Essential Life Skills
Registration is now open for our Essential Life Skills class.
Class Overview
Want a dog who doesn’t jump all over your guests and won’t try to steal dinner off your plate? A dog who comes when called and doesn’t take you for a walk? A dog who’s happy at the vets and groomers? Then our Essentials Life Skills class is for you!
This class is designed for friendly adolescent and adult dogs who could use some help polishing up their manners. We teach the basic behaviours using fun exercises and games so that you can have a dog who is truly a joy to live with! Join us and learn foundational obedience skills, self control, and polite manners to incorporate into everyday life.
Here’s What We’ll Cover
- Basic obedience skills (name attention, sit, down, leave it, drop it)
- Body handling
- Relaxing on a mat and polite manners
- Loose leash walking and recall
What You’ll Need
- A dog who loves people and other dogs
- Treats that your dog finds irresistible and will keep their focus!
- Flat buckle quick release collar or harness, tags, and a 6-foot flat leash
- And a fun outlook because we’re all about making training fun for everyone!
Registration & Enrollment
Registration is on a first-come, first-served basis. Please note that your registration will not be considered complete until payment has been received and the appropriate medical records (spay/neuter certification and vaccination records) have been submitted. 100% of the net proceeds from your registration fee goes to the BVSPCA, so not only are you helping your dog by attending, but you are helping our dogs too!
Class Details
Price: $350
Duration: 5 weeks
Session length: 60 minutes
Class size: 6 dogs (up to two adult handlers per dog, with one primary handler that will attend each week)
Location: Outdoors at The Carla Cumming Sojonky Adoption Centre
Trainer: Lenka Petnyova
Pre-requisites: No previous training required
Current Booking: Registration is now open!
- March 9 to April 6, 2025: Classes run for 5 weeks on Sunday afternoons, from 3:00 to 4:00pm. Last class is Sunday April 6. Register HERE.
Class Requirements
Dog Age: 6 months and older
Vaccinations: Your dog must be up-to-date on all vaccinations (Rabies, Bordetella and DAPP).*
Spay/Neuter: Your dog must be spayed or neutered to attend.* (Please contact us prior to registering if your dog is not spayed/neutered).
*Proof of up-to-date vaccination (not overdue) and spay/neuter certification must be provided within 48 hours of registration by email to events@bowvalleyspca.org. Failure to provide documentation within this time period will result in cancellation of registration without refund.
Owners must sign a waiver, which includes agreeing not to use aversive/punishment based methods at home. Aversive equipment such as prong collars, e-collars, choke chains and martingale collars will not be permitted in class.
About Your Trainer
Lenka Petnyova
Lenka started agility in 2007 with her golden retriever Taxi, and since then she has competed with five different dogs. She represented Slovakia in the European Junior Championship in 2010 and 2011 with her dog Smiley, and she is Slovak national agility judge. She took a break from agility after moving to the Bow Valley in 2017. Currently, she shares her home with three dogs and is preparing her young dog, Shishka, for her agility career. She graduated from Karen Pryor Academy and is starting her own private dog training company called Affirmuttive Training and Behaviour, using a force free and positive reinforcement based approach.
- Certification: KPA CTP
