Head of the Class Dog Training, LLC

Head of the Class Dog Training LLC offers a comprehensive range of programs for puppies and adult dogs, focusing on positive reinforcement and building a strong human-canine bond.

The Polite Pooch Program is a multi-level series of group classes designed to teach basic manners, advance skills with increased distractions, and prepare dogs for AKC Canine Good Citizen (CGC) tests, as well as therapy dog evaluations and service dog public access foundations.

Their Puppy Start Right Kindergarten is an open enrollment program for puppies up to 20 weeks, covering confidence building, cooperative care, socialization, problem-solving for common puppy issues like chewing and potty training, and basic manners, including AKC STAR Puppy testing.

Individualized Training Programs provide private lessons at their facility for general manners, puppy manners, fitness, tricks, and various dog sports. They offer packages like “The Champion” for foundations and “The Grand Champion” for more advanced or specialized training, though they no longer offer behavior modification.

Fitness and Fun Classes include AKC FitDog for canine health and fitness, Canine Open Gym, Scentwork, Treibball, Canine Circus Tricks, Fit and Focused Puppy, Barkour, Conformation handling, and various Rally-style classes. They also provide video evaluations for AKC Trick Dog, Virtual Home Manners, and Do More With Your Dog titles.

Pricing Summary

Group classes: Polite Pooch 1 is $270 for 6 weeks. Puppy Start Right Kindergarten is $280 for 6 classes. AKC Fit Dog classes are $270 for in-person and $190 for online. Canine Open Gym is $40 per hour or $210 for a 6-session package.

Private lesson packages: The Champion is $440 for 3 lessons (expires in 6 weeks). The Grand Champion is $695 for 5 lessons (expires in 12 weeks). Single private lessons are $180 (expires in 1 month).

Ring rental is $25 for 55 minutes. AKC/DMWYD tests are $30 for in-person evaluations and $15 for video evaluations ($25 for double, $50 for multi-pack).

Policies

Package payments are not transferable to other services, packages, or pets, and all packages have expiration dates after which credits are no longer valid. For private lesson packages, “The Champion” expires in 6 weeks, “The Grand Champion” in 12 weeks, and single lessons in 1 month; all lessons must be completed within these times or they are forfeited.

Same-day cancellations for private lessons count as a completed lesson or result in deposit forfeiture. Puppy Kindergarten classes must be used before the puppy is 20 weeks of age or they are forfeited. Video evaluations must be submitted within 3 months of purchase.

Head of the Class Dog Training LLC is a professional pet training business located in Winchester, VA, dedicated to helping dog owners build better relationships with their canine companions. They offer high-quality, progressive training that is compassionate, kind, force-free, fear-free, and pain-free, utilizing positive reinforcement methods like food, toys, attention, and personal interaction to build a dog’s confidence and cognitive skills. The business aims to make training fun and stress-free for both dogs and their owners.

The owner and lead trainer, Lisa Marino, applies her extensive teaching background to dog training, focusing on empowering individuals to understand and effectively train their dogs. She designs classes to be entertaining and engaging, adapting to various learning styles. Beyond training, Lisa actively participates in the community by making weekly visits to schools, assisted living facilities, and kids’ camps with her four therapy dogs.

Head of the Class Dog Training LLC provides a variety of programs, including group classes for manners and specialized activities, as well as individualized private training sessions. They also offer video evaluations for various dog titles, catering to a wide range of training goals from basic obedience to preparing dogs for therapy or service work, and engaging in dog sports and fitness activities.

Accomplishments

Lisa Marino, the owner and lead trainer, holds numerous certifications including CSAT, CPDT-KA, PMCT 2, KPA-CTP, SDC, FP-MT, CTDI, and CCFC. She has a Master’s in Teaching and a Bachelor’s in Secondary Education and Spanish, and previously served as a Trainer/Lead Instructor for 4 years at Best Paw Forward. Lisa also makes weekly therapy dog visits with her four therapy dogs and is an author.

Other instructors include Susan, who is a KPA-CTP, Fear Free Certified Professional Trainer, AKC Canine Good Citizen Evaluator, CTDI, Canine Freestyle Coach, Stunt Dog Judge, and Competition Judge. Kara is a CPDT-KA and AKC Evaluator, who completed an internship with the business through Shenandoah University.

How to Get Started!

To get started with group classes, clients can check the class calendar and sign up online. For private lessons, a behavioral goals questionnaire must be requested via email and completed 48 hours prior to the appointment, which is then scheduled online. For video evaluations, clients purchase the evaluation and submit a video link and completed test form via email.