Eastwood Community League will soon be offering dog training.

The six week course will run once a week for an hour. No time or date has been finalized, but information will be available on the Eastwood Community League Facebook page.

The idea to host dog training classes stemmed from MuttStock, a dog-related festival held at Eastwood Community League.

“People who have dogs and or know of different dog events are starting to recognize Eastwood’s contribution to the dog community. Not to mention, this training is a natural progression of the change of demographic in the neighbourhood,” said Tish Prouse, president of Eastwood Community League.

Dog training classes need a skilled trainer. Kathy Belec, owner of Raise The Woof, was selected to lead the classes. With over 300 hours of lead dog training under her belt, Belec has certification from the Animal Behaviour College and has completed her externship (working with a mentor) at Dog Spa. Most recently, she wrote the CPDT-KA (Certification Professional Dog Trainer-Knowledge Assessed) for her designation.  

“It was a big deal for me because there are only about 15 to 17 of us in Edmonton certified with the CPDT-KA title,” said Belec.

All dog breeds are welcome to join the Eastwood Community Training Service course. However, dogs must be at least five months old to ensure proper socialization. It is requested “owners bring a flat collared leash specifically, no choke chains and no pronged collars.” Dog owners should also bring dog treats to keep dogs motivated while working with their owner.

Classes will teach basic manner skills by using positive reinforcement while creating a bond between owner and dog.

“A lot of the time people have pets but they don’t ever connect with them,” said Belec.

As humans, most of our communication cues come from body language, which are picked up subconsciously through interactions with others. Dogs are no different. The only difference is “pet owners tend to ignore these signs or not pick up on their animal’s language. There are things to look for. A lot of the time owners don’t see that and don’t pay attention to their dog in that way.”

The classes will be held in an enclosed outdoor arena in Eastwood. For more information, visit Eastwood Community League’s Facebook page or Kathy Belec’s website: woofraiser.ca.

Eastwood Community Dog Training Service

11803 – 86 Street
Six week course; classes once a week for an hour
$160
Details to be determined
facebook.com/EdmontonEastwoodCommunityLeague/

MuttStock

July 9, noon to 8 p.m.
Eastwood Community League
11803 – 86 Street

Header image credit: Pixabay