The Malinois Master Classes are designed to take you the owner / handler from zero to masterful in managing your new bundle of terror joy. Below is our list of taming options. If you have any questions at all do not hesitate to contact us.
Beginner Puppy Taming
Age: 8 weeks to 5 months Time commitment: 6 to 10 weeks
Socializing
Confidence building
Teaching focus
Sending clear signals
Toys and proper play
Mind games / mental skills
Bite inhibition & drop it (performance / sport puppies)
Nutrition
Obedience (sit, down, come, leave it, walk on lead, stand, wait, break)
Long line management
Body awareness
Grooming
Crate / xpen training
Scent introductions as appropriate for goals
Course Prerequisites: None. Puppy preparation course is recommended.
Intermediate Puppy Taming
Age: 5 months to 1 year Time commitment: 6 to 16 weeks
Advancing on beginner skills with enhanced focus on goals
Solidifying focus under distraction
Obedience under distraction
Obedience adds – heeling, extended stays, stand for exam, back up, distance recall, place, drop it
Obedience games
Adding and removing pressure properly
Specific goal skills
Additional mental skills
Course Prerequisites: Beginner Puppy Taming or passing skill evaluation
Advanced Taming
Age: 1 year to unlimited Time commitment: minimum 6 weeks
Advanced taming will be tailored to your specific final goals. We will design your program with you and can make adjustments as the team progresses.
Channeling drive and using tunnel vision.
Course Prerequisites: Intermediate Puppy Taming or passing skill evaluation
Fitness Fundamentals
Age: 1 year to unlimited Time commitment: minimum 8 weeks
This course teaches you the fundamentals of fitness training to keep your Malinois in great shape. Dogs go through a comprehensive evaluation for strength, flexibility, endurance, gait and balance, along with being weighed and measured. Exercises are taught and designed with the goals for your dog in mind.
Course Prerequisites: Intermediate Puppy Taming or passing skill evaluation
Munchkins Mastering Malinois
Introducing children to the proper way of working with your Malinois is vital to their safety and your dog’s sanity. All children who have dogs in the home should go through training on how to interact safely and help with basic care. We have 2 levels of introducing children to interact, work with and care for their Malinois depending on age. Parents must remain with minors at all times during lessons. During these lessons your Malinois is also taught how to interact with your child.
Prerequisites: Children must be 4 years of age or older and be able to follow basic directions. Younger children are accepted on a case by case basis. Must be taken in conjunction with another Taming class or evaluate at beginner level.
Elective Options
Maximizing Malinois Muscle
Age: 18 months to unlimited Time commitment: minimum 8 weeks
This is a higher impact more intensive course and is not suitable for young dogs with open growth plates. This course also requires a significant commitment by the owner to maintain. Dogs will go through a comprehensive evaluation for strength, flexibility, endurance, gait and balance, along with being weighed and measured in order to obtain a baseline. There is an 8 week minimum to ensure progress is being made as dogs will have a comprehensive evaluation monthly.
Course Prerequisites: Intermediate Puppy Taming or passing skill evaluation. Fitness Fundamentals Course.
Scent Work
Age: 8 weeks to unlimited Time commitment: minimum 6 weeks
Scent work, or nose work, is an activity you can do with your canine partner for fun, or you can go on to be competitive in AKC, UKC or NACSW competitions. It is great brain work and is something that can be done inside or out. Course covers scent theory, how to set up hides, reading your dogs behavior, getting a solid indication, reward factors and much more.
Course Prerequisites: Beginner Puppy Taming or passing skill evaluation. Can run concurrent with Beginner Puppy.
CGC / CGCA / CGCU Preparation
Age: 6 months to unlimited Time commitment: 4 weeks
This course helps prepare you for the AKC Canine Good Citizen tests. Information on the tests and requirements can be found here.
https://www.akc.org/products-services/training-programs/canine-good-citizen/
Course Prerequisites: None. Beginner Puppy Taming or passing skill evaluation recommended
SPOT Preparation
Age: 6 months to unlimited Time commitment: 4 weeks
This course prepares you for the UKC Socialized Pet Obedience Test. Information on the tests can be found here.
https://www.ukcdogs.com/spot-participants
Course Prerequisites: Beginner Puppy Taming or passing skill evaluation
Tracking (beginner, intermediate, advanced)
Age: 8 weeks to unlimited. Time commitment: minimum 6 weeks
The tracking course is tailored to your goals for your dog depending on what type of tracking you intend to do. (AKC, UKC, IGP, backyard fun, etc.) The course covers scent theory, laying tracks, evaluating tracks, reading your dog, keeping your dog focused, articles and more.
Course Prerequisites: Beginner Puppy Taming or passing skill evaluation. Can run concurrent with Beginner Puppy.
Conformation:
Age: 8 weeks to unlimited Time commitment: minimum 4 weeks
We encourage all our students to take a dedicated 4 weeks of conformation training at some point. While the majority of people dismiss conformation as simply cute dogs prancing around a ring, the reality is quite different. Conformation shows are noisy with barking dogs, loud speakers, people shouting and chaos with dogs and people running, walking and standing everywhere. Dogs have to be comfortable in very close proximity to other dogs and people, being touched and examined by other people, be comfortable around moving carts, crates, cases, walk calmly by dogs that are cage fighting, and then obediently trot around the ring on a string, with other dogs stopping and starting on cue while allowing a total stranger to touch them from head to toe. I dare say very very few dogs out there are capable of handling that type of situation with calm finesse. A Malinois should be able to go out and work full speed, yet still being calm and confident in a chaotic situation.
Being able to stack your dog properly also allows you to critically examine them for structural issues that may benefit from specific strengthening exercises.
Course Prerequisites: Beginner Puppy Taming or passing skill evaluation. Can run concurrent with Beginner Puppy.
Search and Rescue
Age: 8 weeks to unlimited Time commitment: varies
Search and Rescue is a vital and rewarding commitment that many Malinois excel at. We offer various problem solving sessions, starting puppies, and evaluations for suitability.
Local students will be referred to the Tennesse Special Response Team – A for advancing in training. Day training and testing is also done through TNSRT-A. Remote students must contact us to prequalify. Sessions are set up on an individual basis. Seminars and workshops can be designed around a team’s particular needs and can include any of the following as well as other related training.
Scent Theory
Case Law
Bloodborne Pathogens
Human Remains Detection Land (beginner, intermediate, advanced, scenarios) Training / Testing
Human Remains Detection Water (beginner, intermediate, advanced, scenarios) Training / Testing
Live Find Area Search Training / Testing
Tracking / Trailing Urban or Wilderness Training / Testing
SARTECH II Practical Training / Testing
SARTECH I Practical Training / Testing
Maintaining Your SAR K-9 Athlete
Course Prerequisites: Contact us for details
Police K-9 Detection / Tracking / Apprehension
Full courses available for explosives detection and tracking. Problem solving sessions available for detection, tracking and apprehension. Scent theory, practical applications, reading your dog, getting a solid indication or final response, deploying your dog and case law, managing drive and channeling focus, tactical deployment considerations, fitness and practical agility skills and much more. Sessions are set up on an individual basis.
Course Prerequisites: Contact us for details