Group Training Classes

Gemini Dogs offers a range of training classes for dogs of all ages, types, and sizes.

Effective Training through Education and Positive Reinforcement

At Gemini Dogs, we emphasize the fun and love in everything we do by teaching positive reinforcement through clicker training. Our training methods are based on proven scientific theory, not punishment. We truly believe that training and behavior modification should be safe, enjoyable, and successful for both you and your dog!

We believe in continued education for all of our trainers through programs such as educational conferences, seminars, videos, and the latest published information. Our staff members are also members of the Association of Pet Dog Trainers (APDT), a national organization that believes that all dogs are effectively trained through dog-friendly techniques and therefore are lifelong companions in a relationship based on mutual trust and respect.

Class Offerings

CLICK HERE to view our current class schedule.

The following classes are offered at Gemini Dogs:

Puppy Classes:

  • Puppy Playschool
    (Social Time)
  • Puppy Preschool
    (AKC S.T.A.R. Puppy)
Click Here for Class Descriptions

Obedience Classes:

  • Beginner Obedience (Level 1)
  • Advanced Beginner Obedience/Dog Sport Prep (Level 2)
  • Life Skills (Level 3) [April-October]
  • AKC Canine Good Citizen (CGC) Prep & Test
  • Intro to Rally Obedience

Click Here for Class Descriptions

Other Classes:

  • Tricks! (Novice)
  • Tricks! (Intermediate)
  • Impulse Control Workshop
  • Heeling Workshop
  • Attention/Focus
  • Structured Group Hikes [March-October]

Click Here for Class Descriptions

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Dog Sports

Agility:

  • Puppy Agility
  • Beginner I Agility
  • Beginner II Agility
  • Beginner III Agility
  • Intermediate Agility
  • Recreational Agility (Beginner II - Intermediate Levels)
  • Advanced Handling Agility
  • Advanced Competition Agility
  • Agility Focus/Attention

Rally:

  • Rally Novice
  • Rally Intermediate
  • Competition Rally Prep

Nose Work (temporarily unavailable):

  • Intro to Nose Work
  • Intro to Nose Work II
  • Nose Work - Continuing on Primary
  • Nose Work - Intro to Odor

Click Here for Class Descriptions

Coming soon:

  • Conformation Prep
  • Intermediate Pet Obedience
  • Sniff/Enrichment Games

 

Medical Requirements:

  • Rabies Certificate (for dogs over 6 months)
  • Negative Fecal Test Results (including Giardia)
  • Up-to-date on all core vaccinations as recommended by their veterinarian

Click here to Email Vaccination Records
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Cost

Puppy Playschool:

  • $68 for 4 weeks (30 minutes)

Puppy Preschool:

  • $200 for 6 weeks

Beginner Obedience:

  • $240 for 7 weeks (no dogs week one - just humans!)

Life Skills, Attention/Focus, and Workshops:

  • $150 for 4 weeks

All other classes:

  • $225 for 6 weeks

Dog Sport Drop-In: 

  • $40 for 1 class

Obedience classes are 50 minutes in length and Dog Sport classes are 60 minutes. Puppy Playschool is 30 minutes.

Refund and Cancellation Policy

Ready to Sign Up?

Looking to skip over prerequisite classes and join a higher level class? Schedule a Class Placement Evaluation to obtain instructor permission.

For Agility class placement evaluations, click here.
For other class placement evaluations, click here.
Not really sure what your dog needs? Click here to book a training plan consult.

 Please fill out our instructor survey after completing a class!

Instructors

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Michelle Doucette, CPDT-KA

Training Manager, Puppy, Obedience, & Tricks Instructor, CGC Evaluator

Michelle is a Certified Professional Dog Trainer - Knowledge Assessed (CPDT-KA) and has been a part of the Gemini family since July 2011.

 

She has a Pit Bull named Liberty and a mini Dalmatian named Panda (CGC TKI TG1). She also lives with a three-legged Husky named Juniper. Her dogs participate in Agility, Nose Work, Rally, Obedience, FastCAT, and Dock Diving. She has attended numerous seminars and training courses and likes to continuously acquire new dog training knowledge. She has fostered, trained, and placed nearly 100 dogs into forever homes.

 

She graduated with a B.A. in Human Ecology with a focus in Animal Behavior and her senior project was on Canine Body Language and Safety. She also spent a year-and-a-half overseas, teaching English in South Korea and Vietnam. She takes her experience and love of teaching into the training classroom.

 

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Sarah Power, KPA-CTP

Obedience & Agility Instructor, CGC Evaluator

Sarah is an accomplished dog agility competitor (Neptune has earned his C-ATE2, C-ATCH4, & TACH4, Penny TACH and is now retired, Pearl TACH and C-ATCH and is now retired) and is a TDAA Regional Master Judge.

 

She graduated from Karen Pryor Academy in 2010 and completed the KPA Puppy Start Right course for instructors in 2015.

 

She is an experienced Dachshund breeder and raises her puppies using Puppy Culture, a special program of age-appropriate exercises, neurological stimulation, and training designed to maximize each puppy’s potential. Her puppies are not only outstanding family pets, but have gone on to achieve success in the performance ring and some have even become service dogs.

Sarah first took classes at Gemini Dogs with her mixed breed girl in the late 90's. She then adopted Jellybean and Penny in 2005, and they started in puppy class and basic obedience, then tried Earth Dog. That’s when Penny discovered agility. By 2006, Sarah was taking agility classes with the former owner of Gemini, Carolyn Barney. She later began substitute-instructing for Carolyn's classes. Sarah also began working in the doggie daycare before July of 2007.

 

Sarah completed her KPA class in 2010 with Carolyn as well. She then worked for Jean McCord and Kathy Austin at Dogs! in Hudson, and later taught some pet dog classes at the Fuzzy Dog in NH for a short time. She then worked for  Crossbones Academy in Rhode Island teaching private lessons until January of 2020.

 

Sarah is a former Volunteer Firefighter has been a 911 dispatcher for over 20 years.

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Cara Armour, KPA-CTP

Agility & Tricks Instructor

Cara has been working with dogs professionally since 2003 in many capacities. From dog walker to groomer to holistic pet supply store owner to professional dog trainer. 

 

Having competed in conformation, rally, barn hunt, nose work, fast CAT, CAT and agility Cara finds herself mosty immersed in the world of agility. She loves the complexity of the sport while at the same time watching people build connections with their dogs that they just wouldn’t in the “real world”. She spends 50 weekends a year trialing, many times hosting trials or volunteering with the numerous clubs she belongs to. She has attended 100’s of seminars on various training and pet care related topics as well as having instructed a few herself. 

 

Cara started training her first Boxer in agility back in 2011 and while she tried trialing, trial stress got the better of her dog Artie. In 2013 she aquired a femal Boxer to help imrpove the health issues with her breed and while working on her conformation championship, she started to train her in agility just like Artie. Only Debbie thought agility was amazing and being in the ring excited her. From the start Cara and Debbie were unstoppable.

 

Here are some of their accomplishments:

  • First Boxer ever to earn the agility grand championship and still remains the only one to this day
  • Highest Prefered Master Agility Champion Boxer in history
  • First Boxer to earn any premier class titles
  • #3 AKC Top Preferred Dog Overall for 2021
  • #1 AKC Preferred Working Group Dog 2020 & 2021
  • #1 AKC Preferred Agility Boxer for 2018, 2019, 2020 & 2021
  • 2019 Finalist for AKC Agility Invitationals, placed 8th
  • 2020 Finalist for AKC Agility Invitationals, placed 2nd
  • Westminster Master Agility Competitor for 2019, 2020, 2021 & 2022 (2022 show happens on June 18, 2022 at the Lyndhurst Mansion in NY)
  • National Agility Champion Qualified Competitor for 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021 & 2022
  • 2021 AKC Agility Premier Cup Competitor and qualifier 
  • #1 Preferred Working Group Dog 2020 & 2021
  • #2 2020 Working Group for AKC Invitationals
  • Placed several times at conformation specialities

Together they have written history. Debbie has also produced 2 litters with many titled offspring including 2 that Cara kept who have 7 Master Agility Championships between them. With all her dogs Cara has earned 17 Master Agility Championships, a conformation championship and over 200 titles on her dogs in various competitions as well as tricks and canine good citizen.

 

Cara’s passions are working with puppies, trial stress and agility prospects. From the recreational agility team to the competitive exhibitors, she loves to share the great sport and all the facets of training with each and every team. 

 

She shares her life with 4 Boxers ranging in age from 9 years old to just one years old and a 15 year old cat who rules the house. . 



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Alicia Kerr

Agility Instructor

Bio coming soon.