Behavior Specialty Classes

Behavior Consulting | Charm School | Confidence Club

Reactive Dog 1: Stop the Chaos | Reactive Dog 2: Grow Their Comfort

Items to Bring to Class | Policy on Payment, Refunds, and Cancellation

Behavior Consulting

What is Behavior Consultation?

No two dogs are the same. Some are easy going and get the gist of what we want with minimal coaching, while others struggle to adapt and go with the flow of their lives. That struggling can present as dysfunctional or abnormal behaviors including:

-Aggressive behaviors such as barking, lunging and biting

-Separation, isolation, or confinement anxiety/distress

-Stressful responses to stimuli such as thunderstorms or traffic

-Fears and phobias

It can also manifest as normal behaviors, like digging, barking or pulling on the leash, that occurs at such intensity and/or frequency that they interfere with normal functioning or create serious safety issues for those around them.

If one or more of these are the types of issues that you and your dog are struggling with, then a behavior consultation may be your next best step.

Behavior consultations are one-on-one sessions where we evaluate and treat your dog’s behavior holistically and functionally. We begin with a thorough intake interview to gain a deep understanding of your dog’s background and current situation. The gathered information will include behavioral history, environment, genetics, diet, health and wellness, family dynamics of all humans and animals involved, and previous training and socialization, as well as an evaluation of your dog and their behavior.

From there we can prioritize your dog’s issues, set some realistic goals and layout an individualized plan. All behavior has a function. Assessing the function of your dog’s behavior as part of the planning process allows us to assure that we meet their underlying needs alongside replacing the behaviors that are unfavorable to you.

Then we will utilize smart management along with behavior modification techniques such as systematic desensitization, counter conditioning, and differential reinforcement. Our goal is to not only change your animal's behavioral response to their situation (their actions) but to also transform their underlying emotional state. All techniques are based on the science of positive reinforcement and creating positive emotional associations.

Structured follow-up sessions, with direct support between sessions, are as important to the process as the initial intake. Your behavior consultant will be available to answer your questions and will expect reports from you between sessions. You will likely be asked to send videos so that necessary adjustments can be made 1-2 days after a session instead of allowing for a week or more of sub-optimal practice.

Additionally, you may receive a referral to your veterinarian or a veterinary behaviorist if deemed appropriate for your situation.

Please know that changing your dog’s responses in a manner that is both humane and effective can often be a complex and time-intensive undertaking. By choosing to focus primarily on conditioning and positively reinforcing desired behaviors, rather than suppressing unwanted ones, we address the root causes of the behavior, not just provide a quick fix that leaves your dog more stressed and with less options for dealing with it.

Our approach not only lowers the risk of inadvertently increasing fear or aggression, or instigating new issues that may occur through programs that use aversive techniques—it optimizes the likelihood of safe and lasting behavior change thus providing the best quality of life possible for both you and your dog.

Cost: Initial Intake $280—Includes a 2-hour intake consultation and text/email support. After your initial intake, you will have a better sense of all the factors relating to your dog’s behavior, a management plan to assure training efficacy and safety for all involved, a clear understanding of the training steps required to modify your dog’s behavior, and any suggestions for changes to your dog’s lifestyle or environment that will support the effectiveness of training and quality of life.

1-hour follow-up session $140—These are available for troubleshooting and to support you as your dog’s training plan progresses. They also include text/email support.

*A small travel fee will be added to your total cost if the location of the appointment is more than 4 miles from our facility.

Vaccination & Health Requirements: Click here to view our vaccination requirements.

What to Bring to Your Session: Click here to view what items you should bring with you to your session.

How to Register: Please call the front desk at 773-961-8880 or email us atinfo@urbanpoochtraining.com to sign-up! Thank you!

Charm School

Do you have a rambunctious pooch? Does your dog easily become over-excited? Is your dog difficult to control in stimulating environments? Is your dog shy or fearful around other dogs? If you answered yes, then you need to enroll in the Urban Pooch Charm School for Dogs.

This class will give you and your dog the skills to participate in polite society. Never again will you decline an invitation to a dog party, hide your dog from guests or apologize for your dog’s exuberance. You will have a dog who is the toast of the neighborhood!

Age Requirements: This class is designed for dogs 4-months or older.

Vaccination & Health Requirements: Click here to view our vaccination requirements.

Cost: $185

Duration: 6-Classes/60-Minutes Each

Class Schedule:
Thursdays at 8:30pm

Starts: Thursday, June 11th

Instructor: Christine Vertucci

Meets: 6/11, 6/18, 6/25, 7/2, 7/9 & 7/16
Time: 8:30pm – 9:30pm

Thursday's at 8:30pm

Starts: Thursday, July 23rd

Instructor: Christine Vertucci

Meets: 7/23, 7/30, 8/6, 8/13, 8/20 & 8/27
Time: 8:30pm – 9:30pm

How to Register: Please call the front desk at 773-961-8880 or email us at info@urbanpoochtraining.com to sign-up! Thank you!

Confidence Club

Does your dog shut down in new situations? Do they startle at noises, or shy away from people? Are they playful at home, but timid in public? Do you wish you could do more to help your shy dog?

Confidence Club is a 6-week class for frightened pups (and their humans) to grow more comfortable and resilient in everyday life, while building skills to cope with those unavoidable scary situations. Moving at your dog’s individual pace, each week will bring new opportunities to experience successful problem-solving, incorporating elements of K9 Nose Work, physical fitness, and trick training. We will also discuss tried and true, evidence-based methods for addressing your dog’s specific fears over the long term, and help you plan your path forward. Come join the Club!

Age Requirements: This class is designed for dogs 4-months or older.

Vaccination & Health Requirements: Click here to view our vaccination requirements.

Cost: $195

Duration: 6-Classes/60-Minutes Each

How to Register: Please call the front desk at 773-961-8880 or email us at info@urbanpoochtraining.com to sign-up! Thank you!

Reactive Dog 1: Stop the Chaos

Does your dog overreact in everyday situations with people and/or other dogs? Do they attempt to control their environment and those around them by barking, lunging, growling, snapping and possibly even biting? If so, you may have a reactive dog!

Our Reactive Dog program is designed to give owners the critical handling skills need to both manage and rehabilitate their reactive dogs. Our approach emphasizes positive reinforcement along with gradual desensitization and counter-conditioning to help shift these dogs from having a hard time having a good time in their lives.

This class covers the management strategies and protocols to help your dog learn new responses for challenging situations. In this class you will:

-Learn how reactivity develops and how to change it.

-Teach your dog the life skills they need to exist comfortably and thoughtfully in environments that previously provoked anxiety, heightened arousal, and reactivity.

-Become an expert handler able to respond to surprises and emergency situations.

Age Requirements: This class is designed for dogs ages 6-months or older.

Vaccination & Health Requirements: Click here to view our vaccination requirements.

Cost: $275

Duration: 6-Classes/60-Minutes Each

Class Schedule:

Monday's at 7:15pm
Starts: Monday, August 31st
Instructor: Shannon Sullivan
Meets: 8/31, 9/14, 9/21, 9/28, 10/5 & 10/12 (NO CLASS 9/7)
Time: 7:15pm – 8:15pm

Sunday’s at 5:00pm
Starts: Monday, September 27th
Instructor: Pamela Davis
Meets: 9/27, 10/4, 10/11, 10/18, 10/25 & 11/1
Time: 5:00pm – 6:00pm

Monday's at 7:15pm
Starts: Monday, October 26th
Instructor: Shannon Sullivan
Meets: 10/26, 11/2, 11/9, 11/16, 11/30 & 12/7 (NO Class 11/23)
Time: 7:15pm – 8:15pm

Notes: A consultation with one of our Certified Trainers is required prior to signing-up for class. You will attend the first class of Reactive Dog 1 without your pooch.
How to Register: Please call the front desk at 773-961-8880 or email us at info@urbanpoochtraining.com to sign-up! Thank you!

Reactive Dog 2: Grow Their Comfort

In this class, we create curated versions of real-life situations to grow both yours and your dog’s skills and comfort. You will learn how to keep your dog’s focus and attention in increasingly closer proximity to their triggers. Our goal for this class is for you to be able to take your dog out on a walk, or out in the world, without explanations or embarrassment.

Age Requirements: This class is designed for dogs ages 6-months or older.

Vaccination & Health Requirements: Click here to view our vaccination requirements.

Cost: $275

Duration: 6-Classes/60-Minutes Each

Notes: Prerequisite: Reactive Dog 1

How to Register: Please call the front desk at 773-961-8880 or email us at info@urbanpoochtraining.com to sign-up! Thank you!

Items to Bring to Class

How to prepare for your awesome & FUN classes at Urban Pooch Training and Fitness Center.

Policy on Payments, Refunds, and Cancellation

Reserving A Spot & Initial Payment

We do not accept partial payments for class. Classes must be paid in full at sign-up in order to reserve a spot. Only payment in full for class can reserve your spot in a future class or training service.

Urban Pooch Training & Fitness Center cannot offer any refunds for training services at this time. All sales are final. 

Instructors

Pamela Davis, CPDT-KA

Obedience Trainer

Pamela comes from a theatre and education background, and her approach to dog training is very much informed by those fields. A lifelong animal lover whose earliest ambition was to be an entomologist, Pamela began her journey as a “serious” dog trainer when she adopted the world’s best bad dog, a reactive pit mix named Bea Arfur, and became active in Chicago’s rescue and rehabilitation community.

The more she studied dog behavior and learning, the more she realized how many of the tools used in teaching and theatre-making applied! She now structures her training around empathy (to understand the dog’s point of view), communication (making clear requests and “listening” closely to the responses), and follow-through (being patient and consistent, day in and day out). Pamela’s classes are positive-reinforcement, force-free, dynamic, and equally focused on human and canine learning. Come play! Pamela is a CGC Evaluator and has her CPDT-KA certification.

Karen Okura, CPDT-KA

Senior Trainer & Curriculum Development Manager

Karen has over 30 years experience in training and animal behavior. She worked at The Anti-Cruelty Society of 30 years in roles ranging from Adoption Counselor to Humane Educator with her most recent role there being Manager of Behavior and Training.

While at Anti-Cruelty, Karen developed and grew the Behavior Hotline, crafted many of the training manuals and behavior policies and assisted adopters with behavior issues. She also contributed to the Anti-Cruelty publications as the pet behavior expert, acted as spokesperson on radio and TV and contribute to many print articles in publications such as The Chicago Tribune and Dog Fancy Magazine.

Most recently, Karen was Senior Dog Trainer at Collins Canine where she focused on dogs with behavioral issues, puppies and obedience training. “I gained an enormous amount of experience and knowledge in the private sector of animal welfare. I also found my passion in work – helping people help their companion animals, both dog and cat,” says Karen.

Karen will be leading all of our training programs at Montrose Dog Beach and will be in charge of developing new curriculum and training procedures for the company alongside Head Trainer, Jim Bahr. 

Shannon Sullivan, CPDT-KA

Obedience Trainer

Shannon understands how a great human-canine relationship can increase the quality of life for both the pet and pet parent. Her own journey rehabilitating her reactive Mountain Cur rescue, Virginia, encouraged Shannon to transform her personal passion into a professional career.

Shannon’s approach to training is relationship-centered and reward-based, and she works hard to bring her personal values of deep listening and respect to every class.

Animal training began for Shannon at 8 years old when she began showing American Quarter Horses. She progressed to win a Reserve World Championship before taking a break to study chemistry in college. Shannon later

re-entered the animal training world by adopting her first Mountain Cur, Abby.

Around that same time, Shannon began teaching humans in multiple roles from ski/snowboard instructor, college chemistry instructor, and practitioner of somatic (body-based) education modalities including the Feldenkrais Method. Shannon’s diversity of experience enables her to break-down difficult situations into simple pathways to success.

Shannon knows that no single approach is right for every human or dog, so she continues to study and perfect her ability to adapt to the needs of each dog-human team she works with. She has shadowed numerous trainers, completed certificate programs with Michael Ellis and Ian Dunbar, and is currently preparing for independent certification.

Shannon believes in the importance of strong foundation and shares this passion every day with her Urban Pooch clients in Levels Obedience Classes and Puppy Social Playtime. 

Policy on Missing Classes During Group Training Classes:

While we understand that things do happen, the price for group classes takes into account the trainer working with everyone during the group class. If you need to miss a class, you can schedule a 30-minute make-up class at Urban Pooch for a cost of $30/make-up session. This entire fee goes directly to the trainer for their time. Thanks for understanding!