Classes

Developing High-Functioning Dogs with the Metcalf Method: Level 1

Have you ever gone to obedience class only to find those skills fail in important situations? Does your dog not reliably respond when you need it most?

This course will give you the building blocks of advanced training techniques that will increase your dog’s reliability, responsiveness, confidence, learning ability, and functionality in real-life situations.

This class is ideal for dog owners who want to advance their dog’s responsiveness, gain a better understanding of what makes their dog tick, and have tools to address whatever situation comes their way.

You will learn:

  • Personality-specific training: Every dog is unique and so is their learning path. Your dog’s unique personality type will be evaluated along with the best practices for effective training of their individual nature.

  • Advanced working-dog level training: Improve your dog’s responsiveness in real-life situations. Learn the theory and application of on- and off-leash obedience. Improve your dog’s trust and confidence in themselves and you.

  • Dog handling and training fundamentals you can apply to continue to continuously improve your dog’s functionality level, confidence, and quality of life.

Taught by Francis Metcalf, inventor of the Metcalf Dog Training Method and founder of Canine Circus School. Francis has spent over 25 years studying every training method and training every type of dog for every use case. Now, he’s taking that knowledge and making it easy for dog owners to create high-functioning dogs no matter their breed, age, or background. This training will give you the skills you need to make the right training decisions in every situation and bring peace of mind to your relationship with your dog

Brewery Dogs

A new group class training handlers in how to safely bring their dog into the brewery environment with control and finesse! This class will be held at the Union Machine Works near Jack London Square. From there we will venture out to local breweries to practice under the watchful eye of Francis Metcalf. This class combines obedience training and service dog public access behaviors with temperament balancing and stress management in a supportive social environment.

Circus 1:

This class is for dogs of all ages(including puppies), shapes, and sizes.

Learn the basics of trick dog training, make shy dogs more confident, and get control of the overly bold.  Our tried and true method has been educating dogs of the Bay Area for over a decade.  Dogs and handlers will both gain skills that will serve them for a lifetime.

Here, you and your dog learn basic obedience and basic tricks routines. Small classes allow us to offer individualized instruction. We focus on setting a strong foundation so that your dog can excel at advanced work.

Circus 2:

Circus 2 is for students who have completed Circus 1 and their dogs show a complete grasp of the Symmetrical Foundation. A 1 minute stay, 20-foot Send to a pedestal, 10-foot Send Around Cone, Sit Pretty, Bow, spin. More importantly, Circus 2 dogs show an ability to work away from the handler in a distracting situations. Level 2 dogs practice syncopated group drills at a faster speed and with more precision. Our trick repertoire is expanded and handlers are expected to start cueing the dog from a distance. This is a 6-week course (meets once per week for six consecutive weeks, 1 hour per).

Circus 3:

This is our advanced trick class, except we take it a step further and include stunts and gags. Circus 3 will teach you to get creative with your dog’s training. More advanced students work on agility, stunts, synchronized behaviors with other dogs,and useful service dog behaviors. Get your creative juices flowing while conditioning physically and building confidence. This is a 6-week course (meets once per week for six consecutive weeks, 1 hour per).

Pre requisites: Circus 1 & 2; or if you have trained privately with Francis.

Circus 4:

In this class we work on building up your schtick. Circus 4 focuses on advanced object manipulation and service dog skills as well as performance and improv drills. Teaching you to put your audience into a state of awe with just your dog and few props. This is a 6-week course (meets once per week for six consecutive weeks, 1 hour per).

Pre requisites: Circus 1-3 , Shaped Retrieve competency. This class relies on the dogs understanding of the Shaped Retrieve exercise learned in Circus 3. If you do not have a good grasp of the Shaped Retrieve please continue in Circus 3 until you have.

Mailbox routine: The old Lassie routine with a few twists

Light switch: easily score this service dog classic by recombining already learned behaviors.

Rope hoist: a mind bending string of behaviors first seen as performed by Benji

Quoits: An ancient bar game now fun canine challenge
Continued perfection of other routines learned in prior classes and how to build new ones.