Dog Services Unlimited - Serving Southern California Dog Owners Since 1969
If you have registered for one of our 7-week Dog Obedience classes, but have missed the orientation meeting, this page will give you some important information about topics that were covered.
If you have not yet paid your class fee, please call the Dog Services Office at (714) 532-3647 to let us know you would like to join our class, and to check on availability. If the class you want is still open for new students, you will be given information on how to register.
Please read all of the information below, so you will be better prepared for coming to the first lesson with the dogs.
After reading this information, please call us if you have any questions!
Dog Services Unlimited: (714) 532-3647
We are looking forward to having you and your dog participate in our upcoming DOG OBEDIENCE TRAINING COURSE. This will introduce basic obedience commands, heel, sit, automatic sit, sit-stay, down, down-stay, stand, and come, and will address a variety of behavior problems. Here are some important things to prepare you for attending the class:
PROPER EQUIPMENT: Your instructor will have proper training collars and training leashes available for students to purchase at very reasonable prices for those who need it. To do the best job, please be sure you have training equipment that will be safe and effective. Here is what we recommend:
Training Collar: For most dogs, we recommend a standard training collar with welded steel links. It must fit the dog appropriately, with only about 2-3" of excess chain leading through the ring when the collar is on the dog in a loose position. Your instructor will demonstrate the correct way to put this collar on the dog. Please check the collar each time you work with your dog to make sure it is on properly so it will release or correct the way it was designed to. Another type of training collar that many people find very effective, especially if they have a dog that pulls a lot when walking, is a Prong collar. This type of collar works differently from the slip collar, since it does not tighten around the dog's neck, and is often considered safer to use by many professionals. Training collars are not meant to be left on the dog when he is unsupervised, so be sure to take it off each time when your training session is over. Alternative type collars may also be used, such as the "Martingale" collar, "no-pull halter", or "gentle leader" collar. These collars may be safely used for training, however most people do tell us that they are not as effective as the standard training collar in getting the dog to learn the commands.
Training Leash: A six-foot long leash will be ideal for the training techniques we'll be covering. Your leash should be made of leather or nylon web (NO CHAIN LEASHES PLEASE!) and should have a hand-loop and a swivel harness snap. Retractable leashes are dangerous to use, and the mechanism will often jam or break so please do not try to use them for training. Chain leashes are also very dangerous to use (you can really hurt your hands if your dog lunges suddenly and you are trying to grip the chain) so we do not allow chain leashes at class.
Long Line: We will be using a 30-foot long line for a few different things in the training, but primarily as a safety line as you begin to work on long distance stays and recalls, once the dog has mastered these commands from a 6-foot distance (with your leash). Your instructor will have 30-foot long lines available at class for about $7.00.
ADDITIONAL THINGS TO KNOW:
Please make sure all vaccinations are current. These include Distemper/ Parvovirus (sometimes listed as "DHLPP" or "DAPP") as well as Bordetella and Rabies vaccinations. Please bring your current shot records to the first meeting, and highlight or circle the date your dog is due for their next vaccinations (or if that is not indicated, circle the date the last vaccinations were given).
Please remember to double-check the time, day, and location of your class. You can find this information on many city websites, in the city recreation brochures, or return to our home page and click on the link for the city where you registered.
PROPER EQUIPMENT: Your instructor will have proper training collars and training leashes available for students to purchase at very reasonable prices for those who need it. To do the best job, please be sure you have training equipment that will be safe and effective. Here is what we recommend:
Training Collar: For most dogs, we recommend a standard training collar with welded steel links. It must fit the dog appropriately, with only about 2-3" of excess chain leading through the ring when the collar is on the dog in a loose position. Your instructor will demonstrate the correct way to put this collar on the dog. Please check the collar each time you work with your dog to make sure it is on properly so it will release or correct the way it was designed to. Another type of training collar that many people find very effective, especially if they have a dog that pulls a lot when walking, is a Prong collar. This type of collar works differently from the slip collar, since it does not tighten around the dog's neck, and is often considered safer to use by many professionals. Training collars are not meant to be left on the dog when he is unsupervised, so be sure to take it off each time when your training session is over. Alternative type collars may also be used, such as the "Martingale" collar, "no-pull halter", or "gentle leader" collar. These collars may be safely used for training, however most people do tell us that they are not as effective as the standard training collar in getting the dog to learn the commands.
Training Leash: A six-foot long leash will be ideal for the training techniques we'll be covering. Your leash should be made of leather or nylon web (NO CHAIN LEASHES PLEASE!) and should have a hand-loop and a swivel harness snap. Retractable leashes are dangerous to use, and the mechanism will often jam or break so please do not try to use them for training. Chain leashes are also very dangerous to use (you can really hurt your hands if your dog lunges suddenly and you are trying to grip the chain) so we do not allow chain leashes at class.
Long Line: We will be using a 30-foot long line for a few different things in the training, but primarily as a safety line as you begin to work on long distance stays and recalls, once the dog has mastered these commands from a 6-foot distance (with your leash). Your instructor will have 30-foot long lines available at class for about $7.00.
ADDITIONAL THINGS TO KNOW:
Please make sure all vaccinations are current. These include Distemper/ Parvovirus (sometimes listed as "DHLPP" or "DAPP") as well as Bordetella and Rabies vaccinations. Please bring your current shot records to the first meeting, and highlight or circle the date your dog is due for their next vaccinations (or if that is not indicated, circle the date the last vaccinations were given).
- To minimize clean-up, please don't feed your dog a big meal before class time...about 3-4 hours prior is ok.. Bring a plastic bag in your pocket just in case...
- Only one handler should be working with the dog for class meetings and homework. Other family members may attend class to observe. Later, after the dog has learned and responds to the commands, others will be able to work with the dog and transfer the training. Try to attend all of the meetings, since a great deal of information is covered each week.
- Inclement weather: We try to get class in if at all possible, and we ask students to attend class on rainy days and a decision will be made at class time as to whether or not we need to cancel, (which means we would need to add a week to the end of the course). We can't predict earlier in the day what the weather will be like at class time, so please try to attend. If it is a really bad storm and 2 hours before the class time your trainer decides that the class will need to be cancelled that day, then we will contact you (by email and/or text or phone) to let you know to stay home for that lesson, and it would be picked up the following week where it was left off. So please check your email and ell phone for a message on questionable weather days.
- Please wear closed-toe shoes with good traction
- HOMEWORK: About 30-40 minutes per day should be spent working with your dog on the techniques you learn in class. Include distractions, and work in a variety of locations. You may break down the time into shorter segments if you wish.
- Bring water if the day has been hot, for yourself and your dog, and bring your dog a water bowl.
- Bring the $10 materials/insurance fee to give to your instructor before class starts... Your instructor will have a Training Manual for you. Please be sure to take that home with you when you leave, for reference throughout the course.
- Please arrive about 10 – 15 minutes early, since you missed orientation, our instructor will need to have you fill out a form with your dog’s information, check your vaccination records, collect the insurance/materials fee, give you your Training Manual, and assist you if you should need a proper training collar or leash.
Please remember to double-check the time, day, and location of your class. You can find this information on many city websites, in the city recreation brochures, or return to our home page and click on the link for the city where you registered.
If you are not sure about the location of your class, please call the Dog Services Office at (714) 532-3647 and we will do our best to give you directions to the facility where your class is being held.
