Specialty Classes
We offer a variety of Specialty Classes designed to support your training journey and strengthen the bond with your dog.
While Tumblewood Canine offers several specialty classes directly, we also collaborate with other trusted, positive reinforcement trainers. These partnerships allows us to offer you access to a wider variety of specialized subjects and ensures you find the perfect fit for your needs.
Whether you are looking for fun activities, confidence-building exercises, opportunities to apply skills in real-world scenarios, or advanced training options, we have the ideal class for you and your canine companion.
Crate Games
Crate training is an important life skill that every dog should have, because at some point in your dog’s life, they will need to be crated. It could be to keep them safe and out of mischief at home, an overnight stay at the vet, during travel, or simply to provide a calm, secure space when they’re feeling unsure.
Inspired by world-renown trainer Susan Garrett, the Crate Games course is designed to help dogs build a happy, confident relationship with their crate. Whether you’re looking to start your dog’s crate training off on the right foot, or if your dog has already developed a negative association with the crate, this course will guide you through fun, reward-based games that teach your dog to truly enjoy their crate.
The exercises in this course can also be used to teach your dog a rock-solid ‘Place’.
Skills Include:
- Getting comfortable going in the crate
- Adding a cue to go in the crate
- Learning to in the crate until released, no matter what
- Building drive and enthusiasm for being in the crate
- Being comfortable and relaxed while in their crate
Crate Games consists of four 1-hour group classes that take place the same time each week at Tumblewood Canine. Maximum 4 dogs per class.
Price: $240 for 4-week course
| Upcoming Start Date | Time | Instructor |
|---|---|---|
| Thursday April 2nd |
7:15pm-8:15pm |
Kim |
Canine Good Neighbour Prep Course
The Canine Good Neighbour Prep Course is an advanced course that covers everything you need to know to earn your CGN Title with your dog. Not only that, but all of the skills learned in class will be beneficial for a well rounded, well mannered canine citizen. The class will be fast-paced and is designed to challenge you and your dog in a positive and constructive way.
Skills Include:
- Polite greetings with all kinds of people
- Loose leash walking with distractions
- Walking through a crowd (various locations)
- Long sit-stays and down-stays
- “Wait” and “OK” cues
- Stand for exam
- Recall
- And more!
The CGN Prep Course includes six 1-hour group classes that take place the same time every week. The first four classes take place at Tumblewood Canine, and the last two classes take place out in the real world.
Prerequisite: Must have competed all four Critical Skills Workshops, or a Level-1 and Level-2 Obedience program.
Price: $400+HST for 6-week course.
| Upcoming Start Date | Time | Instructor |
|---|---|---|
| Saturday March 28th | First 4 classes: 11:15am-12:15am Last 2 classes: 11:30pm-12:30pm |
Julia |
Better Vet Visits: Helping Your Dog Feel Safe and Calm
All dogs need to visit the vet, whether it’s for routine vaccinations, checkups, or unexpected illnesses or injuries. But for many dogs (and their humans), vet visits can be a major source of stress. The Better Vet Visits course is designed to equip you with practical, easy-to-use tools and techniques to reduce anxiety and make trips to the vet more positive for your dog, for you, and for your veterinarian.
Whether you’re hoping to prevent your puppy or adult dog from developing fear around vet visits, or you’re working with a dog who’s already nervous, fearful, or reactive at the vet, this course will guide you step-by-step toward calmer, more cooperative appointments.
Skills Include:
- Recognize early signs of stress in your dog
- Build positive associations with common vet experiences
- Use training and handling techniques to help your dog feel safe
- Desensitize equipment commonly used during veterinary appointments
- Practice a variety of restraints
- Apply these skills at an actual vet’s office during a fear-free visit!
The Better Vet Visits course includes five 1-hour group classes including an Intro Talk (no dogs). The first four classes take place at Tumblewood Canine, the final class takes place at Black Creek Animal Hospital. Maximum 4 dogs per course!
Price: $240+HST for 4-week course.
| Upcoming Start Date | Time | Instructor |
|---|---|---|
| Monday April 13th |
Classes 1-4: Mondays from 6:00pm-7:00pm |
Offered by Daniella Zamora |
Introduction to Canine Fitness
All of our dogs are athletes, and just like humans, fitness is essential to keeping them healthy and strong. Movement is medicine, and maintaining their physical condition ensures they can continue doing the activities they love for as long as possible. Daniella from Paws with Bonds and Blue Spring Animal Rehab Center in Acton is excited to offer a two-week course designed to introduce canine fitness to you and your dog.
Skills Include:
- The human side to canine fitness
- Understanding how your position and reward placement can affect your dog’s posture and exercise performance
- Teaching your dog strong foundation behaviours such as a cone wrap, cavalettis, hind end pivots and more
- Spotting slight postural changes and what they could mean
- Practice static and dynamic full body work outs for your dog
- And more!
This class is designed for physically sound dogs that have been cleared by their vet to perform exercise. This class is not suitable if your dog is recovering from an orthopedic surgery and neurological condition or is currently experiencing any pain or lameness. If you are not sure if your dog is a good candidate please feel free to reach out to Daniella at pawswithbonds@gmail.com. Puppies are welcomed over 16 weeks of age but some exercises may be modified for their wellbeing.
Price: $145+HST for 2-week course.
| Upcoming Start Date | Time | Instructor |
|---|---|---|
| Monday April 13th | 7:15pm-8:15pm | Daniela Zamora with Paws with Bonds Professional Dog Training |
Target Training: From Nose to Toes
Our Target Training course is a fun and challenging program designed to engage your dog’s mind! We use a technique called “shaping” to teach your dog various types of targets. These foundational behaviors can then be expanded into a wide range of practical and entertaining skills.
Imagine your dog learning to push a button, turn lights on or off, open or close doors, clean up after themselves, and even grab a cold drink from the fridge!
Beyond the fun, shaping offers excellent mental stimulation and can significantly boost the confidence of shy or under-confident dogs.
Skills Include:
- Nose Target (push a button, close a door, move away from you…)
- Paw Targets (add distance to basic commands, send your dog to a certain spot…)
- Bite and Hold (pick up items, retrieve items, pull a door closed, tidy up items…)
- Target Sticks (teach left and right, how to pose for a photo…)
- And More!
The Target Training course includes four 1-hour group classes that take place at the same time every week at Tumblewood Canine.
Prerequisite: Puppy Kindergarten or a minimum of one Critical Skills Workshop.
Price: $240+HST for 4-week course.
| Upcoming Start Dates |
|---|
| No upcoming classes scheduled. Contact us to be notified the next time this course is offered. |
Obstacle Training: Trust and Togetherness
Our Obstacle Training class is a fun and exciting relationship-building opportunity for you and your dog. It helps your dog build their confidence by learning how to navigate different obstacles in our outdoor training space, and helps you develop your handling skills.
Skills Include:
- Lead your dog over and through different obstacles
- Improve your handling and communication
- Improve your dog’s focus, confidence, coordination, and fitness
- Build your relationship and trust!
Obstacle Training includes four 1-hour group classes that take place at the same time every week at Tumblewood Canine.
Prerequisite: Puppy Kindergarten or a minimum of one Critical Skills Workshop.
Price: $240+HST for 4-week course.
| Upcoming Start Dates |
|---|
| No upcoming classes scheduled. Contact us to be notified the next time this course is offered. |
