HSSCV suggests:	Stacy's Wag'N'Train provides:
Do not let prices sway you. The cheaper classes usually are just that, a lower quality of instruction. Look for a price range of around $120 - $180.	Classes are $170 for regular manners dog classes (Companion Dog I and Companion Dog II). The Fun Tricks! class is $125. There is a $10 discount for a spayed or neutered dog.

Ask What You Get For Your Buck

HSSCV asks:	Stacy's Wag'N'Train answers:
How many total classes do you get? (Six to eight is good, attending once a week).	Puppy classes and the Companion Dog series classes are six weeks long. Fun Tricks! is five weeks.
How many in a group class? (Smaller is better, such as ten and under).	Class size is limited to six dogs.
How many instructors per class? (One instructor if eight students or under, with an assistant if over eight students in a class)	There is one instructor per class, with some classes having an assistant as well.
What qualifications do the instructor(s) have? (Look for experience in training dogs AND teaching a class as well as an individual or company that strongly believes in continuing education.)	Our instructor has been training and teaching for many years (teaching since 1994, training since... well, way back!). Stacy has taught pet owners and dolphin trainers. She is committed to furthering her education, and she attends 4-5 seminars or workshops per year. For more information, click here.
Are they a member of APDT? (Association of Pet Dog Trainers, an organization devoted to promoting positive training methods for the pet dog; if they are a member chances are they use positive oriented training methods which is what you want).	Stacy is a professional active members of APDT (in fact, Stacy was Member of the Year in 2001!), and are very committed to using positive training methods.
How long is each class? (45 to 60 minutes is good).	Each class is one hour (60 minutes) long.
Do you get a training manual? (Good value especially if you have never trained a dog before).	Each student is provided with a ~50 page handbook that covers the training methods, pet owning tips, a directory of dog parks, even a recipe for liver cookies and one for getting rid of skunk spray!
Do you get weekly homework handouts? (Easier on you not to have to take notes each class)	Each student gets a handout each week detailing what they should focus on in the next week.
Is there help available before or after class for special questions? (Important support for you and your dog).	The instructors are always available before and after class. In addition, students are encouraged to meet each other and discuss training issues and pet support questions.
Is there a phone number you can call during the week for extra help?	Yes, students can contact their instructor or the Wag'N'Train office any time. See the Contact page for more information.
Do they offer any kind of extra seminars on behavior?	Private lessons are available; extra seminars on specific behaviors or learning theory are offered every few months.
Do they offer additional levels of training? (Beginning, intermediate, etc.; if they do they are probably more serious than a company that only offers one level).	The Companion Dog series has four levels (including special sections of Level 1 for young puppies and for "toy" sized dogs). We also offer Fun Tricks classes.
If this is a puppy class, do they offer supervised playtime and socialization? (Very important for puppies so they learn to communicate with each other and NOT develop dog to dog aggression later in life).	The Puppy Kindergarten class is approximately 40 minutes of training instruction and 20 minutes of closely-supervised Puppy Playtime (which often runs longer since everyone enjoys it so much!)
What kind of training methods do they use? (You want a company that uses positive training methods to initially teach commands; such as the use of food and toys combined with verbal praise. Stay away from companies who forbid the use of food in training.)	Stacy's Wag'N'Train uses Clicker Training, a positive training method that uses food treats, toys, and anything else the dog enjoys to teach a dog what we want from them. For more information on Clicker Training, click here.
What is the company's dropout rate? (Good programs have low dropout rates such as 20% or lower).	Our current drop out rate is about 5%.
Ask if you can come and watch a class at the level you are interested in. If they refuse, you do not want to take a class from this company.	Anyone interested is welcome to visit and watch any class. Please call me at 408-286-3889 or e-mail me at stacy@wagntrain.com to find out the current schedule.