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 read this blog post for updates on our COVID-19 practices. As of Friday, July 30, 2021, masks are required in group classes.
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
- $225 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
Friday evenings, starting on October 22nd, 2021
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 in 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
- $225 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
- $225 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
Advanced K9 Nose Work class
We’re getting serious now! This class will get you ready for competition trials (from AKC Novice/NW1 to Detective/Elite) if that’s where you’re headed, though plenty of our students attend just for fun.
Advanced K9 Nose Work class details
- 6 weeks of group class
- $225 tuition
Prerequisites
Ability to search all four elements for at least one target odor without boxes or aides and unpaired in a variety of environments. 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.)
Class Schedule
Wednesdays at 6:00pm – Open enrollment. Register in advance then join when you are ready!
Super Tricks! dog training class
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.
- 6 weeks of group class
- $225 tuition
Prerequisites
Completion of Basic Manners class or equivalent level of training. Unsure? Just ask us!
Class Schedule
Saturdays at 9:30am, starting on October 23rd, 2021. No class Oct. 30, Nov. 6, or Nov. 27.
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
- 5 weeks of group class, twice/week
Prerequisites
No specific class requirements, but we recommend dogs be over 1 year old and have had some formal training. 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
Class begins on Tuesdays and Thursdays, at 9am, starting on Sept. 7.
Click here to register (registration is through TMCC; clicking will take you to their site)
See a video on becoming a therapy dog handler, below.
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, Marleeville, Verdi, Somerset, Spanish Springs, Fernley and Fallon.
