PRIVATE CLASSES AT OUR SITE OR YOUR HOME

SMALL GROUP CLASSES IN MULTIPLE LOCATIONS
INCLUDING OSTEEN, MAITLAND AND DELAND

407-321-1006

Home Office and Club Base: 1835 Oak Haven Plantation Road, Osteen, Fl. 32764-8872
centered near Deltona, New Smyrna and Sanford/Oviedo areas
convenient to many Central Florida dog families

If you have scheduled a class at the Osteen site, please print out and take along our directions on our web page and/or attached here, and follow those rather than just GPS and other mapping programs. Ours should take precedence and you can use GPS to confirm if your GPS is not on your cell phone since cell phone reception is spotty out here.

PLEASE PRE-REGISTER

Many classes fill early, and our new open enrollment plan at Volusia sites requires an orientation session before you join the group. To reserve a space in the class of your choice, you must provide a completed registration form and full payment.

Dog training is usually a physical activity that requires a lot of moving around, though we do have alternatives for those with special needs.

We love to have the entire family attend. Each family with children younger than age 5 should have two adults present to allow the entire family to get the most from the classes. Children must remain with their parents or guardians at all times, please.

PROOF OF VACCINATIONS & HEALTH

Required for all dogs

Bring printed vaccine or titer records, or scan and send in with registration forms
   No FAX available

Titer test records accepted in lieu of repeating vaccines.

Proof of: distemper, adenovirus, parainfluenza, parvovirus

For dogs older than 16 weeks: rabies inoculation records, leptospira recommended

Also recommended: bordetella and canine influenza

Dogs must be clean, healthy, free of parasites such as fleas, ticks etc.

FEEDING YOUR DOG BEFORE YOUR FIRST CLASS

For morning class, no breakfast until after class

For evening class, breakfast before 9 a.m.; no other food until after class

There is no need to withhold water.

CLASS TREATS
3-4 different items
Soft high-value treats cut into tiny bits
Hot dog, cheese, cooked boneless chicken, fresh liver
In treat pouch or other easily accessible container
Something special
Something the pup does not get at home
especially if you have a nervous or easily distracted dog.
Easily distracted is the definition of a puppy.

Plastic baggies containing treats are not allowed because a large pup or dog can rapidly swallow an entire plastic bag with its contents. Just dump your treats directly into a dog treat bag or carpenter’s apron.

For a quick doggie attitude boost

For one week or more prior to your first class it is helpful to hand feed your dog a few pieces of dry dog food at a time throughout the day and evening (no food from his bowl during this time if possible).

Shy dogs, very excitable dogs, or dogs with other unusual behavior problems:
NO FOOD 24 HOURS BEFORE FIRST CLASS

If your dog has serious social or noise issues, please register for Best Paw Forward private classes.

WHAT TO WEAR

PEOPLE
Wear comfortable clothing and non-skid shoes such as tennis or athletic shoes (no sandals nor flip flops allowed, please). Pockets are a big plus! Cellular phones and pagers must be silenced or turned off during class.

CANINES

PuppyLove dogs may wear buckle or snap collars.

A pup that is already pulling strongly on the leash should also bring along a Gentle Leader head collar so we can help you properly fit it. Purchase one in the size that your pup can grow into as an adolescent or adult dog. Free details on how to get your dog used to a wearing a head collar are in the handouts section.

Basic Manner dogs need snug-fitting, thin, all-nylon slip collars OR all-nylon limited choke/slip collars OR Gentle Leader head collars for BASIC MANNERS. We require these collars for easy control of dogs new to our program, and to ensure that the dogs cannot slip away. Leash corrections are rarely needed or used.

No chain nor partial chain chokes are allowed in beginning nor agility classes.

What about a harness? Harnesses are not allowed on dogs on any agility equipment (only available in Osteen) nor in Basic Manners and PuppyLove sessions.

PuppyLove participants may not wear harnesses because they are a safety hazard during playtime; Basic dogs can often slip out of them.

Friendly toy breed dogs in Basic Manners may wear snug-fitting buckle or snap collars, or properly fitted Premier Easy Walk harnesses along with their snap or buckle collars.

Leash for all ages: 3’ to 6' leather or cotton, not wider than 5/8” required for Basic Dogs and recommended for puppies. PuppyLove dogs may be worked on soft nylon leashes if they are not pulling hard on leashes before they come to class.

Chain and extendable leashes are prohibited for all beginning and intermediate group classes. Chain leashes are too hard on the hands, and extendable leashes teach dogs to pull harder.

Why no nylon leashes for older pups and dogs? Nylon comes in pretty colors but hurts your hands if your dog pulls while on leash.

Looking for a quality leather leash at a great price? Check out Best Paw Forward’s premium leather leashes, available in a variety of lengths and widths at prices that meet or beat local sources.

Approved equipment REQUIRED for first class and every class. If you do not have an approved leash by Week 1, you must purchase it at class, and may be required to purchase a collar as well.

PUPPYLOVE, 6-week series for pups 8-18 weeks old; 3 month open enrollment plan that includes Manners Plus for Volusia sites

BASIC MANNERS, 6-week series for pups 18 weeks and older, and for adult dogs; 3 month open enrollment plan that includes Manners Plus for Volusia sites

Ask about special discounts or additional free sessions for some Volusia locations.

Female dogs in season may not attend Basic Manners level classes. They are still welcome in advanced sessions at owners’ discretion with careful management and wearing appropriate sanitary gear at the Maitland site.Owners who attend without their dogs during those weeks get free group make up sessions later.

WORK STUDY AVAILABLE!

Students exchange their help or barter items for free group sessions and workshops. E-mail or call for more details; information also available on our web page

Discounts

BPF Continuing Students
Seniors
Multiple Dogs In Household
Experienced Trainers
Rescue Volunteers
Referring Rescue Groups
Law Enforcement
Emergency Services Personnel

CLASS POSTPONEMENT

For outdoor sessions affected by bad weather we will notify registered students via e-mail 2 hours before class starting time. Announcements will also be posted on our web page, on our answering machine and now via Twitter and Facebook. Rainy, cold and hot weather will not affect indoor classes, and we have provisions in place to work around those conditions at other sites.

refund/MAKEUP CLASS policIES

When you register you are committing your family to a particular time slot for a progression of classes, though we are able to offer a much more liberal drop-in makeup class policy in our Osteen club events.

Our friendly open-door policy on group classes provides ample opportunity to observe our facilities, methods and instructors in advance. (Call or e-mail for an updated schedule to make sure classes are available on that date since only registered students get notice of an emergency cancellation.) We love to have you visit prior to registering to confirm you are training with the best, as your many friends, neighbors, breeders, shelters and veterinarians recommend.

No visitors are allowed during private sessions, workshops and seminars. A credit for an upcoming series is available for cancellations or postponements once you receive our extensive class materials. Missed class dates can be covered with a private make up class at a reduced rate.

PRIVATE CLASSES

Class fees for private sessions go directly to your instructors so checks or cash are easiest to handle for payment.

At our site (call or e-mail for locations): $55 per one hour session
In-home visits: $75-$95 per 1 to 1 ½ hour session

(mileage added for some locations)

Competition obedience, agility or conformation levels at our site (call or e-mail for locations): $25 for one hour, $15 for ½ hour
Private makeup session at our site (call or e-mail for Volusia location): $25
Aggression consultations available; call or e-mail for prices which vary by location and number of instructors required. Usually $85 at our sites, $150 for approved home sessions
Cat counselling/phone consultations available

LOCATIONS

Best Paw Forward Sports Club and Home Office
1835 Oak Haven Plantation Rd., Osteen FL 32764-8872

Maitland Civic Center
641 S. Maitland Ave., Maitland 32751

Spring Oaks Animal Care Center
152 McGregor Road, Deland 32720