the week prior to attending your first session. This orientation reviews some of the basics of what we will be doing in class and some of the training techniques that will be used during your next 8 weeks of training.

Training classes do not take place at A Closer Bond during holidays which includes the week of Thanksgiving, the week between Christmas and New Year's Day, during March Break, the Monday of Labor Day and Memorial Day, and July 3rd, 4th, and 5th. Memberships purchased in advance that span over any of these times, will take a "break" to practice at home during these times and any remaining weeks on the membership will pick up where they left off when training classes resume.

How to RSVP:

    1.   Login to your Propet account.
   2.   Click "Book Now".
   3.   Select Group Class Reservation.
   4.   Select your dog that will attend class.
   5.   Under Select Classes, choose the level and time you wish to attend.
   6.   Add your dog to the class and click save.
   7.   Select the class you wish to attend and click save.
   8.   Enter your initials at the bottom of the page and click save reservation.

Course Outline

Here is a summary of the course outline for our Group Levels Training. View our calendar of classes.

Level 1
Command Overview	Criteria to Advance to the Next Level
Let's Go	Walk Loosely on leash focused on handler
Sit	Sit without lure and hold for 1 minute
Down	Down without lure and hold for 1 minute
Okay	Understands command as the only release word
Level 2
Command Overview	Criteria to Advance to the Next Level
Heel	Focused walk with auto-sit
Sit from Down	Sit from the down position
Sit & Down X3	Sit and down consecutively 3 times without lure or correction
Stay	Hold sit and down for 3 minutes
Level 3
Command Overview	Criteria to Advance to the Next Level
Sit & Down From Distance	Sit and down from 5 or more feet away
Come	Come and sit facing the handler
Commands in Motion	Sit or down from the heel command as handler continues to walk
Drop Leash Stay	Hold sit and down for 5 minutes
Level 4
Overview	Skills
Drop Leash/Off Leash Training	Working with commands already established
Distractions	Working with distractions with established commands
Continuing Education	Increased levels of difficulty for all exercises and skills
Intro to New Skills	Learning new commands and tricks