Dog Therapy Class

Please watch our Facebook page for weather related updates regarding our class schedule.  Cancellations due to winter weather will also be listed on the Fox19 Closings & Delays website.

Welcome to Canines for Christ of Southwest Ohio dog therapy course information. We recommend checking out for upcoming events and details about what we do and where to volunteer.

Your registration and membership fee of $75 enables you to come to as many classes as you like in order to obtain your Canine Good Citizen certificate. Each session runs for 8 weeks and covers the same curriculum during each session. In order to test on Week 8, we require that you attend at least 6 training classes. Class dates, times, and locations are listed on the Event Schedule on the website. 

The following is a basic outline of the training that will be covered each week. 

Week 1: Introduction and overview of Canines for Christ, training guidelines, who’s in control, exercise, corrections, watch me, long down 

Week 2: Heel position (start position), sit, learn to walk, stay, down, leave it, greeting people Discussion Topic: Behavior Issues 

Week 3: Automatic sit, slow & fast paced walking, down stay, distance stay, sit for greeting, stand Discussion Topic: Fear & Anxiety 

Week 4: About turn, heel, getting a reliable stay, walking around your dog, heel from anywhere, figure 8 off leash Discussion Topic: Grooming & Handling 

Week 5: U turn, group stay, back up, figure 8 on/off leash, distractions Discussion Topic: Visiting & CFC Policies & Procedures 

Week 6: Blind stay, heel, recall, greeting other dogs, walking through a crowd, target training Discussion Topic: Drives 

Week 7: Pretesting 

Week 8: Canine Good Citizen Testing