Dog obedience classes start Monday

• Teeter-totter

Contributed photo Kaiser and Kota tried the teeter-totter during a recent Lakes Area Recreation dog obedience class.

Talk about it

Spring will return, and then it will be time to enjoy taking dogs for walks on the trail, in the park or even just around the block.

However, how much “enjoyment” these outings will bring depend largely on how well mannered the dog is, and how well it’s able to socialize with other dogs and the people it meets along the way.

To help make these activities more enjoyable, three experienced volunteers working with Lakes Area Recreation provide basic training for the dogs and their owners by conducting a series of six obedience classes starting Monday, February 23, from 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. and continuing for each consecutive Monday through March 30.

These six one-hour classes will each have a separate kindergarten class for puppies and another class for adult dogs. Only “gentle and reward” training methods are used.

The curriculum will include socialization, basic obedience, and when appropriate, behavior problems will be addressed.

The final 15 minutes of the hour-long classes include a “recess” period, during which the dogs and the trainers will develop confidence by having fun on the agility course, consisting of hurdles, ramps, tunnels, and a teeter-totter.

The classes will take place in the Lakes Area Recreation’s gymnasium accessible through the County Library’s entrance off of Fillmore Street. The fee for each series of six classes is $50 payable to Lakes Area Recreation (or LAR).

To enroll in the class, call Donna Rae Pugh, (320) 762-8980 or e-mail chaspugh@rea-alp.com.

Tags: dog, obedience, classes, lakes, area, recreation