Kyla McRoy: Certified Professional Dog Trainer

ACUITI: Achieving Canine Understanding In Training Interactions

Kyla McRoy was fascinated by canine behavior since she was a child growing up in Andover, MA, but it wasn’t until 2005 when she was blessed with a Golden Retriever puppy named Saffron that her true training adventure began. Kyla first trained Saffy to achieve her Canine Good Citizenship Award, and then they became a registered therapy team through Delta Pet Partners. For several wonderful years, Kyla brought Saffy into local elementary schools to work with children with special needs. At the same time, Kyla began private training sessions with families who had recently acquired puppies, several of which achieved their CGC awards. With this experience, Kyla proceeded to earn her Certification as a Professional Dog Trainer (CPDT).

For 11 years, Kyla has specialized in raising and training puppies, but has worked with a variety of ages and breeds, as well as therapy and service dogs. In her obedience work, Kyla uses research-based force-free methods and clicker training. She strives to empower her clients by providing comprehensive and individually tailored training plans, as well as clear, visually appealing protocols and handouts so clients can successfully complete homework. Due to this systematic approach, Kyla has supported clients to build highly fluent and reliable behaviors in their dogs.

Kyla’s work with clients focuses on the family unit, with a particular emphasis on teaching children how to participate in training. Her interest in the overlap between canine and child development has led her to continue training dogs while pursuing a PhD at Michigan State University.

Kyla McRoy: Certified Professional Dog Trainer

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Happy Hobbies!

Winter blues? Pandemic slump? Stuck at home?

Let’s have some fun with our dogs!

Whether you need some hobbies for your dog to do independently, or you want some hobbies to enjoy together, this class will provide it all! Mental and physical enrichment can help our dogs be calmer at home, strengthen their bond with us, and generally improve their quality of life!

In class you and your dog will enjoy and learn about…

The BEST puzzle toys for your pup to chase, paw, tackle, and play with (get that excess energy out!)
Safe chews to keep your dog settled and content (during those Zoom meetings!)
Creative ways to make enriching experiences out of household objects/spaces (easy but awesome things we can do!)
Introductory nosework (sniffing things out!)
Shaping and luring behaviors (foundations for obedience or tricks!)
Fitness and body conditioning (balancing, pivoting, targeting things with paws!)
Introductory agility (jumps, hoops, obstacle courses!)

Note:

No retractable or chain leashes allowed, no prong/pinch/choke/shock collars allowed.

Individual “stations” (pens with sheets draped over them) will be provided to help your dog feel comfortable and support him/her to focus.

If your dog has extreme fear, aggression, or reactivity, this class isn’t the best choice for them. However, we encourage you to take a reactive dog class at Annabelle’s instead!

*Social distancing practices will be followed. Masks are required for indoor classes.

Saturdays, 12-1pm. 4 weeks: 3/13-4/3

Price: $109.00

Puppy Control Unleashed® PLUS Obedience

Puppies who are not taught certain skills right away can develop severe behavior problems in adulthood. This 10-week class teaches these critical skills by combining Control Unleashed (by Leslie McDevitt) with early obedience. From calmness to impulse control, as well as cues like “come” and “drop it,” this class is designed to provide you and your puppy with a solid foundation of skills to set you up for a lifetime of success.

In this course, you will learn how to:

Address nipping and jumping
Build relaxation and calmness
Teach and support appropriate greetings with people
Reduce fear, anxiety, and over-excitement around other dogs
Promote attention to handler in new environments
Teach a default safety leave it behavior
Support focus around distractions
Keep your pup busy with enrichment and confidence-building exercises
Teach and strengthen “come,” “leave it,” “drop it,” and other basic obedience skills

Before the first class, you will receive a pre-recorded lecture (via email). You must watch this lecture before the first class, as it will cover important concepts (in place of an in-class lecture), which will maximize training time.

You will need the following:

Control Unleashed® book
Balance harness (by Blue-9 online)
6-ft leash
Portable mat (e.g., Mutt Mat online)
Treat bag (e.g. Rapid Rewards on Amazon)
2-3 quart bags of soft, small treats (chicken, hot dogs, cheese)

(Puppies under 6 months only. Clickers will be provided. No retractable or chain leashes allowed, no prong/pinch/choke/shock collars allowed.)

*Social distancing practices will be followed. Masks are required for indoor classes

Saturdays, 10:30-11:30 am, 10 weeks: 3/27-6/5* *no class 5/29

Price: $265.00