BetCo October Newsletter

Hello ,

RDO-Day, our Doggy Day annual celebration was a great success thanks to all of you!!! This was our biggest event with over 20 vendors and close to 300 visitors - now we're already planning for next year!

We now have two flow charts showing all the classes we offer and their progression, especially for our manners classes. We know it can be confusing, and the flow charts will help you understand your options! The charts are now in every class folder and posted in our waiting area and on Facebook.

Ready for another class? Check below for upcoming behavior and sports classes:

1) Rain season is here and indoor sports classes are back!

October: A gility classes will start October 8th, and we do have a few spots available in some of the classes!

October: Trick Dog class on Thursdays is a full success!!! We'll have a second Novice class starting October 13th, taught by Ella-Kate!

November: K9 Intro to Nose Work is the fastest growing sport for lots of good reasons! Join us as we learn to better understand our dog's 'view' of the world!

2) Interested in improving your dog's manners in more behavior classes? We have the right class for you!

October: Grade School - practice manners in an increasingly distracting environment (Mondays and Thursdays)

November: CLASS-BA - games and role play to improve your dog's self-control and behavior in public and at home (Wednesdays)

December: Junior High - reach higher levels of obedience (Mondays)

All clickable links in this newsletter are in PURPLE.

Enjoy life with your better companion,

Claudia

1) Sports classes:

Join our Trick Dog Novice class, starting October 13th, on Thursdays at 5pm. Due to the high demand when we offered it first in August, we're offering a second novice level class. This class earned great reviews already, offering a chance to earn Trick Dog titles for your dog conveniently from the comfort of our classroom! We'll offer a Trick Dog Intermediate class in December.

Start or keep going with our popular Agility classes! If we have enough additional interest, we'll even double up whichever classes are necessary, so times as listed could still change. Starting October 8th, on Saturdays, with a break on October 29 (agility trial), finishing November 19th.

K9 Intro to Nose Work® is the best outlet for any dog; puppies or seniors, shy or outgoing, mellow or energetic, little or lots of obedience, even a little reactive to other dogs - no problem! Channel the energy of your 'nosy' dog into a behavior you can control! Starts in November, filling already! We might find room for an overflow class if needed ...

Which sports class would you like to see coming up in the winter - December or later? Another Sports Sampler class on a Saturday, or Freestyle, Treibball or anything else we could offer on a Thursday evening??? Email us your wishes and you might see it coming true! Treibball in February on Thursday evenings? Who's game for that???

2) Manners classes

Haven't done Grade School yet?

Puppy 2 - Kindergarten and Foundation Class graduates can continue on to Grade School, offered every month. Pick the day and time that fits your schedule best! Grade School applies all the learned techniques to valuable exercises, improving your handling skills and your dog's behavior through more practice with controlled but increasing distractions. Next GS starting Oct 10th, Mondays at 11:30am or Oct 13th, Thursdays at 6:15pm. In November on Sunday afternoons.

Grade School graduates and any level beyond:
Take our CLASS-BA course in November (Canine Life And Social Skills program) or take obedience to the higher levels in our Junior High class, offered again in December. Junior High graduates: Try Rally College in October or take the CLASS-BA course first!

Want to start your dog now?
Our Package deals are the best option for the young dogs - bundle two or more classes for a great discount! You learn valuable lessons and your dog gets the best start. Next Puppy 1 classes: Starting October 10th, on Mondays at 10:15am and October 13th, on Thursdays at 7:30pm. In November on Sundays again. Puppy 2 class starts October 10th, on Mondays at 6:15pm. In November on Wednesdays. For dogs over 6 months new to BetCo, join our Foundation Class, also starting every month! Next FC starting October 10th, on Mondays at 9am or 7:30pm. In November on Sunday afternoon or Wednesday evening.

Here's what one of our clients had to say after taking Foundation Class:

"[The greatest benefit was] to confirm we were properly training at home. ... [We liked most about the program] new ideas, the instructor was great! ... [Our dog's Happy Tale is that he's] so much better. We have all noticed improvements. "

Read more testimonies HERE!

Monthly Training Tip:

When does a dog 'know' a command? Generalization!

So you have taught your dog to 'Sit' at home in the living room, with treats (or not) and now when you say "Sit", your dog should sit. Every time. Wouldn't that be wonderful!!!

Your dog however remembers the following: 'Three times right before dinner, when I was very hungry, mom came with treats and walked with me in the living room. She said something, then raised the treat and pushed on my butt, and then I got the treat. Tomorrow if she walks with me in the living room again with those delicious treats, I'll try to be as quick as I can to respond to get them!' Your dog might even sit before you ask for it!

If you at this point take your dog outside on a busy trail and say "Sit", most likely your dog will look at you with a big question mark in her face. Your dog has not 'generalized' the behavior yet. When teaching a new behavior, we need to explain what we want over and over again in different situations, before our dog understands to 'put butt on ground - no matter where'.

In our example, we need to practice and maybe still help with a hand signal or even food lure, to make sure our dog can be successful in a lot of different situations: Sit in the house, garage or yard; on the trail, in the car, next to the bicycle or stroller; in the morning or afternoon, before or after mealtime; next to another dog, with other people or dogs present, while a car goes by or a bird flies by; when you're ready to leash or un-leash, play with car keys, get ready to throw a ball; at the store, the airport or the bus station; Sit in front, besides you and away from you ...

This list goes on and on! The more situations you have used to practice and helped your dog what 'Sit' means, the more likely your dog will generalize, and finally even sit immediately in a brand-new situation just because you said 'Sit'.

The same principle is valid for all other behaviors as well, like Down, Stay and Come. As you teach your dog more and more behaviors, the generalization will occur quicker and quicker, and some dogs really need only three repetitions and then they 'know'. So the more 'tricks' you teach your dog, the faster training will be!

There're some dogs that will always need more repetitions in more situations before they generalize. And there're some situations that need more practice than others, like the dog park with lots of distractions. I know that my Jack Russell Terrier needs more repetitions and practice than my Australian Shepherd-mix. Puppies will need more repetitions than adult dogs.

If you think your dog 'knows', think again! Did your dog have the proper training and opportunity to generalize??? Our dogs in most circumstances aren't in mutiny or resisting out of spite, they simply have not been trained properly for this specific situation. Don't get frustrated or mad at your dog, help your dog to be successful!

Enjoy the Journey of Dog Training!
Claudia