Training overview
Public Access Training starts with a dog’s mastery of the basic obedience program and builds on that curriculum with an additional layer of training that makes the dog an expert in navigating public places with his or her human. During this program your pup spends time daily with his or her training venturing out into the world to practice their work. When not training your dog is back at Canine Academy, enjoying the attention of our dedicated Care Team. At the end of the program, you will work with your trainer through several hands on lessons designed to provide you with the confidence to employ your dog’s new skills in both home and public environments.
While there is no such thing as a quick fix in dog training, our program is designed to give you fast results, along with the support that you need to establish long-lasting habits for lifelong success. There’s a reason why Canine Academy was named World’s Greatest Dog Trainer by Bloomberg in 2023.
Recommended for
The program is recommended for any Canine Academy Basic Obedience graduate who accompanies their human to public places regularly and should therefore know how to navigate those places. Your trainer is looking forward to working closely with you to identify your dog’s specific public access needs and help deliver a dog that is ready for their public debut!
Skills Learned
In our Public Access program, your dog will learn the following skills and commands
- Sit when asked
- Hold in sit when handler walks away
- Hold in sit around distraction
- Laying down when asked
- Hold in down when handler walks away
- Hold in down under distraction
- Come when called with auto sit
- Come when called from a distraction
- Go to place and stay when handler walks away
- Stay on place when everyone leaves room
- Stay on place with distractions around
- Walking on left side in heel position on loose leash
- Maintaining heel when passing a distraction
- Sits and remains sitting when handler greets person
- Walk off-leash with handler demonstrating control over dog
- Heel with handler in busy public settings, stay in heel through high distraction
- Undertanding of the release command in all situations noted above
- Heel with their handler through doorways, in elevators and on escalators
- Heel behind shopping carts
- Find a position under a table or another elevated surface and hold in down there until released
- Understanding of the release command in all situations
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How it Works
The Canine Academy Positive E Collar training method for Public Access is broken down into three phases:
Phase 1: Basic Obedience Camp
During your dog’s basic obedience program, your trainer will consult with you on your dog’s temperament and potential to succeed in high-distraction public environments. If you agree on potential, you can start planning for your public access program
We believe successful training happens through a repeated sequence of exercise, obedience, and affection, which is how your dog’s days will be structured at our campus. During Phase 1, your dog will be given time to acclimate to their new surroundings, meeting their fellow trainees with games of fetch in our large, fenced-in play field. Their first night on campus they will be tired and ready to relax before their training begins.
Phase 2: Take it to the Streets
During a second stay on our campus, your dog will be exposed to increasingly challenging public environments. On daily trips, they’ll visit shopping malls, grocery stores, restaurants, offices, and more. You’ll be invited to share with your trainer the types of environments you’ll need to navigate, so that your dog is set up for success. Our care team will provide walks, supervised play groups, and enrichment during your dog’s down time, which supports socialization and training success.
Phase 3: Put New Skills to Use
Your go home lesson with your trainer focuses on success in public. You’ll visit local businesses to practice commands, and learn the new commands you’ll need to navigate. About 1 week after your dog’s stay, you’ll all meet again for a follow-up lesson to ensure you’re making progress in your daily life.
Phase 4: Build New Habits
Over the next 90 days, your trainer will continue to support your new habit development via scheduled telephone calls. New habits cannot be created overnight; our team is here to support your long-term success. During this time, your trainer is only a phone call or visit to the farm away.
Phase 5: Support for Life
Canine Academy offers a lifetime of support for all of our public access graduates. Once you’ve achieved our graduation standard, there’s no reason your results shouldn’t be lifelong. We hope to be your first call in any setback, and offer group-classes, trainer office hours, and other forms of no-cost support for our graduates.
Commitment & Support
Every dog leaving our Public Access program must achieve a “good” or “excellent” result against our training standards. These standards include execution of each command through high distraction areas such as grocery stores, restaurants, and shopping malls. Your trainer will discuss your dog’s progress at the end their stay on campus and ensure every dog receives a passing score.
Part of what makes our results special is the commitment we make to supporting your dog’s long-term success. Our program is designed with scheduled follow-up appointments to make sure that your new skills are transitioning well to your home life. Additionally, our trainers are available for support during scheduled office hours, and welcome all graduates back for free group classes.
On the rare occasion our 90 day support program hasn’t met your needs, Canine Academy offers a support escalation process to help diagnose and provide solutions to any potential problems.
Pricing & Enrollment
This package includes a stay at our facilities with a dedicated trainer, a customer go-home lesson and access to our training and support library, a follow-up onsite lesson with your trainer, lifetime group classes, and a remote e-collar you will take home with you. Please contact us for pricing and enrollment dates. Financing is available for this training program – click here for more information!