Register at www.vrae.org or 203-924-6651

Dog Meets Baby Getting You Ready!

For the expectant couple who wants to introduce their canine to the newest member of your family. Learn: what to do before the baby arrives, how to introduce the dog and baby, how to read subtle signs and setting boundaries. A must for the Mommy and Daddy to be! (one price per couple)

Material of $20 for a CD, paid to the instructor.
9/29 6:30 – 7:30pm 415 Howe Ave Shelton

Basic Dog Obedience

Does your puppy need some basic manners? Learn basics like loose leash walking, heel, sit, down, leave it, stay, and come. We’ll be able to get you and your dog on the right track quickly and easily. The first class is in the classroom without your pet and the remainder of the classes will be outside. Your puppy must be at least 16 weeks old and up to date on his/her vaccinations.

The first class is an informational class (without dogs) to outline the course and collect vaccination (proof of rabies and kennel cough required) certificates.
9/23 – 10/26 6pm – 7pm Shelton Intermediate School

Canine First Aid and CPR

Your pet depends on you for his or her well-being. In addition to providing daily care, love and affection, your best friend depends on you in an emergency. Whether your pet becomes ill or injured, or needs help in a disaster, this people-only seminar certified through the Red Cross, will cover the basics of pet first aid and CPR. From treating minor cuts and scrapes to more serious injuries, it is designed to give the average pet owner some basic skills and techniques to help your dog if he is ill or injured.

Material fee of $ 29 payable to the instructor the first night of class for a booklet with DVD.

10/6 and 11/3 6:30- 8:30pm 415 Howe Ave Shelton

Ken McGagh/Daily News staff

Dawn Lowery and her dog Manny, left, and McKenzie Granata and her dog Callie reach the finish line of the Fourth Annual Framingham Police Association PanCan Road Race Saturday. Lowery and Granata were part of a team from Connecticut participating in the race, a fundraiser for pancreatic cancer.

Call 203-209-3712 to Register or email dawn@onesmartdogct.com

Group Obedience Classes at Grooming Finalists, Monroe

Puppy PreSchool

• Socialization & Play
• Basic Skills: Sit, Down, Name Recognition, Attention, Come
• Training for problem behaviors: housebreaking, puppy nipping & mouthing, barking & jumping
• Handling & grooming
• Confidence-building exercises
• How puppies learn
• Building a stronger bond with your pup
• Encouraging good behaviors and avoiding bad behaviors
• How to communicate and train effectively to achieve reliable results.
• Preparation for Family Dog classes.

What sort of things should you socialize your new puppy to? Everything! Your puppy should experience a bit of cold, funny noises, strange hats, interesting textures, calm restraint, new dogs (your own dogs are not enough!) and many other things. Puppies should also learn to stop mouthing, gradually. All of these things are discussed in a good puppy socialization class. Start exposing your puppy to new things now.

Family Dog Basic Manners

This is the first class in the Family Dog Manners series. Suitable for first timers of all ages and as a refresher class.

You and your dog will learn positive basic obedience training skills: focused attention, sit, down, stay, come, wait, leave it, and informal heel for the family dog. Learn how and when to reward and when to increase distractions, duration and distance.  Dogs ages 4 months and up. 6 – 50 minute group lessons given once a week. Small group classes, human family members are welcome.

6 weeks $145

Family Dog Intermediate

Intermediate obedience and manners, the next step in your training program. Maintain basic skills and avoid learning undesireable behaviors for all age groups. Prepare for the Canine Good Citizen Test, one of the first steps for a therapy dog. Work toward off-leash skills and add more distance, duration and distraction to increase your dog’s skills.

Prerequisite: Basic Obedience Class

6 weeks $145

Next Session begins  7/14  6:30pm

AKC Canine Good Citizen Prep Class

Practice all 10 items on the CGC test and end with the AKC recognized award testing during class on week 5. Test fee is included in the class fee or join us just for the test only.

5 weeks $145

By Shilpika Das, Staff Writer, RedCross.org

Wednesday, January 02, 2008 — As a young mother, Virginia Marchetti decided to learn first aid so she’d know what to do in case one of her children got hurt. As her children grew older, she took two refresher courses in CPR and first aid from the American Red Cross to make sure her skills were up to date.

“I wanted to be prepared for any emergency, and it seemed like the cautious thing to do,” she says.

In November 2007, her Red Cross training paid off. Marchetti saved the life of a family member – one with four legs, not two.

The day began like any other. After the children left for school, Marchetti fed her two dogs and was going about her routine chores. All of a sudden she saw her four-year-old dog, Gryffin, lying on the rug beside her, looking like he was about to throw up.

“His eyes were bulging and his neck was extended in a funny manner,” says Marchetti. “He looked like he would vomit, and I realized he was choking.”

Quickly moving into rescue mode, Marchetti lifted Gryffin’s front paws, put her hands under his stomach and gave him a quick upward thrust. Nothing happened, so she did it again, a little harder this time. Out flew a couple of pieces of dog food.

Marchetti says she owes her lifesaving skills to the Red Cross First Aid classes she took 27 years ago. “I’m glad I knew what to do the day Gryffin choked,” she says.

Learn from Your Local Red Cross

Emergencies similar to this can occur suddenly and without warning. Knowing what to do in the initial moments can be critical to your pet’s life. Thanks to the Red Cross, pet owners can equip themselves with first aid and CPR skills.

American Red Cross Pet First Aid classes give pet owners the confidence and skills necessary to tend to unexpected emergencies until they can get their pet to a veterinarian. Many Red Cross chapters across the country offer classes with hands-on training in Pet First Aid procedures.   Please contact One Smart Dog for class schedules.  Reference guides are also available to provide quick answers to questions about caring for family dogs and cats. Red Cross Dog First Aid and Cat First Aid manuals can teach you how to:

• Administer medications;
• Recognize an emergency;
• Perform CPR and first aid;
• Treat common problems and emergencies requiring immediate attention; and
• Stock a pet first aid kit

The manuals come with a 30-minute DVD that features step-by-step instructions on safety procedures, disaster preparedness and dealing with medical emergencies.

One Smart Dog of the month is Titan

Titan has recently mastered the recall and stay.

Way to go Titan!