Dog Etiquette Class Salt Lake City: Is Your Dog Ready for This?

Your Dog Graduated Puppy Class. Now What?

Most dogs learn to sit. Fewer learn to sit when a stranger walks up, another dog passes on the other side of the street, and a kid on a skateboard goes by all at the same time.

That second thing is what the Canine Etiquette Class is built for.

I've been training dogs since 2008, and the gap I see most often isn't between dogs who know nothing and dogs who know something, it's between dogs who perform well at home and dogs who can hold it together when the world gets interesting.

That gap is exactly what this class is designed to close.

What "Etiquette" Actually Means

The word sounds formal. The class isn't. What we're really talking about is a dog who can be trusted in public. One who greets strangers politely instead of jumping, who walks on a loose leash past distractions without turning every outing into a negotiation, who reads other dogs correctly and responds appropriately.

That last piece is something I spend a lot of time on in this class, and it's the part most people don't know they need until they're in it. Canine body language is a whole language. Your dog is already fluent. Learning to read it yourself changes everything about how you handle situations before they escalate.

The skills we work on are the ones that show up in real life: sit, down, stand, stay, wait, leave it, watch me, loose leash walking, go to your bed, come, and hand signals. In addition to those cues, we work on polite greetings, appropriate dog-to-dog interaction, and the enrichment and management strategies that keep a well-trained dog actually well-behaved at home between sessions.

Who This Class Is For

Canine Etiquette is for dogs six months and older with some foundational training under their collar. You don't need to have completed Puppy Academy with me, though graduates of that class will find this is a natural continuation of the work we started. If your dog knows their name, has some experience with basic cues, and you're ready to take things further, this class is the right next step.

If you're not sure whether your dog is ready, book a discovery call. Fifteen minutes on the phone and I can tell you exactly where your dog is and what makes sense.

A Note About the New Location

Canine Etiquette is running at The Family Dog, 4048 S 2700 East in Millcreek — the same facility as Puppy Academy beginning in May. It's part of the Intermountain Therapy Animals network, and it's the best training environment I've had access to in 17 years of working in Salt Lake City.

Classes run Saturday mornings at 9:45 AM. Puppy Academy runs immediately before us at 8:30, so if you have a Puppy Academy graduate who's ready for the next cohort, you're already familiar with the Saturday morning routine.

What to Expect Over Six Weeks

The first session is an orientation. Just you, no dog. I use that time to walk through the training philosophy, answer every question in the room, and set everyone up to get the most out of the sessions that follow. It sounds like a small thing. It makes a real difference.

After that, we meet for five working sessions. Each one builds on the last. Each one ends with homework that connects what we practiced in class to what you'll encounter in your actual life — on the Jordan River Parkway, at Liberty Park, in your neighborhood, wherever you and your dog spend your time.

Cohort 1 runs May 30 through July 18, skipping July 4 and July 11.

Cohort 2 runs August 1 through September 12, skipping Labor Day weekend.

Vaccination requirements: three DHLPP vaccinations and Bordetella. Please have those records ready when you register.

If you're ready to sign up, spots are limited and Cohort 1 fills quickly. If you have questions, I'm at mo@thecaninelifecoach.com or 925-389-1799.

SIGN-UP - COHORT 1 MAY 30

SIGN-UP - COHORT 2 AUGUST 1

Six sessions. $325.

A dog with real-world manners isn't a lucky accident. It's the result of consistent, positive, well-structured training, and a person who understood what their dog needed and showed up for it.

That's what this class is designed to give you. I hope to see you soon!

Sit. Stay. Love.

Mo Lynch Vashel The Canine Life Coach