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This class is for any level. Learn how to teach your dog positively! There is no need for leash corrections. Understand how to reward your dog with your voice, praise, food, and by providing positive feedback. Learn proper body-mechanics and leash-techniques so you can control your dog but still keep the leash loose -- which allows for more off-leash control! Get your dog to look at you, turn with you, walk better on leash, sit from the front and the side, stand-up, lie down and to settle, and the principles of wait and stay. This is an outdoor class, so you will be teaching your dog how to behave in public and during distractions. If you have any questions about whether this class would be a good fit for your dog, please contact us and we will put you in touch with Alana. The first class is for people only and will be indoors. Subsequent classes will meet outside with your dog. Please bring a 6-foot flat nylon/fabric leash (ideally 3/4-inch) and flat collar or body-harness required (front-connection harnesses preferred), as well as poop bags, treats and water. This class is for dogs 3 months of age and over. Puppies must have received their second distemper vaccination to participate. Dogs 6 months and older must have received a rabies vaccination. Note: The fee covers up to 2 handlers per dog. In the case of bad weather, class will be held on Thursday instead of Wednesday. This class will meet outside on the CVU grounds, except for the first class which will meet inside. Please check-in at the CVU main entrance before the start of class.

Through video clips and photographs of dog interactions and body language, Alana Stevenson, dog trainer and behaviorist, and author of Training Your Dog the Humane Way, demonstrates how dogs communicate with people and other dogs. Learn to recognize common appeasement gestures and find out how your body-language and movement can affect dogs on and off-leash. Understand when dogs may shy away or bite, the differences between play and fighting, how to predict conflict at dog parks, and why you should never punish a dog for growling. Time will be allotted for questions after the presentation. This class will meet in person at CVU.

Dominance and being "alpha" over your dog is so old-school. Alana Stevenson, dog trainer and behaviorist, and author of Training Your Dog the Humane Way, reveals how dogs learn and understand the world around them from a behavioral perspective. Learn the significance of association and context learning and pattern-oriented behavior and why it's important to teach your dog with kindness. Find out why popular training approaches often don't work and can be damaging to your dog. Time is allotted for Q&A after the presentation. This class will meet online. Look for an invitation to be sent a day or two before the class starts.

In this online 1.5 hour presentation, Alana Stevenson, feline behaviorist and author of The Good Cat Parent's Guide to Feline Behavior Modification shows you how to recognize common feline communication signals so you can better understand and communicate with cats. Learn why cats are often misunderstood and maligned, and why popular training approaches frequently recommended fail to work with cats. When you understand cat psychology, behaviors that were seemingly complex becomes less of a mystery. Photos and video clips of feline body language and inter-cat dynamics will be shared. There will be time after the presentation for Q&A. This class will meet online. Look for an invitation to be sent a day or two before the class starts.

Permaculture is a design science rooted in the observation of natural systems. Join us as we dive into the principles of permaculture and learn how to design ways of living that have the stability and resiliency of natural systems. In this class we focus on positive solutions for creating and managing systems for food, medicine, water, shelter, and more. Permaculture is a multi-disciplinary art form, drawing from the physical sciences, architecture, nutrition, the healing arts, traditional ecological knowledge (TEK), and spirituality. The ethical underpinnings that guide permaculture are simple yet powerful: take care of earth, take care of the people, and share the surplus.