Relaxation and Focus-work

group class

Six lesson group class series for dogs 4+ months

$270

Location: 8502 SE Stark St

Taught by Christina Gray, IAABC-ADT, FDM, Ph.D

Does your dog struggle to focus on you around distractions — more interested in everything else in the world than you? This affordable, reward-based clicker training class is designed to elevate your relationship, so focusing on you around distractions becomes easy for both of you.

Why This Class Matters

Dogs weren't built for modern urban life. Behaviors like herding, guarding, foraging, and chasing once had a job — but most dogs today have no working environment and no experienced older dog to learn from. Left without an outlet, that instinct shows up as barking, lunging, digging, and other "nuisance" behaviors — not because the dog is being difficult, but because they don't yet know another way to connect with you.

This class teaches a two-way conversation: how to help your dog navigate the world around them, safely and joyfully — while building real calm, not just compliance.

This Class Can Help If Your Dog:

  • Always wants more, or struggles to settle around distractions

  • Gets more excited about the world than about you

  • Is worried about people, dogs, or the environment

  • Is new to your home and still building trust with you

  • Is working on stationing (settling on a mat/platform)

  • Needs more reliable skills around distractions

We’re having our annual Back To School SALE!

Enroll by August 31st at midnight and save 15%! Use code: BARKTOCLASS

*Please familiarize yourself with our Health Requirements and Terms & Policies before enrolling.

**If the booking button is faded that means the class is full or it’s too close to the first lesson to book online. Please inquire in the form below or join the waitlist here:

Join the waitlist!

How We Get There

Clear communication, lots of repetition, easy patterns, short sessions, and applying skills across different environments — using food, toys, movement, and play to make calm connection fun and habitual.

Calm Dog Training Class

What You'll Learn

  • The difference between relaxed/working mode and relaxed/checked-out mode

  • Reading and responding to your dog's body language in real time

  • When to raise or lower difficulty, and when to build in breaks

  • How to support your individual dog's learning style

  • Building genuine teamwork between you and your dog

Full Skills List:

    • Food delivery patterns (e.g. Excavator, Nice, Pez Dispenser, Get it, Magnet)

    • Calm toy play

    • Magic mat and All Done (Get It)

    • Up-down (stationary)

    • Lured u-turn (using magnet)

    • Introducing choices (snuffle mat, toy, or training/sniffing station)

    • Shaping behaviors

    • Practicing skills with increasing distractions, duration, and distance

    • TAB/massage

    • Zig-zag sniffing

    • Open bar/closed bar

    • Really Real Relaxation Protocol

    • Whisper name response

    • Creating an environmentally cued connection or behavior

    • Cued relaxation

Getting the Most Out of This Class

You don't need everything figured out before you start. Here’s a quick prep guide so you know what to expect and how to set your dog up for success:

  • All dogs need quality sleep — a lot of it. Without enough, dogs won't respond well to training or be able to self-calm easily; memory, focus, healing, and arousal are all affected. Things that can interfere:

    • Allergies

    • Sound sensitivity

    • Changes in routine (visitors, travel — even fun ones)

    • Veterinary visits

    • Confinement or separation discomfort

    • Sniffy walks in natural areas

    • Nosework games

    • Practicing fun training tricks

    • Learning new skills

    • Food puzzles

    • Toy dissection/shredding

    • Fetch in the backyard

    • Fetch up and down stairs inside

    • Using a flirt pole

    • Tug of war

    • Backyard/indoor agility

    • Renting a Sniffspot

    • Going on remote hikes

Not sure if this class is right for your dog?

Dogs don't need to be comfortable with other dogs to join — but they do need to enter and stay in the space without significant signs of stress (lunging, barking, refusing food/toys). The goal is real comfort, not just tolerance. We have support systems in place to help:

  • Teams enter the space one at a time

  • Air-lock spacing and visual barriers between training areas

  • Options to move to a quieter space or take frequent breaks

If a dog isn't ready for the classroom yet, we recommend attending without them at first — observing, learning, and practicing at home. Many clients make excellent progress this way, and often join in-person within a few weeks.

Questions? Reach out below or at info@noblewoof.com

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