Dog Training Classes in Milwaukee with Amy Ammen

Training your dog just got a whole lot easier...

Do you have a lively dog? Is your dog a bit sassy? Would you like help teaching your old dog some new tricks? Want to know how to give your new puppy the best guidance?

Great training will ensure your dog is safe, happy, and a cherished family member. An efficient coach will keep you on track and make the process interesting and fun.

Let me help you reach your goals.  I'm Amy Ammen and I've been training dogs since 1975. Enroll in group classes, schedule a private lesson, purchase my easy-to-use books and DVDs, hire Able the Dancing Chihuahua to perform at your next event or watch Dog Class TV. 

Have questions? Please call or email me today.

Amy Ammen

414-289-7785

Don't Let Fido's Phobias Sour Summer Celebrations

Don't let Fido's phobias sour summer celebrations

by Kitty Foth

Much to the delight of children nationwide, July is a great month for fireworks. Unfortunately, dogs seldom share their enthusiasm, often running for cover at the first crack. 

If your dog is traumatized by fireworks or any of the other noises of summer - from sirens to motorcycles, screaming children to chain saws - take heart: There is a solution, according to Amy Ammen, nationally known dog-behavior expert and author of Hip Ideas for Hyper Dogs (Wiley, 2007). 
"The solution is counterintuitive," said Ammen, "and it stems from people trying to do the right thing - and failing. The fact is, an owner's best instinct may actually be killing his canine's confidence."
The primary problem Ammen encounters in working with fearful dogs is clients coddling and reassuring the animals in stressful situations. 
"The result of such coddling is just the opposite. Instead of calming the dog, it actually rewards him for fearful behavior and entrenches the fear."
Fortunately, giving such a dog the courage he needs to face such traumas is usually easier than one might think, she said. Here's the scoop.
"First, remain calm, relaxed, and unemotional even in the face of this incredible danger that he's detected. Second, use basic obedience commands to get him focused on you instead of on the source of his fear. And third, distract him with happy talk and treats." 
Ammen provided these tips for overcoming canine phobias: 

· Do not give your dog attention when he is acting freaked out.
· Do give him a command - and enforce it.
· Do keep your dog on a short leash, and don't allow him to scurry about.
· Do not allow people to rush up to your dog if he's in an anxious state; do ask them to ignore him. 

When you know that you'll be facing a potentially frightening situation, you can prepare for it ahead of time, Ammen said. "Take him to class, establish basic skills, intentionally induce anxiety-provoking situations, and apply the skills you've learned together." 
For additional strategies for squelching phobias, Ammen suggests consulting Hip Ideas for Hyper Dogs.

Monday Evening Classes Start July 20th!

The Basic Essentials class is SO popular we can't accommodate everyone!  Therefore, you can now join the class starting Monday, July 20th at 6:30 in West Allis at Pahle Animal Hospital. We've also added a Small Dog Class. Click here to enroll.

Here's the schedule and a photo of our current House-puppy and Obedience Puppy classes. By the way, House-puppy (for dogs 15 weeks and under) begins Sunday, July 19th at 10AM.

Monday, July 20th at 6:30 in West Allis at Pahle Animal Hospital

6:30PM Basic Essentials (4 openings)

7:30PM Small Dog Class (8 openings)

Photo features a Tibetan terrier, Chihuahua, West Highland white terrier, Portugese water dog, cavalier King Charles spaniel, viszla, Labrador retriever, boxer, cockapoo, and labradoodle.

Schedule for July and August Classes

JULY STARTING DATES

Sunday, July 19th, 2009 at Pahle Animal Clinic in West Allis

10AM House-puppy (4 openings)

10:45 Mastering Basic Skills - Basic Essentials is a prerequisite (1 opening)

11:45 Basic Essentials (FULL)

Monday, July 20th, 2009 at Pahle Animal Clinic in West Allis

6:30PM Basic Essentials (4 openings)

7:30PM Small Dog Class (8 openings)

AUGUST STARTING DATES

Sunday, August 16th, 2009 at Pahle Animal Clinic in West Allis

10AM House-puppy (8 openings)

10:45 Off-leash and Boundary Training - Mastering Basics is a prerequisite (4 openings)

11:45 Basic Essentials (8 openings)

Click here for class descriptions and online enrollment

Photos feature the new graduates of 11:45 and 12:45 Basic Essentials class.  From top left to bottom right, breeds include puggle, rat terrier, pitbull mix, yellow Labrador retriever, golden retriever mix, Brittany, Rottweiller, Yorkshire terrier mix, cocker spaniel, Australian shepherd, Alaskan malamute, German shorthaired pointer, Labrador retriever, and Airdale terrier.

Radio Interview on Hip Ideas for Hyper Dogs

Think your dog is hyper?  Think he is hopeless?  Have you tried everything?  Laugh and learn as Lisa Woody the host of The Lucky Dog Show and I discuss surefire strategies to calm, comfort and control any canine.

Click here to download the Luckydogshow interview

Running with your Dog

Here's a little tip if you are a fitness buff who runs with your dog. Fitness Magazine asked me to give advice on how to keep control of your dog around others while you are jogging.  The following Q & A appears in the March '09 issue of  Fitness Magazine. 

Question:   "What's the best way to run with my dog and not tick off other people on the path?"

Answer:   "Keep Fido on a short leash -- literally says Amy Ammen, author of Hip Ideas for Hyper Dogs.  It should be just long enough to place him two or three feet from your side.  "It's your responsibility to yield to people without pets," Ammen says.  If your pooch stops or strays, give three quick, light tugs on the leash, click your tongue a few times, and move on.  "Stopping for passersby tends to make dogs misbehave even more, so simply veer wide to let people by."

Comet, Amiable student, smiles for the paparazzi.

Small Dog Class to be Held on the East Side of Milwaukee

The Small Dog class is held Mondays at 6-6:45PM at Madra Pet Styling on the corner of Park Avenue and Murray, near UWM.  The cost of this 3-lesson course is $79 and it covers the care and training of small dogs under 15 pounds at maturity.

Just call Amy Ammen at 414-289-7785 for new starting date information.

Obey the 10-pound rat terrier hanging out at Metropawlis Pet Boutique and Bakery with a happy friend.

Amiable Classes resume at Pahle Clinic in West Allis!

Looking for a well-designed, efficient class taught by someone with over 30 years of experience? Do you want the personal attention of being in a class limited to 9 students?  You're in luck! Puppy, Basic, and Small Dog Classes taught by Amy Ammen resumed in January 2009 at Pahle Animal Hospital in West Allis, WI (10827 W. Oklahoma Avenue).

  PUPPY CLASSES: Brand new for 2009, two independent modules which can be taken simultaneously or individually, starting with either class.  

"House--puppy" and "Obedience Puppy" focus on different skill sets. 3-weeks each, 45 minutes.  $89 for 1st module, $69 for 2nd module. Enrollment limited to 9 dogs, up to 15 weeks old.

“House-puppy”  Module = Manners, etiquette, social skills
Learn the best ways to housebreak, crate train, control nipping, chewing and excessive barking. But that's only the beginning. We also cover grooming, car riding, the off command, and the settle position.
“Obedience Puppy” Module = Commands, listening, control, and introduction to boundary training
Teach your puppy to walk nicely on a leash and come at a distance. We also cover sit, down and come commands, plus the introduction to boundary training.

SMALL DOG CLASS: Back by popular demand! 3-weeks each, 45 minutes.  $79. Enrollment limited to 9 dogs (any age).

"Small Dogs, Big Potential" covers care and training for toy breed dogs and dogs under 15 lbs. at maturity. Topics include:

• ·      Making the most of having a small dog
• ·      Socializing with people and animals
• ·      House training and problem solving
• ·      Listening to “quiet,” “stay,” and “come” commands

  BASIC CLASSES: Brand new in 2009!  Basic class in three progressive parts allows you to improve your dog’s skills as much as you like! Designed to be taken consecutively. 4-weeks each, 45 minutes.  $119 for 1st module, $89 for 2nd & 3rd module.  Enrollment limited to 9 dogs (four months and up).

1. Essential Basic Skills
Teach your dog to be social, attentive, mannerly, and controlled.  He will learn how to listen to come, sit, down, heel, stay, and, off and quiet commands. You'll also learn problem solving for any situation.
2. Mastering Basic Skills
Building on the foundation of the "Essentials" class, your dog's response will quicken. You'll master the keys getting your dog to sit, stay, come, and down more reliably and at a distance. Plus, he'll learn to not bound through doorways uninvited.
3. Off-leash Control
Off-leash and boundary training will not only increase the joys of spending time with your dog, it may also save his life. "Essential" and "Master" classes set the stage for embarking on a step-by-step path to reliable off-leash control.

Able the Dancing Chihuahua to Perform New Year's Eve Show at the Riverside Theater

Where were you New Year's Eve? Able and Obey had a date at the Riverside Theater.  This dancing duo is hotter than ever, but New Year's Eve was literally the icing on the cake. The show sold out and we rang in the New Year with CAKE, Brew Haus Polka Kings, Elvis (the other King), Brewer's racing sausages, and 3000 enthusiastic fans. Catch the next show at a library or festival near you!