Level II - Advanced Dog Manners
Advanced Dog Manners is the next step for dogs 6 months and older who’ve completed Basic Manners and are ready for more challenge, polish, and real‑world reliability. This level strengthens core behaviors while adding distance, duration, and distraction — the pillars of advanced training.
You’ll learn to guide your dog toward steady, thoughtful choices in everyday life: greeting visitors calmly, walking past other dogs, ignoring distractions, and staying focused when life gets busy. The program also builds skills for AKC Canine Good Citizen (CGC), Community Canine, and Therapy Dog preparation, giving you a clear path to higher‑level certifications.
Strengthen Reliability. Build Real‑World Confidence. Elevate Your Dog’s Skills.
What You and Your Dog Will Learn
Your dog will refine foundational cues and learn to perform them with stronger reliability:
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Sit‑Stay & Down‑Stay at Distance — holding position confidently while you move 20+ feet away.
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Come When Called — returning promptly even with distractions or competing stimuli.
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Leave It & Drop It — responding instantly to prevent unsafe or impulsive choices.
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Go to Mat / Place — settling on cue during meals, door greetings, or busy household moments.
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Loose‑Leash Walking with Distractions — calmly passing people, dogs, toys, food, and noises.
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Polite Doorway Manners — preventing door bolting from the home or car.
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Polite Meet & Greets — sitting calmly for petting, accepting a friendly stranger, and greeting visitors without jumping.
Advanced Manners & Real‑World Skills
CGC‑Aligned Behaviors
We incorporate skills directly from the AKC Canine Good Citizen and Community Canine programs:
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Accepting a friendly stranger
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Sitting politely for petting
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Appearance & grooming tolerance
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Reaction to another dog
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Reaction to distractions (e.g., loud noises, moving objects)
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Supervised separation from owner
These behaviors build confidence, emotional stability, and social reliability — essential qualities for therapy work, community engagement, and everyday life.
Understanding Behavior in Real‑Life Situations
You’ll learn how to help your dog succeed in unpredictable environments:
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How to prevent and undo problem behaviors like jumping, door rushing, and over‑excitement.
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How to use reinforcement strategically to shape calm choices.
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How to build your dog’s confidence around new people, places, and sounds.
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How to generalize skills from the training room to the real world.
Handler Skills & Communication
You’ll strengthen your own training abilities:
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Using clear verbal cues and hand signals at distance.
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Practicing calm, consistent handling in busy environments.
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Learning how to reward good choices at the right moment.
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Building reliability through structured practice and thoughtful progression.
Program Focus & Philosophy
Advanced Manners is built on force‑free, reward‑based training, the same foundation as Basic Manners — but with a deeper emphasis on emotional stability, impulse control, and real‑world reliability. Dogs learn to stay composed, think before acting, and respond to you even when distractions are high.
We emphasize:
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Confidence over correction
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Clear communication at distance
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Impulse control in real environments
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Calm greetings and polite social behavior
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Reliable responses around people, dogs, and distractions
This level prepares you and your dog for everyday success — and gives you the option to pursue Canine Good Citizen, Community Canine, Therapy Dog preparation, or other advanced titles such as CGC Advanced, CGC Urban, or AKC Trick Dog.