Develop a better relationship with your dog through HSSC’s K-9 Obedience Training Courses. These group courses help strengthen the bond between dogs and their owners through education and positive training. We offer courses for socializing puppies, learning basic manners, earning a Canine Good Citizen certificate, and training to perform pet therapy.

Our courses are taught by experienced trainers and are offered at significantly lower prices than other classes in the area. Our classes run $95 per six-week session. And all HSSC adopters receive a $10 discount on their first course! Courses are held in the education and training center of our brand-new facility (still located at 2331 15th Street, Sarasota, FL 34237).

We encourage you to enroll your dog early. Please be sure to read the cancellation and change policy carefully before paying for your course.

All upcoming courses and dates are listed below. Click "REGISTER HERE" beside the course you want to register for to access its unique registration form.

If your dog is reactive to people or other dogs, a group class may not be an option. Please contact Ginny Armington at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to discuss options for you and your dog.

Early socialization and training help puppies become mentally healthy, well-adjusted dogs and can prevent all kinds of behavior problems (e.g., resource guarding, aggression, and fearfulness). Our Puppy Class is a small, safe group for puppies to begin their obedience journey. The focus will be on helping the puppies become comfortable in new environments and around other people and dogs. The instructor will address various puppy issues, such as mouthiness, getting used to collars and leashes, crate training, housebreaking, and jumping, and will lay the foundation for learning basic commands. Appropriate for puppies ages 8 weeks to 16 weeks only. All puppies must remain on leashes for the entire class. The owner must show proof that the first vaccines have been administered at least 10 days before class starts. This course consists of six one-hour classes and will meet once a week unless otherwise noted. Capacity: 6 Dogs. Fee: $95

 Saturday Courses

Earn a Canine Good Citizen certificate and build on the skills learned in Basic Obedience 1 while learning commands that require more concentration for your dog. These lessons include how to accept a friendly stranger, sit politely for petting, walking through crowds, react to other dogs, and so much more. Prerequisite: Basic Obedience 1 or equivalent. This course consists of six one-hour classes and will meet once a week unless otherwise noted. Capacity: 9 Dogs. Fee: $95

 Saturday Courses

If you are interested in joining our Pet Therapy Program, you must first register for our Pet Therapy Training Course. The Pet Therapy Training Course will prepare you and your dog to be an HSSC Pet Therapy Team. The course covers the essential skills for therapy animals and handlers (attention, leash walking, ignoring distractions, reactivity, etc.). In addition, the course provides an overview of the roles and expectations of HSSC Pet Therapy Volunteers, and an overview of HSSC in general since Pet Therapy Volunteers are considered ambassadors for HSSC. The final class is the evaluation. Passing the evaluation results in acceptance into the Pet Therapy Program. Those who do not pass the evaluation will be provided options for further training. This course consists of four one-hour classes and will meet once a week unless otherwise noted. Capacity: 10 Dogs. Fee: $60.

2022 PET THERAPY CLASS DATES

Once you and your dog complete the course and pass the evaluation, you will be charged an additional $50 fee, which covers our cost to issue your Pet Therapy polo, dog bandana, name badge, and liability insurance for one year. Thereafter, you will be charged an annual fee of $40 to maintain your insurance and membership in the program. You will be granted access to our volunteer management system, VolunteerHub, upon paying your fee.