Canine Training Institute

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 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 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
Call for next start date.

Lois Phelps and Bille Wickre, HSSCM behaviorists, 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.).

Bille Wickre has lived with between five and ten dogs at a time for the past fifteen years and thoroughly understands the value of training for good manners. She has attended numerous dog behavior and training seminars with nationally and internationally known experts in dog behavior including Dr. Ian Dunbar, Dr. Patricia McConnell, Trish King, Suzanne Clothier and Brenda Aloff. With Lois Phelps, she developed the Humane Society’s Best Friends in Training Program. She has been teaching puppy training and dog obedience classes at the Humane Society since 2009.

Click here for registration form. Puppies must be up to date on 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 dogs per class
Sessions available on an ongoing basis

Dog Obedience and Dog Tricks classes are taught by certified behaviorist Tim Little. Tim is a certified dog trainer and groomer who was born in Marshall, MI but raised in a military family. His family always had dogs growing up by his real passion for dogs came in his adult life. Tim started the same as most pet owners, raising and training his dogs to sit, toilet outside, and not chew up the house. Everything changed seven years ago when he and his wife rescued an Airedale Terrier. They had never experienced a dog with severe behavioral problems that culminated into aggression. Tim began to look for help from trainers, but found they were leading him to solutions such as choke chains and forcing dogs into submissive positions. These proposed solutions did not help at all and he ultimately had to surrender the dog. Having had his heart broken and feeling frustrated and angry, Tim starting reading and studying dog training and behavior on a serious level and his suspicions were correct. This was not the way to treat the problems this dog had! Tim's passion for wanting to help dogs like this and owners who may have similar problems lead him to Animal Behavior College. This was a good fit as they focus on positive reinforcement training and behavior modification. The program took about a year and half to complete including an excellent externship training experience at The Dog Zone in Battle Creek, MI and a volunteer program at the Humane Society of South Central Michigan. Tim graduated from the course in May of 2009. He continues to educate himself through books, videos, other professional dog trainers, and experiences with dogs and their owners. Tim owns a grooming and training facility in Albion, MI and hopes to continue to enrich the relationship between pets and their people.

Dog Tricks 
Six-week course
$75 per dog ($5 discount if dog was adopted from HSSCM) 
Dogs six month and older 
Maximum four dogs per class
Sessions available on an ongoing basis - must have attended basic dog obedience classes first.

Click here for registration form.