Your Dog's Friend sponsors FREE workshops throughout the year. Unless otherwise noted, they are held at St Luke's Episcopal Church, 6030 Grosvenor Lane in Bethesda, MD.  The church is just off Old Georgetown Rd one traffic light south of Democracy Blvd, near 270, 495 & Wisconsin Ave / Rockville Pike. Click here for directions. Although we love dogs, please leave yours at home. Demo dogs and service dogs are the only dogs allowed. After looking over the schedule below, please register here.

LISTENING TO YOUR DOG'S BODY LANGUAGE
Saturday, Feb 11, 1:30 – 3:30pm; St Luke's Episcopal Church, 6030 Grosvenor Lane, Bethesda, MD

Dogs talk to each other and to us all the time, but we don't understand what they're saying. And we can create or prolong behavior problems when we can't recognize that our dog is afraid, distinguish between play and aggression or read when he's distressed. Think of it as learning a second language; and like any language, this one has its own nuances and gestures. How many of us, for example, can tell when a wagging tail doesn't say "happy"? Only when you can understand what your dog is saying will you know how to respond. Speaker: Jules Nye, CPDT-KA, KPA CTP; Sit, Stay and Play (www.sitstayandplay.com) 

WHAT CAN I DO ABOUT ALL THESE LOOSE DOGS??!!!
Saturday, Feb 18, 1:30 – 3:30pm; St Luke's Episcopal Church, 6030 Grosvenor Lane, Bethesda, MD

We hear it all the time. What can I do about the loose dogs in my neighborhood? In my apartment building? On the canal? The loose dog runs directly at your dog, causing a scuffle (or worse). A friendly dog may react to this rude, threatening behavior in an uncharacteristically aggressive manner. For a reactive dog, already on alert, such unwanted contact can lead to a defensive rage…and condemnation, even though your dog was on leash. In this workshop, we will give you tips on what to do when that loose dog appears, how to de-escalate neighborhood conflicts over the loose dog problem and, if all else fails, how the animal complaint process works. Speaker: Diana Clement, former Montgomery County Animal Control Officer and MD Animal Control Instructor.

HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DOG WHEN YOU DON'T HAVE TIME
Saturday, March 3, 1:30 – 3:30pm; St Luke's Episcopal Church, 6030 Grosvenor Lane, Bethesda, MD

We get it.  You commute.  You have families.  You have a lot going on.  But do you realize that every time you and your dog are together, one of you is training the other? That means that training is going on all day, whether or not you're aware of it. So, why not make your daily routine an opportunity to teach your dog the behavior you want? You can train manners and improve behavior without taking extra time out of your day, and, at the same time, increase your dog's focus on you anytime and anywhere. Our speaker will show you just how easy it can be. Speaker: Laurie Luck, CPDT-KA, Karen Pryor CTP (www.smartdoguniversity.com)

DOGS AT PLAY

At dog parks, day care or with canine friends
Saturday, March 10, 1:30 – 3:30pm; St Luke's Episcopal Church, 6030 Grosvenor Lane, Bethesda, MD

Dog trainer Robin Bennett, co-author of Off-Leash Dog Play – A Complete Guide to Safety & Fun, will use videos to help you understand what you're seeing when dogs play – whether at day care, dog parks or play groups. Learn about stress signals, polite and rude greetings, breed-specific play styles, social gestures and emotional states. You'll look at dog play in a whole new way! Speaker: Robin Bennett, CPDT-KA; (www.offleashdogplay.com)

FROM FEAR TO CONFIDENCE
Sunday, March 18, 1:00 – 3:30pm; St Luke's Episcopal Church, 6030 Grosvenor Lane, Bethesda, MD

PLEASE NOTE: This workshop is on a Sunday and starts ½ earlier than most others.

Fear can be expressed in many different ways from trying to escape to lunging and snarling. We will discuss ways to help your dog overcome his fears – whether people, dogs, thunder, the vacuum cleaner, garbage trucks or others. You will learn how to: identify what triggers your dog's fears; recognize the body language that indicates your dog is moving into a fearful state; help alleviate your dog's fears. Speaker: Jeni Grant, CPDT-KA; Train Your Best Friend (www.trainyourbestfriend.com)

SELF CONTROL 101
Saturday, April 28, 1:30 – 3:30pm; St Luke's Episcopal Church, 6030 Grosvenor Lane, Bethesda, MD

"My dog just gets so excited." Sound familiar? You may have one of those dogs that jumps on everyone, tears around the house, or pulls toward other dogs and people. And you may wonder if your dog even knows how to calm down. We hear you! So, here's a workshop that will explain the building blocks for teaching your dog how to control himself and chill. Speaker: Leigh Siegfried, CPDT-KA, Opportunity Barks Behavior & Training (www.opbarks.com)

BOREDOM BUSTERS FOR DOGS
AVOIDING DESTRUCTIVE AND ANNOYING BEHAVIORS THROUGH LIFE ENRICHMENT

Saturday, May 5, 1:30 – 3:30pm; St Luke's Episcopal Church, 6030 Grosvenor Lane, Bethesda, MD

Is your dog destructive? Does he dig, bark or display other behaviors that you find annoying? We have all heard that "a tired dog is a good dog", but how many of us have time to run our dogs around for hours? And how safe is it when we do? Dog trainer and author Lauren Bond will explain how mental stimulation, taking just a few minutes a day, can tire your dog as much as hours of physical activity. Come learn how giving your dog puzzles to solve, challenges to overcome and fun games to play can help reduce your dog's annoying and destructive behaviors. Speaker: Lauren Bond, CPDT-KA, B-More Charming Schools for Dogs (www.b-morecharming.com); author of Boredom Busters for Dogs: Avoiding Destructive and Annoying Behaviors thru Life Enrichment.

THE BIG BAD WORLD

HOW TO MAKE IT LESS SCARY FOR YOUR RESCUE DOG
Sat, May 19, 1:30 – 3:30pm

This is a great workshop for fosters and shelter/rescue volunteers, as well as recent adopters. Learn how to deal with the needs of those rescued dogs that lack socialization, trust in strangers and may have never experienced all the novel stimuli of living in a house and a neighborhood. Our speaker will focus on: human-dog body language; creating a safe haven; preventing social pressure; appropriate ways to interact with new (fearful) rescues; and building trust. You will learn to recognize dogs' stressors (including some that you wouldn't expect) and how to decrease their stress through good management and reasonable expectations, along with time, patience and lots of positive reinforcement. Speaker: Leslie Fisher, CPDT-KA, PMCT (www.lookwhaticando.com)