K-9 Obedience Training Courses
Develop a better relationship with your dog through HSSC’s K-9 Obedience Training Courses. These group courses help strengthen the bond between dogs and their owners through education and positive training. We offer courses for learning basic manners, earning a Canine Good Citizen certificate, and training to perform pet therapy.
Our courses are taught by experienced trainers and are offered at significantly lower prices than other classes in the area. Our classes run $95 per six-week session. And all HSSC adopters receive a $10 discount on their first course!
We encourage you to enroll your dog early. If we have fewer than three students enrolled, we will cancel the course and you will get a full refund.
All upcoming courses and dates are listed below. Click "REGISTER HERE" beside the course you want to register for to access its unique registration form.
For everyone's safety, we only permit one dog per handler. Due to COVID-19, only the handler can attend the course with the dog and everyone must wear a face mask, per Sarasota County Ordinance. No spectators will be permitted.
If your dog is reactive to people or other dogs, a group class may not be an option. Please contact Tracy Stoddard at 941.955.4131 x106 to discuss options for you and your dog.
**COVID-19: All K-9 Obedience Courses have resumed. Course registrants who did not get to finish their original course due to COVID-19 are eligible to take the course over from the beginning. We have several make-up sessions available for those registrants. All registrants have been contacted. If you have questions about your course, please contact Tracy Stoddard at 941.955.4131 x106.**
K-9 Obedience Training Courses Offered
Basic Obedience 1
Learn how to teach your dog how to behave in your household. Positive reinforcement is used to teach your dog such commands as sit, down, come, stay, and also walking on a leash. This course consists of six one-hour classes and will meet once a week unless otherwise noted. Fee: $95
Wednesday Courses
| Start Date |
Finish Date |
Time |
Registration Form |
| Wednesday, August 5 |
Wednesday, September 9 |
11am |
REGISTER HERE |
| Wednesday, September 16 |
Wednesday, October 21 |
11am |
REGISTER HERE |
| Wednesday, October 28 |
Wednesday, December 9
(No Class November 25) |
11am |
REGISTER HERE |
Thursday Courses
| Start Date |
Finish Date |
Time |
Registration Form |
| Thursday, July 30 |
Thursday, September 3 |
10am |
REGISTER HERE |
| Thursday, September 10 |
Thursday, October 22
(No Class October 15) |
10am |
REGISTER HERE |
| Thursday, October 29 |
Thursday, December 10
(No Class November 26) |
10am |
REGISTER HERE |
| Start Date |
Finish Date |
Time |
Registration Form |
| Thursday, July 30 |
Thursday, September 3 |
5:45pm |
REGISTER HERE |
| Thursday, September 10 |
Thursday, October 22
(No Class October 15) |
5:45pm |
REGISTER HERE |
| Thursday, October 29 |
Thursday, December 10
(No Class November 26) |
5:45pm |
REGISTER HERE |
Saturday Courses
| Start Date |
Finish Date |
Time |
Registration Form |
| Saturday, August 1 |
Saturday, September 5 |
8:45am |
REGISTER HERE |
| Saturday, September 12 |
Saturday, October 24
(No Class October 17) |
8:45am |
REGISTER HERE |
| Saturday, October 31 |
Saturday, December 12
(No Class November 28) |
8:45am |
REGISTER HERE |
| Start Date |
Finish Date |
Time |
Registration Form |
| Saturday, August 1 |
Saturday, September 5 |
10am |
REGISTER HERE |
| Saturday, September 12 |
Saturday, October 24
(No Class October 17) |
10am |
REGISTER HERE |
| Saturday, October 31 |
Saturday, December 12
(No Class November 28) |
10am |
REGISTER HERE |
Basic Obedience 2
Earn a Canine Good Citizen certificate and build on the skills learned in Basic Obedience 1 while learning commands that require more concentration for your dog. These lessons include how to accept a friendly stranger, sit politely for petting, walk through crowds, react to other dogs, and so much more. This course consists of six one-hour classes and will meet once a week unless otherwise noted. Fee: $95
| Start Date |
Finish Date |
Time |
Registration Form |
| Saturday, August 1 |
Saturday, September 5 |
11:15am |
REGISTER HERE |
| Saturday, September 12 |
Saturday, October 24
(No Class October 17) |
11:15am |
REGISTER HERE |
| Saturday, October 31 |
Saturday, December 12
(No Class November 28) |
11:15am |
REGISTER HERE |
Pet Therapy Training Course
If you are interested in joining our Pet Therapy Program, you must first register for our Pet Therapy Training Course. This course is offered bi-monthly. The Pet Therapy Training Course will prepare you and your dog to be an HSSC Pet Therapy Team. The course covers the essential skills for therapy animals and handlers (attention, leash walking, ignoring distractions, reactivity, etc.). In addition, the course provides an overview of the roles and expectations of HSSC Pet Therapy Volunteers, and an overview of HSSC in general, since Pet Therapy Volunteers are considered ambassadors for HSSC. The final class is the evaluation. Passing the evaluation results in acceptance into the Pet Therapy Program. Those who do not pass the evaluation will be provided options for further training. This course consists of four one-hour classes and will meet once a week unless otherwise noted. Fee: $60.
| Start Date |
Finish Date |
Time |
Registration Form |
| Thursday, March 5 |
Thursday, March 26 |
1pm |
POSTPONED |
Once you and your dog complete the course and pass the evaluation, you will be charged an additional $50 fee, which covers our cost to issue your Pet Therapy polo, dog bandana, name badge, and liability insurance for one year. Thereafter, you will be charged an annual fee of $40 to maintain your insurance and membership in the program. You will be granted access to our volunteer management system, VolunteerHub, upon paying your fee.
