Behavior Specialty Classes

Charm School | Reactive Dog | Confidence Club

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

Charm School

Do you have a rambunctious pooch? Does your dog get over-excited easily or have trouble settling down? Are they difficult to control in stimulating environments? Do you want to take an obedience or sports class, but aren't sure your dog would be able to handle it? If you answered yes, then you need the Urban Pooch Charm School for Dogs!

Exercises are geared towards developing your dog's focus and impulse control, helping them respond appropriately to exciting situations, and teaching them to relax when it's time to wind down. Humans will also gain confidence and real-world skills in the areas of leash handling, dog body language, and proactive management to keep their pups on the straight and narrow.

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

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

Cost: $225

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!

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!

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 sensory puzzles, physical fitness, and fun 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: $225

Duration: 6-Classes/60-Minutes Each

Sundays at 6:30 pm

Starts: Sunday, November 8th

Instructor: Pamela Davis

Meets: 11/8, 11/15, 11/22, 12/6, 12/13 & 12/20 (NO CLASS 11/29)

Time: 6:30pm – 7:30pm

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

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!