Posts Tagged ‘dog training’

Thirty years ago, in 1981 Dr. David Brunner opened the Broad Ripple Animal Clinic in a little shopping center on College Ave. With one employee, he proudly recounts the days when he would see an appointment in the morning, then run to the south side of Indianapolis to cover emergency hours, then hurry back to Broad Ripple for an evening appointment. Through his sheer will power, dedication to veterinary medicine, and love for the community of Broad Ripple and Meridian-Kessler, Dr. Brunner has managed to survive two major recessions and grow the original 800 square foot practice into something quite special.

Read the rest of this entry »

by Brad Phifer, CPDT-KA

I have never had a dog owner come to me and say, “I want an ill-mannered dog that pulls on leash and jumps on everyone.” Most owners want a well-trained dog, and understand dog training is a necessary component of dog ownership. Training your dog ensures he is learning a vocabulary of cues or commands that you will utilize to teach him how to behave in your home. Most dogs learn to perform during training sessions, quickly realizing what it takes for them to gain the reward, but fall short when it comes to being well-mannered in life. Read the rest of this entry »

Today is Veterans’ Day and the entire team at Broad Ripple Animal Clinic and Wellness Center, and Bark Tutor School for Dogs would like to take a moment to thank all the people who have served our country. You have all made great sacrifices to ensure our freedom, and we humbly appreciate it.

In the spirit of honoring our servicemen and servicewomen, we don’t want to forget the brave service dogs who not only work side-by-side with our troops in the field, but also those that are making an impact on the lives of veterans who are injured, suffer from post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), or those who are permanently disabled. Read the rest of this entry »

The companionship of a pet enriches our lives. Studies have shown that the presence of a pet in your life can lower your blood pressure and reduce stress. Studies also show that the number one cause of pet euthanasia is the direct result of behavior problems that lead to surrendering of the pet. Our goal at Broad Ripple Animal Clinic and Wellness Center is to prevent behavior problems before they happen through early training, socialization, education, and bonding of the pet to the members of the adoptive family. This desire culminated in the Responsible Pet Partnership program (for kittens and puppies), available at Broad Ripple Animal Clinic, as well as the creation of Bark Tutor School for Dogs.

We are very pleased with the progress we’ve seen since opening Bark Tutor School for Dogs. Students benefit from individualized training, group classes and socialization, while their families learn how to get the responses they want from their dogs. Clients have been so pleased with the relationships they’ve been able to develop with their dogs that they are asking for more!

Later this month, we will be expanding our classes to include three new group classes that focus on enhancing you and your family’s relationship with your dog. The first class is Bark Tutor Kids Club. This class is designed specifically for kids between the ages of 5 and 12. The class will be similar to our obedience classes, but will allow things to be slowed down for younger family members. The class will also cover topics that relate to building bonds between kids and dogs, and preventing problems: handling exercise, how to play properly, bite prevention and more. All students must be accompanied by an adult. The Bark Tutor Kids Club will be meeting Wednesdays at 6:30pm.

Therapy Dog Preparation is a class that more and more people are interested in pursuing, especially after they’ve experienced success with their dog’s training. This class is designed to prepare the dog and his handler for work as a therapy dog. There are many types of therapy work a dog can do, and many people are interested in enhancing the lives of others who can’t have a pet in their lives due to assisted living, hospitalization, etc. Bark Tutor’s Therapy Dog Preparation class does not certify nor does it guarantee that a dog will be certified, as each therapy facility has their own set of requirements. At the end of 8 weeks, we will facilitate evaluations with a Delta Society Evaluator for our students. All dogs enrolling in Therapy Dog Prep must have a Canine Good Citizen, which Bark Tutor also offers. This class will be meeting on Thursday evenings at 7:45pm with a 6-dog limited enrollment.

Rally O is an exciting new dog sport. We feel it’s the ideal sport for dogs and their families who have enjoyed the training process and want to continue working with their dog in a fun, learning environment. Follow this link to view video examples of Rally O at http://tinyurl.com/p7u7at. The beginner Rally class will be on Sundays at 2:00pm, with a strict 6-dog maximum enrollment. All dogs enrolling in Rally O must have completed level 3 skills at Bark Tutor and have a Canine Good Citizen.

For more information about the programs available at Bark Tutor School for Dogs, visit our website at www.barktutor.com or call the school directly at 317.259.8336.