Bark Avenue offers a variety of training classes with trainer Matt Covey. Having grown up in a family that spent their time breeding and showing dogs, it was only natural that Matt’s long time passion for dogs turned into his profession. Matt started his career as an apprentice trainer but soon he was training on his own. Today Bark Avenue Daycamp is privileged to have Matt as our full time trainer/behaviorist dedicated to both our customer’s and their dog’s well being. Our mission is to modify negative behavior which may lessen the enjoyment you get from your dog and affect your quality of life together. Matt instructs owners on how to communicate with their pets in the dog’s natural language, and how to fulfill the dog’s first and most pressing need: leadership. Obedience training is also an important part of all of our training opportunities.

Matt is certified with the Red Cross for Canine CPR as well as with the AKC (American Kennel Club) as a Canine Good Citizen Evaluator. While Matt trains a variety of dogs, he specializes in rehabilitating aggressive and fearful dogs and helps them regain a balanced state of mind and become social with people and other dogs.  Matt feels very fortunate that his training is so well regarded in the dog community that he is able to help other dog trainers, boarding facilities, and even animal communicators with dogs that they are having issues with.  He has even been called in from time to time to help out champion show dogs that are starting to develop behavioral issues both in and out of the ring.  It also makes us feel great that many local veterinarians refer us to their customers when their dogs need a little extra help.

Matt’s dedication to ensuring every dog gets a chance at their best life has led to his special relationship with the West Suburban Humane Society. Matt provides specialized training for dogs in their care to assist with preparing these dogs to be successfully placed in “forever homes.”Additionally, Matt donates his time to train the staff and volunteers at West Suburban Humane Society to help ensure the dogs in their care are handled properly every day.  Some of the other animal rescue groups that Matt has had the privilege of working with include:

• Almost Home Foundation
• Animal Rescue Foundation (A.R.F.)
• Animals Derserving Of Proper Treatment (A.D.O.P.T.)
• Illinois Doberman Rescue
• Midwest Labrador Rescue
• Shih Tzu Rescue, Adoption, and Education Safehouse (S.T.R.A.E.S.)

Matt’s training skills have given him the opportunity to train for celebrities such as Antonio Davis of the Chicago Bulls and Bobby Simmons of the Milwaukee Bucks.  Matt was also part of a feature story on NBC with Art Norman and has taken part in various cable network specials. Many of Matt’s customers have tried various methods of training and were not satisfied with the results, that is, until they met Matt – he is the beginning of their happy ending. We welcome all dogs age 4 months or older into any of our training classes described below. (If you have a situation that you feel requires training at an earlier age, please contact us to discuss the situation in detail).

Basic Obedience Class

This one hour class is held one night a week for a period of six weeks. These classes are conducted in our daycamp facility and address the following basic obedience commands:

• Heel
• Sit
• Sit and Stay
• Down
• Down and Stay
• Come

This is an excellent class for a new puppy or an older dog that has never had formal obedience training.

Advanced Obedience/Distraction Class

Once your dog knows the basic commands on leash it’s time to move on to build consistency and develop off leash skills. These classes are also held onsite at our daycamp facility for one hour one night a week. Each of these sessions lasts for five weeks. Some of the areas that are addressed in this class are:

• Off-leash Sit-Stay
• Off-leash Down-Stay
• Off-leash Come
• Distraction Work

AKC Canine Good Citizen (CGC)

CGC is a seven week certification program that is designed to reward dogs who have good manners at home and in the community. The Canine Good Citizen Program is a two-part program that stresses responsible pet ownership for owners and basic good manners for dogs. All dogs who pass the 10-step CGC test may receive a certificate from the American Kennel Club. Training will enhance the bond between you and your dog. Dogs who have a solid obedience education are a joy to live with-they respond well to household routines, have good manners in the presence of people and other dogs, and they fully enjoy the company of the owner who took the time to provide training, intellectual stimulation, and a high quality life.

Agility Class (Non-competition)

If you are a serious AKC competitor, this is not the spot for you. But if you’re looking for a fun way to spend time with your dog and teach him to run an agility course this is the course for you! We will be using the usual agility equipment (weave poles, jumps, teeter-tauter, etc). There are no special skills required, just a desire to have fun and teach your dog some new tricks.

Private Lessons

We also offer one on one private lessons with Matt Covey. These lessons are one hour long and will address your specific concerns and goals for your dog. Private lessons can be held at our facility or in your home.

Board & Train

Our Board and Train program is designed to work with your dog while he stays at our facility for a two week period. During his/her stay, Matt will work with your dog every day to develop basic obedience skills as well as address areas of concern that you have. Depending on the dogs progress during his/her stay, some basic off lease obedience may also be covered. When your dogs stay is over, we will schedule a one hour pick up session with your so we can demonstrate all your dog has learned. We will also spend time giving your one on one instruction on how to maintain the newly learned behavior and answer any questions that you may have. Following the pick up session, we will also schedule a free follow up session for you and your dog in a week or so. The purposes of this follow up session is review the skills that you should be incorporating into your daily life and correct or fine tune any behavior as needed.

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