The Humane Society is incredibly pleased to offer individual behavioral counseling, Puppy Kindergarten and Dog Obedience classes to the community. All sessions are held in the agency's NEW Binda Education and Training Center at the Humane Society, 2500 Watkins Road, Battle Creek, Michigan.

Individual Behavioral Counseling
Sessions are held in hour-long increments, by appointment only, at a rate of $40 per hour per dog. A trainer will be assigned to match the needs of you and your dog (trainers are Lois Phelps, Kate Nixon and Bille Wickre. To schedule an appointment, please call 269.963.1796.

Puppy Kindergarten
Six-week course
$60 per dog ($5 discount if puppy was adopted from HSSCM)
Puppies ages 12 - 18 weeks
Maximum eight puppies per class
Next session starts: Wednesday, February 10, 6 - 7:00pm

Lois Phelps, HSSCM behaviorist, will be offering Puppy Kindergarten classes based on the program designed by Dr. Ian Dunbar. The classes are for puppies 12 to 18 weeks old, and focus on topics such as bite inhibition, socialization and crate training.Families are encouraged to attend together - puppy training is a family endeavor!

We selected this curriculum after careful analysis of the reasons owners gave us for surrendering their pets. The majority of dogs surrendered to HSSCM in the past 18 months were released because of socialization ssues, including fearful reactions to new people, dogs or venues, lack of confidence, inadequate self-control and the inability of both dog and family to blend their unique needs into a functional family unit. Age 12 to 18 weeks is the optimum time to address these issues.

Lois Phelps has earned 123 of the required 160 credit hours for her Level I, Professional, Certified Professional Dog Trainer (C.P.D.T.) certification, issued through the Nnational Association of Professional Dog Trainers. Focusing on dog aggression and behavior modification, she has taken
seminars from Dr. Patricia McConnell and Dr. Karen London (U of Wisconsin), Patricia Bollen (Cornell University), Suzanne Clothier (national German Shepherd and Search and Rescue trainer), Trisha King (Director of Animal Behavior, Marin County, CA.), Brenda Aloff (author of Aggression in Dogs; Practical Management, Prevention & Behavior Modification), Sue Sternberg (Roundout Kennels, NY), and Dr. Emily Weiss (A.S.P.C.A.).

Click here for registration form. Form, fee and a copy of all vaccination records must be received by HSSCM no later than 5:00pm Friday, February 5 for the February 10 class start date. Puppies must have received all three sets of puppy vaccinations to participate.

Dog Obedience
Six-week course
$80 per dog ($5 discount if dog was adopted from HSSCM)
Dogs six month and older
Maximum six puppies per class
Next session starts: Wednesday, February 10, 6 - 7:00pm. May run a second class on Wednesdays from from 5 - 6:00pm and 7 - 8:00pm if additional sessions are needed.

Katie Nixon, HSSCM trainer, will be offering dog obedience classes.

Click here for registration form. Form, fee and a copy of all vaccination records must be received by HSSCM no later than 5:00pm Friday, February 19 for the February 25 class start date.