Frequently Asked Questions | Sirius Dog Training

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Frequently Asked Questions

LIst of questions

1. Which Class should my puppy/dog take?
2. What are your vaccination requirements?
3. What is your refund policy?
4. Can I switch locations or days of the week?
5. Can I schedule a Make-Up class if I miss a class?
6. Can I take classes at different locations or on different days of the week?
7. How long are your classes?
8. What’s the best way to contact the office?
9. How can I contact my instructor to ask a question outside of class?
10. Are your classes safe?
11. How do I keep my puppy from getting Parvovirus or Distempter?
12. How do you clean your training rooms?
13. Do you offer any sort of training guarantee?
14. How much time does it take to train a puppy or dog?
15. What do you do about fighting and humping in off-leash puppy classes?
16. Why are Dog Training I classes held on-leash?
17. What type of training methods do you use?
18. What sort of food should I use for training?
19. When should I use higher-value treats in training?

Unanswered question?

If you have any more questions, please send us an email: admin@siriuspup.com.
Our normal office hours are Monday-Thursday 10am-6pm, and on Fridays from 10am-3pm.

1. Which Class should my puppy/dog take?

Puppies who are between 8-12 weeks may start in our Puppy Kindergarten class. 

Puppies between 12-18 weeks are appropriate for our Puppy Training I class. Puppy Kindergarten is not required before Puppy I, but it is recommended.

Any pup that is older than 18 weeks should start off in our Dog Training I class.

Puppy Training II is only appropriate for puppies who have graduated from our SIRIUS Puppy Training I class.

2. What are your vaccination requirements?

As per the Guidelines of the AVSAB (American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior), we require a minimum of one set of vaccines (including Distemper and Parvo) at least 7 days prior to the first class, and a first deworming. Puppies are also required to remain up-to-date on vaccines throughout the class. Please bring proof of vaccination to your first class. We reserve the right to check vaccination records and puppies who do not have the proper documentation may not be allowed to participate.

For Puppy I we we STRONGLY ADVISE that your puppy has TWO sets of vaccinations given at least 2 weeks apart — with both vaccines administered after 8 weeks of age and the second vaccination given at least 7 days prior to the start-date of class, i.e., vaccines at 9 and 11, or 8 and 10 weeks to start class at 12 weeks of age.

For Puppy II and Dog I we require dogs to have their rabies vaccine and up-to-date DHLPP/DHPP vaccine. 

3. What is your refund policy?

Full refunds will be provided if they are requested, via email (to admin@siriuspup.com) at least 7 days prior to the start date of class. Refunds will not be provided after that unless your SIRIUS instructor determines your dog is not suitable for class or your class is canceled. See our Full Refund Policy for more information.

4. Can I switch locations or days of the week?

You may be able to switch class locations or days of the week if you request the change, via email, at least 7 days prior to the start date of your class. We cannot make changes after that time. See our Full Refund Policy for more information.

5. Can I schedule a Make-Up class if I miss a class?

We do not offer make-up classes or provide refunds for missed classes. However All SIRIUS students receive access to an enormous library of online training content plus weekly online access to an instructor outside of class in order to aid with your at-home training. See our Full Refund Policy for more information.

6. Can I take classes at different locations or on different days of the week?

SIRIUS courses are only available in sets of five consecutive weekly classes which take place at the same time, day and location. We do not allow mixing and matching of times, days, or locations. When you register for a SIRIUS class you are reserving a spot in those 5 specific times and days at that location.  See our Full Refund Policy for more information.

7. How long are your classes?

Each of our classes is 50-minutes long

8. What’s the best way to contact the office?

The best way to contact the SIRIUS office is via email, to admin@siriuspup.com. We respond to emails promptly Monday-Thursday 10am-5pm and Friday 10am-3pm, except for major holidays. 

Alternatively you can call us and leave a voicemail at (800) 419 8748 and we will call you back as soon as we are able to.

9. How can I contact my instructor to ask a question outside of class?

If you have questions about puppy/dog training or behavior you have several options for getting an answer outside of class time. Once you register for class you will receive a confirmation email that includes links to our at-home resources, including a forum where you can post questions, as well as info about our weekly Live Q+A sessions. 

You can also send your behavior and training questions to us at admin@siriuspup.com and if you are a registered student we will do our best to provide you with an answer within one business day.

10. Are your classes safe?

All activities come with some level of risk, puppy and dog training classes included. There is a possibility that your puppy or dog could get injured or sick in a SIRIUS class, but we take a lot of precautions to minimize the risk, and we have been teaching our classes for over 40 years and in that time we have never had a puppy contract a serious illness in a SIRIUS class and we have only had a handful of minor injuries occur in class. 

We sincerely believe that the safety benefits of attending class dramatically outweigh the safety risks of attending a class.

All SIRIUS students are required to have up-to-date vaccinations and we reserve the right to check any student’s vaccination records. Off-leash play and interaction is carefully supervised in all our puppy classes by experienced instructors that will intervene if it gets out of hand. Our Dog Training I classes are held entirely on-leash.

11. How do I keep my puppy from getting Parvovirus or Distempter?

Keep your puppy up to date on all of their vaccinations. Keep your pup away from potential sources of infection until 1 week after their second set of vaccines. Keep your pup away from unfamiliar puppies or dogs and keep your pup off of the ground in any place where unfamiliar or infected dogs may have been at any point in the past six months.

For more information, check out our SIRIUS Guide to Safe Socialization and Infection Risk.

12. How do you clean your training rooms?

The cleaning policy is different at each of our locations but we have disinfectant cleaner at all locations for cleaning up any potty accidents.

13. Do you offer any sort of training guarantee?

No, we do not offer any sort of guarantee about how much progress you will make with your puppy or dog. The amount of progress you make will depend largely on how much you practice with your pup outside of class, and how much you integrate what you learn in class with your day-to-day life with your pup. That’s why all SIRIUS students receive access to a huge library of on-demand training videos and other resources that make it as easy as possible to practice at home.

14. How much time does it take to train a puppy or dog?

There is no easy answer to how long it takes to train a puppy or dog. Every dog is different as is every home and family. Training and socialization is an ongoing process. Really, you will never be “done” with training or socialization. The goal is to integrate training and socialization into everyday life with your dog in a way that is enjoyable for you and your dog.

The first few weeks and months with a puppy are going to be particularly time intensive, requiring a lot of overall time, as well as lots of time spread throughout the day. You should expect to spend at least 1-2 hours per day training and socializing your pup for the first few months, mostly broken into lots of short, 5-, 10-, or 15-minute sessions.

15. What do you do about fighting and humping in off-leash puppy classes?

Our puppy classes include lots of off-leash play and training time for a very good reason. Letting puppies play together off leash is essential for evaluating their temperament and allowing them to develop the social skills they need to be comfortable and confident around other dogs in the future. It’s also essential that puppies learn to listen to and follow instructions even when they are off-leash and even when other puppies or dogs are present.

Play fighting and humping are very normal and natural behaviors for puppies so you should not be surprised if you see this sort of behavior in class. Learning to understand and manage these behaviors is an essential part of raising a puppy. If you have a shy pup, your pup needs to develop confidence around other pups. If you have a pup with a rambunctious play style, your pup needs to learn to play gently and calibrate their play style to match their play mates. The only way to learn these skills is with off-leash play, which your SIRIUS instructor will supervise and manage appropriately, intervening as necessary so that each pup gets the feedback they need.

If you are, at any time, concerned about puppy fighting or humping, or any other behavior you see in class, you should let your SIRIUS instructor know immediately. It is essential that you are comfortable with what is happening in class and that you understand why it’s important. If you feel anxious about what is happening in class that anxiety can easily transfer to your pup and make your pup fearful and anxious about being around other people or dogs, which is the opposite of what we are working to achieve in class!

If you feel like your instructor is not receptive to your concerns you should immediately contact the office (admin@siriuspup.com) so that we can check in with the instructor.

16. Why are Dog Training I classes held on-leash?

Puppies below the age of 18 weeks are generally unable to cause serious injuries with their bites, due to their relatively weak jaw muscles. As dogs get older they become capable of inflicting serious injuries.

Puppies who are given ample opportunity to play off-leash with other puppies develop bite inhibition. They play fight and they bite one another frequently and when they do, they get lots of feedback about the amount of pressure they use when they bite. With practice, they develop bite inhibition and they learn to ALWAYS be gentle with their bites when interacting with other dogs, even when they are excited, hurt, or frightened.

This is why our Puppy Training II classes can take place off leash even though may include puppies older than 5 months. All Puppy Training II students attended Puppy I where they had ample opportunities for off-leash play and should have learned bite inhibition.

For dogs that are older than 18 weeks who have not attended a SIRIUS puppy class, we cannot be sure that they have bite inhibition, so for safety we must run these classes on-leash.

17. What type of training methods do you use?

We use methods that are easy to use, effective, and enjoyable, for people and dogs alike. One of the most important lessons that we want your puppy or dog to learn in our classes is that training is fun, and that other people and dogs are fun to be around.

Of course, we also want to give you the ability to successfully change your puppy or dog’s behavior and temperament with methods that actually work. We understand that many of the people who come to our classes are new to dog training so we prioritize methods that are easy to use without the need for lots of experience or special skills.

For all of these reasons we do not use aversive punishments in our classes. Instead, we show you how to teach your puppy or dog how you want them to behave and how you can reinforce the good behaviors you like. When your puppy or dog engages in behaviors you don’t like, we’ll show you how to intervene, and redirect them back towards more appropriate behaviors.

Our approach to training has been thoroughly tested and validated over the past 40+ years. Our founder, Dr. Ian Dunbar, has a veterinary degree, a PhD in animal behavior and has always focused on training methods that produce measurable results, so our approach to dog training is and has always been entirely science-based.

18. What sort of food should I use for training?

For most of your training you should make use of your dog’s regular daily food. A healthy dry food is usually the easiest and most convenient food to use in training, and is far healthier than special “treats” that tend to be high in salt, fat, sugar, preservatives, or other unhealthy ingredients. 

If your puppy or dog is not motivated by their regular food during training, it’s very easy to change that. Simply stop offering them food in any other context. It will not take long until they are motivated by food in training. 

For this reason, we suggest that you do not feed your puppy or dog in the hours before bringing them to class. If they are motivated by food you will be able to accomplish much more training during class time. 

You can also train your puppy or dog to enjoy their regular food more. When you use their food during training, the food becomes more meaningful and valuable, and when you handfeed your dog the food becomes associated with you, both of which can make food more motivating.

That said, you may find that once your pup is in the classroom, with all of it’s many distractions, they are less interested in their regular food than they are at home. For this reason you may want to bring some higher-value treats to class, but you should be careful about when and how you use them.

19. When should I use higher-value treats in training?

It can be very tempting to use higher-value treats to lure your pup’s attention when they are distracted, but doing so can set you up for problems in the long run, especially if you consistently give that same high value treat as a reward. You will teach your pup that your rewards are predictable and you may end up with a dog that only listens to you when you offer them a high-value treat, and even then, they may ignore you if there is something more interesting happening.

Food lures allow you to communicate with your dog and they should not be the primary form of motivation. To train a dog so they will listen to you without food in your hand, you’ll need to make a distinction between lure and reward. 

To do this you might lure your pup with a piece of their regular food and then reward them with a high value treat from your pocket. Or you might lure them with an empty hand and then reward them with a piece of regular food, or with a high value treat, or with the freedom to “Go Play!”. If you do lure your pup with a high-value treat, you don’t need to give it to them as a reward, certainly not every time they do what you ask.

By breaking the direct connection between lure and reward you teach your puppy or dog that there are a variety of rewards you have to offer, and it doesn’t necessarily matter what you are holding in your hand, because you might reward them with something much better. This uncertainty makes the rewards much more motivating.

For this reason, one of the best uses for higher value treats is as surprise rewards, which you give to your pup when they’ve done something challenging or impressive, when you have not used the higher value treat as a lure.

The other wonderful use for higher-value treats is during Classical Conditioning, to teach your pup to enjoy the presence of something or someone, especially things that they initially felt some anxiety towards. In Classical Conditioning you do not ask for any specific behavior from your pup, you simply offer good things when the relevant stimuli is present.

Unanswered question?

If you have any more questions, please send us an email: admin@siriuspup.com.

Our normal office hours are Monday-Thursday 10am-6pm, and on Fridays from 10am-3pm.