Back to School at Wags University!

Merritt Milam | July 23, 2015

Going back to school doesn’t have to be a total drool—bring your pups to Wags University for some fun-filled classes! Wags ‘n Whiskers proudly serves as one of the only pet care facilities in Birmingham that solely uses positive reinforcement training techniques to encourage our pups.

Positive reinforcement training, which is reward-based, is an important core value for the Wags team. Wags trains all furry friends with a clicker, or marker, and when your pet performs a positive action, the clicker marks the exact moment the action was performed by making a distinct sound. That sound tells your pet “YES!” and consequently promises him a treat for his good action. As the training progresses, pets instantly recognize the special sound so treats aren’t given as frequently, yet the pups love that aspect of positive reinforcement training—it keeps them on their toes and wondering if they’ll get a delicious treat!

Positive reinforcement trains your pooch respond to your cues out of a desire to be praised, not through intimidation tactics that often result in negative behavior or a short-lived desire to respond to cues. Participating in positive reinforcement training can have other benefits as well, including decreased residential pet fees and the option for your well behaved pup to become a therapy dog. You can trust the Wags Way promise that no training other than positive reinforcement methods will ever be used—because we love your furry friends just as much as you do!

Wags offers a wide variety of training options so our furry students never get bored! Our positive reinforcement training classes include:

  • Puppy Training: Thorough explanation of positive reinforcement training; train puppy to sit, watch, down, stay, come, walk on a loose leash, meet other dogs and more
  • Beginner: Equivalent to puppy class but appropriate for dogs older than eight months
  • Advanced: Train pups to heel, long distance stays, work without the owner, meet strangers, walk on a loose leash, down stay, stand stay and supervised separation
  • Canine Good Citizen: Canine Good Citizen certification test
  • Reactive Rover: Train your reactive dog to not bark, growl or lunge at other dogs; perfect for fearful, defensive or overly excitable dogs
  • Nose Work: Teach your dogs how to best utilize their sense of smell