Extracurricular Classes
Let the fun begin!
Why attend Reno’s best dog sports, tricks, and specialty dog training classes?
- Have fun with your dog
- Burn off extra canine energy
- Gain dinner party bragging rights
- Cement your dog’s focus
- Did we mention the fun?
A few things to know about attending class with us
Our classes are small, so pre-registration is required. No drop-ins, please.
School-aged children are warmly welcomed to participate, but must be accompanied and supervised by a parent.
Please CLICK HERE for updates on our COVID-19 practices.
Our training facility is located at 9475 Double R. Blvd., Suite B-12 in South Reno. (Here’s a map.)
See below for classes and details!
Click a class to go directly to it, or scroll down to see them all:
Intro to K9 Nose Work class
Get your start in the fastest-growing dog sport in the Reno, Carson City, Tahoe area with our NACSW-certified K9 Nose Work® classes!
It’s no wonder K9 Nose Work has taken the dog-loving world by storm. Nearly any dog can play and excel, it’s crazy fun for dogs and humans both, and you can compete or just play for fun. Based on police K9 detection work, the sport taps into your dog’s natural ability to hunt, plus their love of food and toys. It provides excellent exercise for even the most energetic dog, but is also a perfect fit for slower canines (be they retired competition dogs, or injured, disabled, or elderly pooches) who would benefit from some brain exercise.
Intro to K9 Nose Work® class details
- 6 weeks of group class
- $295 tuition
Prerequisites
No class requirements, but dogs must be comfortable around people, and able to wait in your vehicle without supervision while they wait their turn. Dogs who don’t enjoy the company of other dogs are welcome to play so long as they can ignore fellow canines at a distance of 15 feet, because searches are done one dog at a time. (Not sure whether your dog is ready for Nose Work class? Reach out to chat with us.)
Class Schedule
Fridays at 6:00pm, starting on February 3, 2023
This class tends to fill QUICKLY! Email us to get on the wait list and be first to know when a new sessions opens for registration.
K9 Nose Work level 2: Vehicles & Exteriors class
Take your new Nose Work skills outside the classroom! Your dog learns to account for wind, moisture, outdoor surfaces, and to cover large search areas efficiently. We also up the ante by searching for buried items and items hiding on vehicles. You’ll be truly amazed at what your dog can do with her nose!
K9 Nose Work level 2 class details
- 6 weeks of group class
- $295 tuition
Prerequisites
Intro to K9 Nose Work class, or equivalent level of training. Dogs must be comfortable around people, and be crate trained or able to wait in a vehicle without supervision. Dogs who don’t enjoy the company of other dogs are welcome to play so long as they can ignore fellow canines at a distance of 15 feet. (Not sure whether your dog is ready for Nose Work class? Reach out to chat with us.)
K9 Nose Work level 3: Intro to Odor class
Dogs can do mind-boggling things with their noses, and level 3 class proves it as we move your dog from finding items to tracking small traces of odor. We’ll take field trips to work in a variety of new indoor and outdoor locations and search environments. This class puts some new emphasis on your handling skills, including learning when and how to give direction and when to trust your dog’s nose.
Intro to K9 Nose Work® class details
- 6 weeks of group class
- $295 tuition
Prerequisites
Intro to K9 Nose Work class. Dogs must be comfortable around people, and be crate trained or able to wait in a vehicle without supervision. Dogs who don’t enjoy the company of other dogs are welcome to play so long as they can ignore fellow canines at a distance of 15 feet. (Not sure whether your dog is ready for this Nose Work class? Reach out to chat with us.)
Class Schedule
Super Tricks!
Have fun with your dog! Wear her out! Impress your friends! Earn an AKC Trick Dog title in the process! If you’ve ever wondered how they train dogs to do all those groovy things for TV and movies, we’ll show you how in this fun, creative class. We’ve got all sorts of tricks in mind for you to teach your dog, or come with your own ideas and we’ll make them happen. (Sit pretty, put your toys away, walk on your hind legs, high five, and play dead are just a few options…) Tricks also ensure smiles and giggles on the Therapy Dog job!
Warning: Your dog may become hyper responsive and focused as a result of tricks training. Also, giggling may occur. Should excessive silliness last for more than four hours, we recommend rewarding it, putting it on cue, and earning a title for it.
Super Tricks details:
- 6 weeks of group class
- $295 tuition
Prerequisites
Completion of Basic Manners class or equivalent level of training. Unsure? Just ask us!
Class Schedule
Mondays at 6:00pm, starting August 28
This class tends to fill QUICKLY! Email us to get on the wait list and be first to know when a new sessions opens for registration.
Concept Training
In this fascinating class, rather than teaching your dog behaviors, we will be teaching your dog ideas. Sound crazy? It’s not! Examples of concepts taught in this class include match-to-sample (your dog is presented with an object and will learn to identify the same scent or object out of group), object discrimination (your dog will learn the name of, and how to identify, individual colors and objects), and mimicry (your dog will learn to copy behavior you demonstrate, even if they’ve never practiced it before)!
Recent science shows us it’s possible to literally train a dog to think differently, and to open new doors of communication This class will also dramatically speed the training process in other areas, such as dog sports, reactivity training, or tricks. Not to mention it is just plain FUN to watch those canine wheels turn!
Concept Training class details:
- 6 weeks of group class, once/week
- $295 tuition
Prerequisites
- Dogs must be non-reactive and able to focus on the handler for the duration of the 1-hour class
- Dogs should have some free shaping experience and have completed the equivalent of an “intermediate” level of obedience work
- Dogs should be familiar with a “place” or “go to mat” behavior, remaining on the mat until released
Class Schedule
Saturdays at 4:00pm, starting April 22, 2023
Canine Freestyle
Ready to take your dog’s obedience and performance skills to the next level? Canine Freestyle is advanced competition-style heelwork and tricks, set to music! (Don’t worry, you don’t need any dance moves to enjoy this class – the dog does most of the fancy footwork!)
Impress your friends with fancy heeling skills such as pivots, backwards heeling and working in center (heeling between the human’s legs), and with new tricks such as cop-cop (paws on human’s feet), orbit (backward circles around handler), leg weaves, and figure-8’s. By the end of class, you’ll be able to use the extra tricks you learn to create a routine that showcases your dog’s unique brilliance!
Canine Freestyle class details
- 6 weeks of group class
- $295 tuition
Prerequisites
- Completion of Super Tricks class or equivalent level of training
- Dogs must be friendly to other dogs and humans, since they will work off-leash a fair bit in this class
Class schedule
Sundays at 6:00pm, starting August 27, 2023
Therapy Dog & Handler Skills
If you’ve got a laid-back pooch who seriously (and calmly) enjoys the company and attention of strangers, you might think about teaming up with your dog to do therapy work. Therapy dog teams visit hospitals, senior homes, and the like to bring comfort and joy to those in our community who need it most. Plus it’s a great way to spend time bonding with your dog. Class covers training tips and techniques, teaches you how to read early, subtle signs of stress in your dog to make sure she truly enjoys the work, and helps prepare you for the Alliance of Therapy Dogs test. You’ll also meet working therapy dog teams and an ATD Tester to learn more about the details of real-life therapy dog visits.
Therapy Dog & Handler Skills class details
- 7 weeks of group class, once/week
- $295 tuition
Prerequisites
- Dogs must be over 1 year old to attend this class
- There are no specific class requirements, but previous training is beneficial
- Therapy dogs should ignore other dogs while on the job, so if your pooch is hyper friendly with fellow canines, you may need to do some extra work to keep her focused on the job. Not sure if your dog is a good therapy candidate? Take this self-assessment survey.
Class Schedule
Mondays at 6:00pm, starting October 30, 2023
This class tends to fill QUICKLY! Email us to get on the wait list and be first to know when a new sessions opens for registration.
Hound About Town
Become the envy of your friends as you train your pup to go anywhere with you! Each week your instructor will take you to a different real-world location to perfect your dog’s manners in locations such as the Sparks Marina, downtown Reno, dog friendly stores, coffee shop patios, dog-friendly breweries, and more! Explore the best dog-friendly venues that Reno/Sparks has to offer with the support of your instructor, make some new friends (human and canine) along the way, and work toward your AKC Canine Good Citizen -Urban title while you’re at it!
Hound About Town class details
- Six weeks of group class in dog-friendly public spaces
- Punch-card-style attendance – you will have EIGHT weeks to use your SIX weeks of class
- $295 tuition
Prerequisites
- Walkabout Class or equivalent level of training. If you are unsure, just ask!
- Please note that you must have your CGC title to be tested for the CGC-Urban
Hound About Town schedule:
- Hound About Town is currently meeting on Mondays at 6:30pm. The time may change seasonally.
- This is an on-going class, which means you can start as soon as we have a space open. This is typically within 1-2 weeks of your registration.
Class Sign Up
Meet the Fur & Feather Works training team
We love dog training. We love teaching. And we believe in being the best at both.
Get to know us!
“It was a blast!!!”
“Just got home from Super Tricks training class! It was a blast for me, my dogs, and all the participants!!! We learned some really fun new dog tricks to work on during the long winter nights…” – Excited dog mom Erin, from her Yelp review
Click here to read the full review plus many more
Questions about extracurricular classes?
Call us at (775) 420-2322
Fur and Feather Works offers the best in puppy training classes, dog training classes, private dog training, cat training, and bird training for the Reno area including Sparks, Washoe Valley, Incline Village, Lemmon Valley, Cold Springs, Palomino Valley, Pleasant Valley, Susanville, Carson City, Dayton, Garnerville, Minden, Markleeville, Verdi, Somerset, Spanish Springs, Fernley and Fallon.
