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Dog training classes set at SCC

Sonoma Community Center and Pets Lifeline will again partner this fall to offer “Family Dog” training classes. The Sonoma Community Center will host two classes this fall on Mondays beginning Nov. 5 in room 110 of the center at 276 E. Napa St.

  The fall program this year will include two training opportunities. “Family Dog I” will cover all the fundamentals of good manners for dogs and will be held on Mondays from Nov. 5 to Dec. 17 (excluding Dec 3), from 6 to 7 p.m.

  Also scheduled is a four-week “Family Dog 2” class, an intermediate level course that adds distractions, distance and duration to the “Family Dog 1” skills as well as a focus on the public manners required to pass the AKC's Canine Good Citizen test. “Family Dog 2” will meet at the center on Mondays from Nov. 5 to 26 from 5 to 6 p.m. 

  Classes will be limited to just six dog/handler pairs in a class to ensure maximum instructor attention for all participants.

  Classes will be taught by Ellen Brantley, canine coordinator at Pets Lifeline. Brantley has trained dogs for more than a decade and graduated with honors from Jean Donaldson's Academy for Dog Trainers at the San Francisco SPCA, widely known as one of the most thorough training schools in the industry. Brantley has also been certified as a trainer by the Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers.

  “We are thrilled to partner with Pets Lifeline on these classes,” said Toni Castrone, executive director of Sonoma Community Center. “Together, we can provide Sonoma's dog lovers with ongoing opportunities for expert dog training in a local venue, throughout the fall and rainy season.”

  Sonoma Community Center and Pets Lifeline have also planned courses for winter and spring of next year.

  To register, call the center at 938-4626, ext. 7, or download a class application form online at sonomacommunitycenter.org.