Welcome to the Canine Academy, where dogs learn how to be a "Total Dog" and have fun doing it! Our program is comprehensive and geared for dogs of all breeds and stages of life -- from puppies to seniors -- and will help you make the most of the time you spend with your canine companion doing dog and people things. Our instructor, Eric, offers a broad range of training opportunities that including, group classes, private lessons, play sessions and seminars, each geared toward the mastery of specific commands and behaviors -- all with the goal of helping your dog acquire essentail life skills through clear instruction, good communication, and lots of practice. We look forward to helping you and your dog live well together, fully enjoying the special relationship unique to dogs and the people who love them.  To schedule a class or lesson, or if you have questions, just call us at 303-708-8050.

CLASSES FOR BEGINNERS Perfect Puppy / AKC S.T.A.R. Puppy Certification For puppies 8 weeks to 5 months old.  This class is a great way to introduce your puppy to the world of humans and other dogs.  It covers beginning commands and socialization skills, such as 'good', 'no', 'sit', 'down', 'come', 'take it', 'leave it', 'give', and 'wait', and includes class-time for group play.   Also addresses common puppy issues such as, biting, jumping, digging, and barking, plus, house-training, crate-training, and nutrition.   Class includes preparation for AKC S.T.A.R. Puppy certification, certification test, and AKC S.T.A.R. Puppy medal. Meets twice weekly for 3 weeks.  Fee:  $125 Companion Dog Essentials  For dogs 6 months and older.  This class focuses on mastery of all basic commands learned in Perfect Puppy.  It also includes 'right here' ('heel') with automatic 'sit', about turn, and right and left turns.  Eric addresses behavioral issues as needed.  Meets twice weekly for 3 weeks and is the perfect follow-up for Perfect Puppy.  Fee:  $125 Play Camp To further enhance your dog's socialization skills, Eric recommends scheduling a few Play Camp sessions to provide your dog with additional experience at interacting with other dogs and behaving appropriately, while in a safe, controlled environment.  These skills are especially important if you plan to take your dog to dog parks and other places where other dogs are present.  For further information on Play Camp, see below.

FOR THE MORE ADVANCED Companion Dog Essentails - Level 2 For Companion Dog Essentials graduates.  This class focuses on mastery of all basic commands while working off leash.  It is the perfect compliment to the level one Essentails class and great way to prepare for AKC Canine Good Citizen and all other classes in our Total Dog program.  Meets twice weekly for 3 weeks.  Fee:  $125  AKC Canine Good Citizen For Companion Dog Essentials graduates.  This class includes a review of all basic commands, then focuses on confidence and self-control while demonstrating these commands.  The class conditions dogs to behave in a mannerly fashion -- at home, in public, and when associating with other dogs -- by perfecting their behavior in the presence of distractions typical of public places.  The nationally recognized AKC Canine Good Citizen Test is given during the 5th week of class, and a certificate is awarded upon successful completion of the test.  Meets once weekly for 5 weeks.  Fee:  $90

SPECIALTY CLASSES Street Agility - Barkour For dogs 9 months or older.  This class is a seasonal class that uses agility cues with indoor equipment and structures found in the outdoor environment, to provide interesting and challenging objects for dogs to climb on, jump over, and crawl under.  It offers the physical activity that dogs love in a non-competive environment.  Meets once weekly for 6 weeks.  Fee:  $125   Rally'O'For Fun For Companion Dog Essentials graduates.  This class combines obedience skills and competition by preparing dogs to perform obedience skills on command along a set course, while competing for accuracy and speed.  Provides a unique and fun way to utilize obedience skills, while reinforcing discipline and communication between you and your dog.  Meets once weekly for 6 weeks.  Fee:  $125  Dynamite Dog For the aggressive and reactive dog that "blows up" easily with inappropriate behavior, in a variety of situations.  This class focuses on identifying inappropriate behaviors and correcting them, in a safe, non-threatening environment.  Eric's goal is to help these dogs have a great relationship with their human family members, other people, and other dogs.   Meets once weekly for 6 weeks:  Fee: $125

PRIVATE LESSONS One-On-One This is a one-hour lesson with Eric designed to address your specific training needs one-on-one with just you and your dog.  All lessons are at our facility.  Lessons are scheduled as needed and at a time convenient to you.  Fee:  $75 per session In Home This is a one-hour lesson with Eric conducted in your home that focuses on correcting specific problems that occur in your home environment.  Home lessons are scheduled as needed and at  a time convenient to you.  Fee:  $95

TRAINING FOR BOARDERS Board & Train Session This is obedience training for the dog staying in our Lodge and a great way to keep your dog active and thinking.  It consists of a private 25-minute lesson with Eric working on basic commands such as 'come', 'right here' (heel), 'sit', and 'down'.  Special problems will be addressed at your request.  You can schedule up to two lessons a day for boarding stays that are scheduled forTuesdays through Saturdays.  Fee:  $17 per lesson      Boarding School This is a two-week intensive training program where your dog stays with us during the week and trains with Eric one-on-one.  Dogs go home for the weekend, allowing you and your dog to practice the skills learned each week in your home environment.  On the last training day of each week, Eric holds a private session with you and your dog, reviewing the week's training and instructing on skills to be practiced.  This program includes all training and boarding for the eight training days, plus, one in-home follow-up session to be scheduled at your convenience after completion of the program.  Fee:  $535  Please note that regular fees will apply for any additional services provided, including weekend overnight boarding stays and medical care.

PLAY CAMP An ideal way to enhance socialization skills at all stages of learning, play camp offers the physical activity and group play that dogs love.  Offered each week, this fun, supervised play time gives dogs the opportunity to make new canine friends and learn how to play and interact with them appropriately.  Conducted in the safety of Eric's training room and under his supervision, dogs can play with each other and with toys to their heart's content.   Play camp is offered as follows:  On Wednesdays and Fridays from 9:00am to 12:00pm, for all current and past obedience students, and Tuesday through Saturday for Lodge boarders and daycare boarders.  Approved dogs can attend any number of 30-minute time periods during a scheduled play camp, and many stay for the entire time.   Play camp is for friendly dogs only, and for the safety of all play camp participants, dog-aggressive and/or people-aggressive dogs will not be allowed. Please note that participation of un-neutered males and un-spayed females will be allowed only on a case by case basis at Eric's discretion.  FEE:  $7 for each 30-minute time period, with a one-hour minimum for non-boarding, drop-in campers.

FREE CLASS  (For people only) So, You Got A New Puppy? If you just got a new puppy or plan to, you won't want to miss this free one-hour 'puppy 101' class for new puppy owners.  Eric will cover the immediate essentials of puppy survival, including house training, feeding, and the gear you'll need to help your puppy get off to a good start.  Meets the last Wednesday of each month at 4:00pm.

OUR INSTRUCTOR Eric Gillaspy, CPDT Eric loves dogs and they love him.  As our resident obedience instructor, he is here Tuesday through Saturday, ready to help you with your obedience training needs.    Eric is certified with the Council of Professional Dog Trainers, and has been training dogs professionally for fourteen years.  At our facility since 2004, he specializes in identifying and solving behavioral problems, and implementing positive-reinforcement techniques that produce long-term results.  His techniques are both effective and humane.  Eric has worked with Good Dog Training and the Downtown Dog Lounge, and has been featured in the American Animal Hospital Association's Pets Matter publication. From the classroom setting to private one-on-one lessons, he is dedicated to helping dogs and people have great relationships at all stages of life. Always happy to discuss obedience problems and training solutions, Eric will guide you into the training that best meets your dog's needs, then help you and your dog achieve your training goals. To schedule a class or lesson, or for additional information about Eric's program, just call us at 303-708-8050 any day of the week.  You can reach Eric Tuesday through Saturday, or just ask for him when you come by for your next visit.

WINTER CLASS SCHEDULE Perfect Puppy / AKC S.T.A.R. Puppy Certification Classes Meet Tuesdays & Thursdays @ 6:45pm for 3 weeks:   Class 1:  January 3rd - January 19th     Class 2:  January 31st - February 16th Class 3:  March 6th - March 22nd Companion Dog Essentials Classes Meet Tuesdays & Thursdays @ 5:30pm for 3 weeks: Class 1:  January 3rd - January 19th Class 2:  January 31st - February 16th Class 3:  March 6th - March 22nd AKC Canine Good Citizen Classes meet on Saturday @ 1:45pm for 5 weeks: Class 1:  January 14th - February 11th Class 2:  March 3rd - March 31st Rally'O' For Fun Classes meet on Saturday @ 12:30pm for 6 weeks:  Class 1:  January14th - February 18th Dynamite Dog Classes meet on Saturdays @ 11:00am for 6 weeks: Class 1:  January 14th - February 18th Class 2:  March 3rd - April 7th   OBEDIENCE PROGRAM PARTICIPANT REQUIREMENTS ♦ Dogs must be current on all required vaccinations, including Bordetella and Leptospirosis, seven days prior to their first class or lesson.  If vaccinated at another facility, a copy of the current vaccination record from a licensed veterinarian is required in advance of the first session.  ♦ Fees must be paid prior to the first class.  ♦ No refunds after the first day of class.   ♦ There is a one-hour minimum for Play Camp participation for all drop-in (non-boarding) dogs.  Additional time will be charged in 30-minute increments on the half hour only, regardless of arrival or departure time.  ♦ We reserve the right to turn away any dog that may be ill or contagious, or dog and/or people aggressive.   WHAT PARTICIPANTS ARE SAYING ABOUT THE CLASS THEY ATTENDED "The instruction was excellent." "Absolutely fantastic.  I have become much more knowledgeable..." "Great class, fun, but very informative." "Eric is a very intuitive instructor..." "Good basic instruction, but not too much all at once." "Loved the class.  Perfect Q & A.  Thank you for all the tips and tricks...very helpful." "Good tips for training, excellent exercises." "Positive training methods, very knowledgeable and entertaining instructor." "Lots of good training ideas during class and for problems outside of class." "Loved the doggie playtime at the beginning of each class." "I liked the tone of the class, relaxed and easy-going." "Small class size, great instructor!" "We had a lot of fun and enjoyed meeting other dogs." "Enjoyed the comfortable, open environment." "Very pleased...we learned a lot!" "Really liked the focus on small goals each week, made it easier to make overall progress." "Eric is great.  Very knowledgeable and patient, and obviously loves dogs." Eric has worked with our 2 dogs in one-on-one board & train sessions numerous times since they were puppies.  One day this past summer, we took them with us to Breckenridge and were amazed at how well they behaved;  they stayed in their "downs" on the ground by our table while we had lunch, in spite of numerous distractions. They also walked on leash at our sides through crowds of people on main street like it was no big deal.  It was so much fun to take our well-behaved dogs with us like any other family member.  I highly recommend his training !!