About Our Classes: Frequently Asked Questions

All of our regular classes are offered at local parks with a permit from the appropriate parks department. We generally offer classes at Hocus Pocus Park in Scotts Valley and at Willowbrook Park in Aptos, however we will occasionally offer classes at other parks as well. Please see the specific class session for the location. This “training in the park” format has proved to be fun and effective.

Our Out and About classes meet in a new location each week. For these classes we do not get permits or reserve space but rather go places with the goal of working in the real world. For this reason, Out and About students need to have a certain level of proficiency before joining the class.

If it is raining or if the temperatures are over 90 degrees at the time of your class, we will cancel the class and offer a makeup. You can find out if we are canceling a class by calling 831-431-0161 one hour before the start of your class. Makeup classes are generally tacked on to the end of the session. If we will be offering makeups on another day, it will be posted in the class notes. Makeups will always be at the same time and on the same day of the week as your scheduled class. If we need to cancel the class due to instructor illness, we will offer makeups following this same format.

We are very sorry, but we do not offer makeup classes if you need to miss. If you do miss a class, the homework will be available to you online and we will do our best to help you catch up at the next class.

If you have signed up for a class and you would like to cancel your enrollment, we will give you a 75 percent refund if you cancel 14 days in advance of the start date. If you cancel 7 to 14 days in advance of the start date of your class, we will give you a 50 percent refund. If you cancel in the 7 days prior to the start date, we will give you a 50 percent refund IF we can fill your spot in the class. We do not offer refunds if you drop out after a class starts.

For most dogs who are afraid of other dogs or people, classes are NOT a good way to socialize them. Classes can be overwhelming for fearful dogs and unfortunately most dogs sensitize (which means they get worse) rather than desensitize when in a class. This is because classes are not set up to carefully address an individual dog’s needs for safety or space. If you have a dog who is afraid of dogs or people, please contact us prior to signing up for a class to find out if this is a good option for your dog or if private training is a better option. We want every dog to have a positive experience and to get the help they need!

Dogs bark and lunge for a variety of reasons. Dogs who are over excited rather than aggressive, and can calm down enough to be within 6 feet of other dogs, may do very well in classes. But many dogs who bark and lunge need more space to be successful in the early training stages. If this is your dog, a round of private training before coming into classes may be a good option.

Classes are not a good option for dogs with aggression issues. Unfortunately most dogs sensitize (which means they get worse) rather than desensitize (which means they get better) when in a class. This is because classes are not set up to carefully address an individual dog’s needs for safety or space. However this does not mean that your dog cannot be helped by training. Private training with a qualified trainer is a great way to address aggression issues. Please contact us prior to signing up if you have any concerns.

Our lead trainer is Mardi Richmond. Our other trainers are Matthew Crumley and Karen Shipe. Both Matthew and Karen apprenticed with Mardi for several years before leading classes as well as receiving training from other educational programs. Karen is a certified professional trainer (CPDT-KA). Matthew is currently studying for his certification. You will see a variety of other helpers and co-trainers in our classes. Mardi offers an apprenticeship program that helps new trainers learn the best practices and as these new trainers become skilled, they assist with classes. This helps keep our trainer to student ratio high!

Some of our classes do have prerequisites. Please see the individual class description to find out about prerequisites.

For puppy classes, pups need to have their second set of parvo and distemper vaccines. They do not need to have their rabies vaccine to start puppy class. Puppies are required to remain on your veterinarian’s vaccine schedule throughout puppy class.

For all other classes, we require up-to-date Parvo and Distemper combo vaccines (DA2PP, DHLPP) as prescribed by your veterinarian (or titer tests). We require up-to-date Rabies vaccines as mandated by law. We also recommend you talk with your veterinarian about their recommended vaccines for dogs attending classes. Many vets recommend Bordetella (kennel cough) and Canine Influenza (doggy flu). We believe your vet is the best source of information on which vaccines are right for your dog.

Please do not bring your dog to class if they are coughing, have a runny nose, are vomiting, have diarrhea, or have any other signs of a contagious illness. Please do not bring your dog it class if they are not feeling well for their benefit and for the safety of the other dogs in class. Thank you!

Feel free to contact Mardi at 831-431-0161 or mardi@gooddogsantacruz.com if you have any other questions about classes!