Manners classes for dogs

Working with Pets Lifeline, Sonoma Community Center will host two upcoming sessions of Family Dog Manners classes.

Family Dog I, which will cover all the fundamentals of good manners for dogs, will be held at SCC Mondays, November 5 through December 17 (excluding Dec 3) from 6 to 7 p.m. The cost is $150.

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. It will meet at SCC on Mondays. November 5 through Nov. 26, from 5 to 6 p.m. The fee is $110.

Classes will be limited to just six dog/handler pairs per 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 over a decade and graduated with honors from Jean Donaldson’s Academy for Dog Trainers at the San Francisco SPCA, regarded 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.

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

“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.”

Register in advance for all classes by calling the SCC at 938-4626 x7, or download a class application form online at sonomacommunitycenter.org. Classes will be held in the centers’ room 110, at 276 E. Napa St.