GROUP CLASSES
Whether you just want a well-behaved pet or have ambitions to become a therapy dog team – Canine Therapy Corps now has you covered with positive reinforcement dog training classes!
If you’ve been thinking about training for your pup, now is the time! Habits become more ingrained as your dog repeats them. Canine Therapy Corps’ positive reinforcement training can teach you how to shape your pooch into a well-behaved and well-rounded dog.
Whatever your goals, Canine Therapy Corps can help! Invest in training today; it will enrich your relationship with your dog and pay dividends for the rest of your dog’s life. Having a confident, well-trained dog can make life more enjoyable as it opens up Chicago’s many pet-friendly offerings – sidewalk cafes, breweries, bars, and home improvement stores.
Canine Therapy Corps is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization that trains, assesses, and places therapy dog teams on volunteer assignments at Chicago area health and human service organizations. When you train at Canine Therapy Corps, your class fees help support our therapy dog programs.
REFUND AND CANCELLATION POLICY:
Canine Therapy Corps reserves the right to cancel a class if the minimum enrollment is not met two days before the class begins. If your class is cancelled, we will contact you by phone or email to offer enrollment in an alternate class, credit towards a future class, or a full refund. Any requests to cancel a registration must be made in writing at least 48 hours prior to the first class. No refunds will be issued after the first class. We are unable to offer make-ups for missed classes.
COMPLIMENTARY 15-MINUTE EVALUATION
Is your dog a good candidate for therapy work? Do you need guidance on what class to take or what skills need refreshing? Register for a complimentary 15 minute canine candidate evaluation.
• Age Group: Puppies 5 months and younger
• Focus:
o Basic obedience commands
o Exposure to new sights, sounds, and textures
o Teaching puppies to settle for a calm home environment
• Length: 5 classes, 50 minutes each
• Cost: $225
• Schedule:
o Time/Date TBD
Details and Registration
• Age Group: Dogs 6 months and older
• Focus:
o Basic obedience cues: sit, down, stand, stay, leave it, loose leash walking
o Introduction to “off button” skills: place, settle
o Understanding how your behavior influences your dog
o Building a strong training foundation
• Length: 5 classes, 50 minutes each
• Cost: $225
• Schedule:
o Saturdays at 11:00am with Joe Saltarelli
o Sundays at 9:00am with Laurel Meng
• Age Group: Dogs 6–36 months (with prerequisite of a beginner class)
• Focus:
o Polite greetings with people and dogs
o Improving focus and impulse control
o Pattern games for consistency
o Strong recall and continued socialization
• Length: 4 classes, 50 minutes each
• Cost: $160
• Schedule:
o Saturdays at 10:00am with Joe Saltarelli
• Age Group: Dogs 6 months and older (with prerequisite of a beginner class)
• Focus:
o Strengthen basic skills with more distractions, distance, and duration
o Improve off-leash reliability
o Practice cues in more challenging environments
• Length: 5 classes, 50 minutes each
• Cost: $225
• Schedule:
o Sundays at 10:00am with Laurel Meng
Details and Registration
• Age Group: Dogs 6 months and older (must have completed Intermediate Obedience or equivalent)
• Focus:
o Prepare for the AKC Canine Good Citizen Test and therapy dog assessments
o Teach advanced skills like calm greetings, distance stay, and supervised separation
o Increase cue reliability under distraction and in real-world scenarios
o CGC test is administered during final week of class
• Length: 5 classes, 50 minutes each
• Cost: $225
• Schedule:
o Sundays at 11:00am with Laurel Meng
o Wednesdays at 7:00pm with Kristyn Bretz
• Age Group: All dogs welcome
• Focus:
o Improve loose-leash walking
o Build confidence and practice in a group setting
o Includes trainer feedback and a guided neighborhood walk
• Format: 1-day workshop, 50 minutes total
o 10-minute meet & greet
o 30-minute walk
o 10-minute debrief
• Cost: $20
• Schedule:
o Time/Date TBD
• Age Group: Advanced-level dogs preparing for therapy dog certification
• Focus:
o Polish and refine obedience skills
o Acclimate to new stimuli (e.g., medical equipment)
o Build confidence and reliability in new environments
• Length: 5 classes, 50 minutes each
• Cost: $225
• Schedule:
o Saturdays at 12:00pm with Joe Saltarelli
• Age Group: All ages and skill levels welcome
• Focus:
o Teach dogs how to search and identify odor sources
o Build scent detection skills for enrichment and fun
o Encourage mental stimulation through puzzle-solving games
• Length: 5 classes, 50 minutes each
• Cost: $225
• Schedule:
o Time/Date TBD
• Age Group: Dogs 6 months and older (reactive to dogs only, not humans)
• Focus:
o Teach alternative behaviors to manage reactivity
o Improve attention, calmness, and focus
o Gain skills for handling real-world situations
o Week 1 is for humans only; dogs attend weeks 2–5
• Length: 5 classes, 50 minutes each
• Cost: $225
• Capacity: Limited to 6 dogs (3:1 student-to-instructor ratio)
• Schedule:
o Time/Date TBD
Group Class Reminders:
Ensure you submit the following records for your dog registered for class prior to the start date: Current rabies vaccination, current parvovirus, distemper, and Bordetella vaccinations or current titers, current negative fecal test (within past 12 months), and City of Chicago dog license (if you are a Chicago resident)
Please bring your dog to class on a 4’ or 6’ non-retractable leash, and wearing the collar or harness that you normally use. We will be using food in training, so bring plenty of tasty treats. Our facility allows flat buckle, martingale collars, harnesses or gentle leaders - please no e-collars in class
We recommend wearing comfortable shoes and clothing, and either bring a treat bag or wear clothing with pockets. Please wait for your class outside of CTCorps (on Fullerton Ave.) or be mindful of your space if waiting inside the building. Please do not allow dogs to interact with each other. Use any extra time to potty your dog; every dog should have an opportunity to eliminate before class begins.
Requirements for puppies include: Up-to-date vaccinations as recommended by your veterinarian based on dog’s age, first deworming treatment, and City of Chicago dog license (if you are a Chicago resident)