Dog Training & Workshops

Workshops

Pet First Aid and Disaster Response

Would you know what to do if your dog suddenly choked on a bone? What if your cat ate a toxic substance, like chocolate? Do you have a plan for your pet in the event you need to evacuate your family from your home? These topics, and more, will be addressed in our Pet First Aid and Disaster Response workshop as we discuss how to provide temporary, urgent care to cats and dogs until they can reach a veterinary or emergency clinic.

Takes place select Saturday mornings at our shelter in Bellevue. Cost: $85.

Click here to view upcoming sessions and register.

Please contact EducationServices@seattlehumane.org with questions.

Dog Training

About Our Classes 

Seattle Humane practices positive reinforcement methods in our training classes. These methods are effective and beneficial for dogs and puppies of all ages. Our training classes focus on good manners in the real world, socialization and giving you the tools to prevent or address behavior challenges. 

• Classes are held on campus at Seattle Humane 
• Foundation level classes (Puppy Head Start, Puppy Manners 1, Teen Manners, Dog Manners 1, and Shy Dog Manners) have a free, but mandatory prerequisite: Behavior Basics. This seminar is also open to the public at no cost (suggested donation: $25) 
• Read our position statements on dog training and behavior management methods.  
• View our program policies 
• Class descriptions, age ranges, fees and prerequisites are listed below. 
• Sign up using the provided links in the class descriptions 

Questions? Contact us at dogtraining@seattlehumane.org or (425) 373-5385

Dog Training Classes

Behavior Basics Seminar

This single-session two-hour seminar for humans will give you a comprehensive look at how dogs learn, how to teach them using positive reinforcement-based training, and the marker training method. You’ll also learn how dogs communicate and how to address common behavior problems. We encourage everyone who will be training the dog to attend. This class is open to the community at no cost.

Fee: none (suggested donation: $25)
Prerequisite: none


Sign up for Behavior Basics Seminar. We have virtual and in-person options

Puppy Play Skills 1 (8-15 weeks old)

Off-leash play with other puppies! These sessions give young puppies a safe environment to make new friends, burn off excess energy, and learn new play skills. Each session is overseen by a Certified Dog Trainer and 45 minutes long. These sessions are a great complement to our Puppy Head Start and Puppy Manners classes!

Fee: $25 per session
Prerequisite: none

* We now also offer Puppy Play Skills 2 for puppies 16-22 weeks old. *


Sign up for Puppy Play Skills 1

Puppy Play Skills 2 - Smaller. For puppies up to 20lbs (16 to 22 weeks old)

Off-leash puppy play specifically for our smaller puppy friends who are between the ages of 16 and 22 weeks of age AND up to 20lbs. These sessions give pint-sized young puppies a safe environment to make new friends, burn off puppy energy, and learn new play skills. Each session is overseen by a Certified Dog Trainer and 45 minutes long. These sessions are a great complement to our Puppy Head Start and Puppy Manners classes!

Fee: $25 per session
Prerequisite: none

Sign up for Puppy Play Skills 2 Smaller

Puppy Play Skills 2 - Larger. For puppies over 20lbs (16 to 22 weeks old)

Our Puppy Play Skills 2 - Larger sessions are for puppies that have attended Puppy Play Skills 1 or another Seattle Humane puppy class. These sessions allow older puppies to keep socializing as they get bigger and stronger. Each session is overseen by a Certified Dog Trainer and 45 minutes long. These sessions are a great complement to our Puppy Head Start and Puppy Manners classes! Puppy Play Skills 2 is for puppies between the ages of 16 and 22 weeks of age.

Fee: $25 per session
Prerequisite: Puppy Play Skills 1, Puppy Head Start or currently enrolled in our Puppy Manners 1 class

Sign up for Puppy Play Skills 2 Larger

Puppy Head Start (8-14 weeks old)

Topics covered include house and crate training, puppy nipping, chewing, polite greetings, and the prevention of behavior problems. Each class features puppy playtime and thoughtful socialization exercises. This class is six weeks long and each weekly session is 1 hour long.

Fee: $260
Prerequisite: Behavior Basics Seminar

Sign up for Puppy Head Start

Puppy Manners 1 (15-22 weeks old)

Puppy Manners 1 offers basic training and ongoing socialization for puppies, either as a continuation of Puppy Head Start or as puppy’s first class. Topics include puppy behaviors, polite greetings, basic skills, socialization, and off-leash play. This class is six weeks long and each weekly session is one hour long.

Fee: $260
Prerequisite: Behavior Basics Seminar

Sign up for Puppy Manners 1

Puppy Manners 2

In Puppy Manners 2 you’ll continue to progress skills such as recall and leash walking, and teach your dog new skills—stay, leave-it, hand targeting, wait. This class includes off-leash play. Puppy Manners 2 is six weeks long and each weekly session is one hour long.



Fee: $260

Prerequisite: Puppy Manners 1 Sign up for Puppy Manners 2

Teen Dog Manners (5.5 - 12 months)

Teen Dog Manners tackles the unique challenges of training dogs during this tricky time in your dog's life. Adolescent (or “teen”) dogs learn new skills such as loose leash walking, hand targeting, and polite greetings in an environment that motivates and supports them. This class is six weeks long and each weekly session is one hour long.

Fee: $285
Prerequisite: Behavior Basics Seminar

Sign up for Teen Dog Manners

Dog Manners 1 (12 months & older)

Dog Manners is all about building the dog/handler relationship through training, leadership, and awareness of how dogs communicate. In class, we cover polite greetings, basic skills, and techniques for preventing unwanted behavior. This class is six weeks long and each weekly session is one hour long.

Fee: $260
Prerequisite: Behavior Basics Seminar

Sign up for Dog Manners 1

Shy Dog Manners (5.5 months & older)

Shy Dog Manners covers basic manners in a setting designed for dogs who are fearful of new people, dogs, and/or certain environments. We will also teach you some skills to help your dog feel more confident and relaxed. It's a safe space for your dog to learn at their own pace. This class is six weeks long and each weekly session is one hour long.

Fee: $285
Prerequisite: Behavior Basics Seminar

Sign up for Shy Dog Manners

Dog Manners 2 (7 months & older)

Take it to the next level! This class will focus on working on increasing your dog’s reliability around distractions as well as improving responsiveness from a distance and for longer durations. You’ll both learn some new skills! This class is six weeks long and each weekly session is one hour long.

Fee: $260
Prerequisite: Teen Manners, Shy Dog Manners, Dog Manners 1, or instructor permission

Sign up for Dog Manners 2

Reactive Rover 1

The primary goal of our Reactive Rover classes is to help improve the behavior of dogs who bark, lunge and growl at other dogs while on leash. This class will help owners better understand their dogs reactivity, and learn management skills to teach their dog to react more appropriately on leash around other dogs.

Fee: $375
Prerequisite: Behavior Basics and instructor permission

Sign up for Reactive Rover 1 Class

Canine Good Citizen (8 months & older)

Canine Good Citizen Prepares students and their dogs to take the American Kennel Club’s Canine Good Citizen (CGC) test, a certification program designed to reward dogs who have good manners at home and in the community. For more details, please visit www.akc.org. This class is six weeks long and each weekly session is one hour long--the course is five weeks of prep and on the last night of the course, there will be an opportunity to take the CGC test. Dogs who have their CGC certificates are eligible to apply for our volunteer Visiting Pet Friends program.

Fee: $285
Prerequisite: Dog Manners 2 or instructor permission

Notify me when CGC Class is available!

Canine Enrichment Seminar

In this fun, family-friendly, two-hour class you will learn more about your dog’s behavior and how to set up simple enrichment activities to help them be more focused, calmer and all around happier! Our interactive Canine Enrichment seminar will teach you how to create engaging games and activities that stimulate your dog(s) and give them healthy outlets for a large variety of natural behaviors.

Fee: $75 per family
Prerequisite: none

Notify me when the next Canine Enrichment seminar is available!

Tricks Are For Kids

This fun 90 minute workshop is specially designed for kids 8 to 14 years old. Kids will learn about positive reinforcement training and how to safely interact with dogs. Kids will have the opportunity to utilize these valuable skills to teach their dog best friend new tricks and skills.



Fee: $85 per dog and kid handler

*Dog should be over one year old or a graduate of our Teen Dog Manners and/or Puppy Manners 1 classes.

Notify me when the next Tricks Are For Kids in available!

Trail Leash Skills

Take your dogs leash walking skills to the next level! In this engaging 90-minute leash skills workshop we will work outside in a local park with all of the distractions nature has to offer. Learn new ways to teach your dog loose leash walking skills through fun games and skills.





Fee: $75
Date: Sunday, August 20th
Time: 11:00am
Prerequisites: Shy Dog Manners, Teen Dog Manners, or Dog Manners 1


Notify me when the next Leash Skills seminar is available!

Additional Training & Behavior Resources

Looking for support after the loss of a pet?  

Join our Virtual Pet Loss Support Groups – you can find more information on our End of Life page.