  
Houston SPCA Training Classes
The Houston SPCA offers classes for pets and their owners! Class registration is open to any dog or cat, including animals that are not adopted from the Houston SPCA. All classes are held one time per week and run for six weeks unless otherwise noted.
Basic Training Level One:
Learn the basics of training with your canine companion. Whether a newly adopted dog or a one you’ve had for years, this class is a great primer on how to train and learn sit, down, come, loose leash walking and many other fun (and necessary) skills!
Six weeks, $85 for HSPCA adoptees, $100 for others
We have classes starting on:
Saturday, August 9, 2008 11:30am-12:30pm (THIS CLASS IS FULL)
Sunday, August 17, 2008 7-8pm
Wednesday, August 27, 2008 7-8pm
Sunday, August 31, 2008 2-3pm
Tuesday, September 9, 2008 7-8pm
Saturday, September 13, 2008 10-11am
Saturday, September 27, 2008 11:30am-12:30pm
Sunday, October 5, 2008 7-8pm
Wednesday, October 15, 2008 7-8pm
Saturday, October 25, 2008 10-11am
Tuesday, October 28, 2008 7-8pm
Sunday, November 2, 2008 2-3pm
Saturday, November 15, 2008 11:30am-12:30pm
Monday, November 24, 2008 7-8pm
Sunday, December 7, 2008 7-8pm
Tuesday, December 16, 2008 7-8pm
Click here for Basic Training Level One registration.
Canine Good Citizen Prep Class:
A fun and goal oriented class directed towards attaining the CGC certification for your dog. This is helpful for homeowner’s insurance and a great way to celebrate your dog’s accomplishments! Class focuses on the polite greetings, basic obedience commands and loose leash walking. Graduation is the actual CGC test. Basic Training Level One is a pre-requisite.
Six weeks, $85 for HSPCA adoptees, $100 for others
Sunday, September 14, 2008 10:30-11:30am
Sunday, November 2, 2008 10:30-11:30am
Click here for Canine Good Citizen Prep Class registration.
Puppy Socialization:
As always, we have Puppy Socialization every Saturday at 4pm for small puppies and 5pm for larger puppies. $10 per puppy per class. Join us some Saturday, click here if you want to pre-register.
Kitten Kindergarten:
Do you think it is impossible to train your cat? Think again! Felines are amazing animals that learn really quickly when trained using positive reinforcement. The Houston SPCA now offers Kitten Kindergarten classes. During this three week session our professional animal behavior consultants will teach you some basics about feline behavior and body language. We will cover important topics such as litterbox issues, destructive scratching, and teaching appropriate play. Your kittens will have the opportunity to socialize and play with other kittens and will also learn how to behave nicely for nail trimming and grooming. We will also teach your cat some basic behaviors such as sit, down and maybe even a few tricks.
Three weeks, $35 for HSPCA adoptees, $50 for others.
Saturday, September 6, 2008 2-3pm
Saturday, October 11, 2008 2-3pm
Saturday, November 8, 2008 2-3pm
Saturday, December 8, 2008 2-3pm
Click here for the Kitten Kindergarten registration.
Tricks and Treats
Our "Tricks & Treats" class was developed to encourage children to become more involved with their dogs. During this class we will teach your child how to become great dog trainers while having fun. At the same time, your dogs will be learning new tricks, getting exercise, and learning to listen to your child! Throughout the three week course, we will teach tricks such as shake, high five, kiss, crawl, beg, dance, spin, roll-over, skateboard, and more.
Saturday, August 2, 2008 12-1pm
Click here for the Tricks and Treats registration.
Houston SPCA Animal Behavior Short Courses
FOCUS!
Do you ever feel like your dog has a one way ticket to la-la land?! No matter what’s going on, it only takes the smallest of distractions to completely engulf your dog’s attention. Well, this is the class for you! In one hour we will teach you fabulous exercises that emphasis how to get your dog to WANT to pay attention to you and nothing else! It’s fun, it’s one hour, and it’s a great way to improve your relationship with you dog!
Saturday, August 9th 1:00pm
Polite Greetings:
Does your dog jump on visitors, family and friends? Join us for a fabulous one hour adventure where we will focus exclusively on teaching your friendly canine companion to be a polite greeter.
Next Class Date To Be Determined.
Polite Leash Walking
Does you dog’s pulling make it a chore to take him out on walks? This ever popular short course give puppy parents tips on getting their dogs to pay attention while walking
. We’ll show you how to prevent surging ahead as well as lagging behind. Learn to enjoy dog walks again!
Saturday, August 23nd 1:00pm
Saturday, September 27th 1:00pm
Fun Dog Tricks
Training your dog doesn’t have to be all about boring obedience commands. In this course, your dog can learn some amazing and fun tricks that you’ve never tried before. Trick training can help your dog learn to pay more attention to you and strengthens the canine/human bond as well. There is no training experience required to join this course. Just bring some treats and your dog and watch a canine star be born!
Saturday, September 6th 1:00pm
Dealing with Mouthing
Do you ever feel like you adopted a baby shark instead of a puppy? Come to this one hour class to find out everything you need to know about puppy mouthing - including how to stop it! We'll cover developmental stages, correct responses, and preventative thing to do. All in all, this course can save both you and your things from getting chewed on so come join us!
Saturday, August 16th 1:00pm
Choosing the Right Dog for Your family
Are you thinking about getting a dog but unsure about what to look for? There are many factors to consider - size, attitude, energy level, your lifestyle and more! We will walk you through the process of identifying what type of dog will be the best match for you and your family. Owning a dog is a commitment for at least ten years, so join us for one brief hour which can change the rest of your life and the life of your canine companion!
Next Class Date To Be Determined.
Storm Phobia!
Does your dog turn into a quivering mass of jelly or, even worse, a tornado of destruction at the slightest sign of a storm? Join us for a short course especially for storm phobic dogs. We will show you techniques to alleviate your dog’s fear, some of which you’ve never even seen before!
Saturday, August 30th 1:00pm
Solving Litterbox Problems
Has your cat started turning her nose up at her litterbox occasionally? Worse yet, has she ceased using her litterbox entirely?
Solving litterbox issues is somewhat like solving a mystery; you need to do a lot of snooping and ask yourself many questions to find out why your cat is having accidents before taking steps to stop the accidents from happening. In this short course, the Houston SPCA’s best potty box detectives will show you how to investigate your own stinky crime scene.
Saturday, September 20th 1:00pm
Leave It!
Does your dog get into all sorts of stuff that you would rather him leave alone? Whether it’s your favorite shoe, a miscellaneous pile you see during a walk, or anything else that you’re dog has a fanatic interest in we can show you how to teach your dog to leave it alone! Come join us for a one hour short course where you can learn the basics of “leave it” and begin the path to leaving things out in the house and not having to worry!
Saturday, September 13th 1:00pm
All short courses are $10 per pet.
Please call HSPCA Animal Behavior and Training at 713-869-7722, x187 to reserve your spot today!
If you need more information , please feel free to visit our Behavior Page for downloadable Animal Behavior information.
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