Dog Therapy Training & Certification
AKC Canine Good Citizen Classes
Welcome to Courteous Canine, where we are committed to providing you with the best pet therapy dog training. When you join our pet therapy dog training, it’s all about positive reinforcement. Our staff absolutely loves and understands dogs, which makes us a great choice when looking for pet therapy training in Tampa. We offer pet therapy classes to help ensure that your dog is better prepared to take the American Kennel Club Canine Good Citizen test.
What is a therapy dog?
Therapy dogs are dogs who go with their parents to volunteer their time in various settings such as schools, hospitals, and nursing homes. Therapy dogs and their parents work together as a team to improve the lives of other people.
AKC Canine Good Citizen and Part 1 Pet Therapy Prep
This group class prepares dog and handler teams for the AKC Canine Good Citizen test which is administered at the last class. However, this class also starts teams interested in pet therapy. Dogs will learn ideal walk-bys with other dogs, wheel chairs, walkers and other unique situations. Please note that completing this class does not automatically mean you pass the CGC test, our testers will abide by AKC rules for testing. Every dog is an individual, so depending on the dog this class may need to be repeated. This group class is for dogs that are free of reactivity toward humans and other dogs.
This class is 8-weeks long and provided in a group setting of up to six dogs.
Advanced CGC and Pet Therapy Prep Part 2
Prerequisite: Canine Good Citizen Class Pet Therapy Part 1
Would You and Your Dog Enjoy Helping Others with Special Needs? Come join Courteous Canine, Inc. to become a volunteer doing Animal-Assisted Interactions in your community. This 8-week one hour session program, teaches participants important pet therapy concepts along side of prepping teams for the AKC Advanced Canine Good Citizen program, including seven weeks of prep and the Advanced CGC test on week 8. Teams graduating from this program will be put in touch with pet therapy organizations to be tested and officially licensed for Pet Therapy. There is no fee associated with being tested– but some programs require an online class. All organizations for pet therapy certification will require a annual membership fee to cover the cost of insuring teams.
We took our dog here for Puppy Kindergarten… She enjoyed it so much we brought her back for the Canine Good Citizen certification training. Sadly, she is no longer with us. But when we were ready to get another dog we knew we would take them to Courteous Canine! We took our new dog to Puppy Kindergarten in 2012 and we also did one of their specialty classes, Really Reliable Coming When Called. The facility is clean and air conditioned. The classes are small enough that you can address specific issues with your dog. The times and dates are varied so it was easy to find a class that fit our schedule. Every instructor we have worked with was extremely knowledgeable and patient. We highly recommended Courteous Canine!
RAIN POLICY
For private training and group instruction that is held outdoors, we will make every attempt to contact students at least two hours before if we are canceling class. Classes are held during light rain, if there is lightning classes are cancelled. If you see lightning during your class, please let your instructor know immediately.
If you don’t hear from your instructor, your class will occur as scheduled.
VACCINE POLICY
To participate in class, your dog must have received:
- Distemper/Parvo (core combination)
- Leptospirosis
- Rabies
- Bordetella
- Canine Influenza
If your dog is not eligible for these vaccines, we will also accept a letter of exemption from your veterinarian due to your dog’s age or medical status.
Dog Training Group Classes
| Dog Training Group Classes | Description | Price | Register |
|---|---|---|---|
| Intro to Agility – Jumps, Tunnels, Chutes | Intro to Agility – 6-weeks Intro to Agility: Jumps, Tunnels and Chute Group Class | $175 |  Class Schedule & Registration |
| Intro to Agility – Contacts and Weaves | Intro to Agility – 6-weeks Intro to Agility: Contacts and Weaves Group Class | $175 | Class Schedule & Registration |
| Intermediate/Advanced Agility | Intermediate/Advanced Agility: 6 weeks intermediate/advanced agility Group Class. | $175 | Class Schedule & Registration |
| 6-Week Rally O Novice | 6 weeks Rally O Novice | $198 | Class Schedule & Registration |
| Really Reliable Coming When Called | One time 90-minute group class of fun games for successful coming when called | $39 | Class Schedule & Registration |
| Dog Swimming 101: Puppy Pool Safety | One time 90-minute Intro to swimming | $35 | Class Schedule & Registration |
| Pool Tricks for Dogs! | One-time 90-minute class that provides your dog the opportunity to learn simple fun pool tricks! | $35 | Class Schedule & Registration |
| Intro to Dock Jumping | One time 90-minute Intro to Dock Jumping. | $35 | Class Schedule & Registration |
| Intermediate/Advanced Dock Jumping Practice | 1.5 hour group practice session | $35 | Class Schedule & Registration |
| Dock Jumping Dry Land Games | 90-Minute group class makes use of games outside of the pool to teach dogs foundation training for dog dock jumping. It is recommended to take this class multiple times for optimum results. | $35 | Class Schedule & Registration |
| Intro to Fun Scent Games | 6-weeks Intro to Fun Scent Games Group Class. | $198 | Class Schedule & Registration |
| Low Stress Handling and Vet Visits | One time 90-minute group happy vet visit class. | $39 | Class Schedule & Registration |
| Lure Coursing | One time 90-minute group mini fast cat session. | $40 | Class Schedule & Registration |
| AKC Canine Good Citizen & Pet Therapy Prep Part I | 8-Weeks; requires an access code to complete registration | $264 | Class Schedule & Registration |
| AKC Advanced Canine Good Citizen & Pet Therapy Prep Part 2 | 8-Weeks; requires an access code to complete registration | $264 | Class Schedule & Registration |
| My Dog has Issues | 6-weeks My Dog has Issues for Reactive Dogs Group Class. Requires private Behavior Consult first. | $249 | Class Schedule & Registration |
| Next Level Dog Obedience Fun Games Group Class | 60-minute group class that takes place over the course of six weeks which is for dog-and-human-friendly dogs that need to take their obedience and manners to the next level. | $198 | Class Schedule & Registration |
| AKC Star Puppy Classes | 6 session enroll and go STAR puppy kindergarten. | $198 | Class Schedule & Registration |
| Basic Manners | 6 session enroll and go program for basic manners | $198 | Class Schedule & Registration |
| Intro to Trick Training | 6 weeks of classes and the final week is testing for Trick Training Tilting! Come join for tilting, FUN, mental stimulation, warm-up and make people smile! |
$198 | Class Schedule & Registration |
| Trick Training – Movement and Tricks to Music | 6 weeks of classes creating Routines and Dog Dancing! | $198 | Class Schedule & Registration |
| Snake Identification and Safety Workshop for Humans | Join us for this one-time class on July 29, 2023 to learn how to avoid being bitten by snakes by learning about snake safety and snake identification of venomous Florida snakes along with harmless snakes. | $39 | Class Schedule & Registration |