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:
Sunday's at 5:00pm

Starts: Sunday, June 14th

Instructor: Pamela Davis

Meets: 6/14, 6/21, 6/28, 7/12, 7/19 & 7/26 (NO CLASS 7/5)
Time: 5:00pm – 6:00pm

Sunday's at 5:00pm

Starts: Sunday, August 2nd

Instructor: Pamela Davis

Meets: 8/2, 8/9, 8/16, 8/30, 9/13 & 9/20 (NO 8/23 & 9/6)
Time: 5:00pm – 6:00pm

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.

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

In the case a student wishes to drop out of a class, a refund will only be issued if UPTFC is given notice 48 hours or more prior to the start time/day of class. So, for example, if you are signed up for a class that begins June 5th at 7:15pm, then the absolute latest UPTFC could be notified is June 3rd before 7:15pm in order for you to obtain a refund for the full amount you paid for said class.

If you wish to drop out of class outside of these parameters – that is, with less than 48 hours notice – then no refund will be granted unless it is due to a sudden illness or injury to yourself or your dog that makes it either impossible or unsafe for your participation. For parameters regarding dropping out of class for injury or illness to either yourself or your dog, see subsequent sections for more information.

Please note we do not grant requests for refunds or credit for future training due to changes in a student’s availability, business trips, simply missing class for being too busy, forgetting class dates or unexpected personal/business/holiday/vacation plans.

Refund Policy in the Case of Injury or Illness

In the case a student needs to remove their enrollment in a class due to an injury or illness to either themselves or their dog that makes their involvement impossible or unsafe, then one of four policies will apply to them with regards to the time in which UPTFC is notified of said injury/illness:

1. If you notify UPTFC 48 hours or more prior to the start time/day of class, then the previous policy will take precedence in which a full refund will be granted.

2. If you notify UPTFC less than 48 hours prior to the start time/day of class up until the actual day of class, then you will be granted a credit of the full amount of your original payment for said class to be used towards future training. However, this credit may only be used towards training services and must be used within 6 months of giving said notice; all remaining credit granted from this notice will be forfeited after this 6 month grace period. So, for example, if you are registered for a $180 class that is set to begin June 5th at 7:15pm, and you let us know on June 4th your dog has contracted kennel cough and thus cannot be around other dogs, then we would credit your account $180 to be used towards future training services. Please note that these training services still must be scheduled and are subject to both the availability of trainers and open spots in future classes; that is, we cannot guarantee you a spot in a future class due to dropping out of a past class if said future class already has registered the maximum amount of students. To continue this example, even if you have not used the total sum of your original $180 credit in training services by December 4th, then the difference in initial payment would become forfeit and any new future training expense would need to be paid for separately from this now expired credit.

3. If you notify UPTFC during the duration of your class that either your dog or yourself has become too ill/injured to continue attending class, then you will be granted a credit for the presumed remaining dollar amount of your original payment to be put toward future training services. So, for example, if you are registered for a $180, 6-week class that began on June 5th and you have to drop out of class because a few days after week 3 of class (let’s say June 22nd) you sustain injuries that would make it impossible for you to attend class and act as a proper handler for your dog, then we would credit your future training account $90 since you used 3/6 of the class you signed-up for originally. However, the entirety of this $90 training credit would have to be used by December 22nd or else be forfeit. Please note that these training services still must be scheduled and are subject to both the availability of trainers and open spots in future classes; that is, we cannot guarantee you a spot in an upcoming class due to dropping out of a past class if said future class already has registered the maximum amount of students.

4. If an injury or illness occurs to yourself or your dog, but you make no reasonable attempt to make us aware of the situation, then UPTFC reserves the right to not only keep the total payment for class, but also fill your spot in class if we receive no communication follow-up to establish a protocol specific to your circumstances.

Please note that if your dog is approved to be removed from a class for an injury or ailment, we may require proof of proper treatment and clearance from your vet prior to attending a subsequent training session. For example, if you had to drop-out of an upcoming class because your dog’s fecal sample tested positive for giardia, then prior to starting another class we would need proof from your vet that the dog has had a new fecal sample tested that resulted negative for infection for giardia or any other communicable ailment. Simply putting your dog through vet-recommended treatment is not sufficient for proof of a negative fecal–only proof that a more recent fecal sample tested negative will clear your pooch for class in this scenario.

Refund Policy in the Case an Upcoming Class Session is Cancelled or Rescheduled

UPTFC reserves the right to cancel an upcoming class session if said class has not reached the minimum number of students required to properly conduct class. For the vast majority of classes the minimum number of students needed to run a class session is 3 students. If we have not registered the minimum amount of students 48 hours prior to the start time/day of class, then we reserve the right to cancel the class session entirely, delay the start date of class to a future date in the hopes we can find more students or else modify the class structure to reflect the lower attendance. In any of these cases, you will be contacted immediately and you can choose 1 of 4 options:

1. Remain in the class roster, but realize the class will actually start at a later date than was originally scheduled. Please note that if said class is one with specific age restrictions like many of our Puppy class offerings, then it may be necessary to move you to a different class entirely if your dog would then be outside the correct age range of the class you originally signed-up for at the now newly proposed start date.

2. Request a full refund for your original payment. This would be issued as soon as possible.

3. Request to be transferred to an upcoming class or training program that was different than the one you originally signed-up for, but is an alternate option in which you are also interested in and for which your dog meets the age/curriculum requirements. Please note that these alterations to training services still must be scheduled and are subject to both the availability of trainers and open spots in future classes; that is, we cannot guarantee you a spot in an upcoming class due to the cancellation if said future class already has registered the maximum amount of students. Additionally, if the program/class you are switching to joining costs more than the original amount paid for the program/class you initially signed-up for, then payment for the difference in said amounts would be due at the time of switching between programs/classes.

4. In the event we have to cancel a class you were originally signed-up for, but you don’t want a refund and also don’t know yet what training service you would be interested in joining in the near future, then we will keep on file a credit for your account in the equivalent dollar amount that can be applied towards training services in the next 6 months. So, for example, if you were originally signed-up for a $180 Junior Dog class that is set to begin on June 5th, and we contact you on June 3rd that said class session is cancelled due to the lack of other students. Then, if you so choose, that $180 could be applied to other training services until December 3rd. However, after December 3rd, any unused part of that original payment would become forfeit and future training experiences would need to be paid for separately from this now expired credit. Please note that these alterations to training services still must be scheduled and are subject to both the availability of trainers and open spots in future classes; that is, we cannot guarantee you a spot in an upcoming class due to the cancellation if said future class already has registered the maximum amount of students.

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!