Good Canine Citizens: Real-Life Dog Obedience Classes | Melbourne's Inner North
Good Canine Citizens is a 6 week group obedience course for dogs aged 4 months and over, held in Brunswick West and Northcote. Whether your dog has graduated from Puppy Preschool or is starting their training journey fresh, this is the course that builds the skills that actually matter in everyday Melbourne life, the ones that let you take your dog to brunch, school pick-ups, and the park without dreading it.
Included in the Course
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Welcome pack to take home
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Access to private online community and weekly Zoom sessions
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Small classes for personalised, breed-aware advice
What Your Dog Will Learn
Good Canine Citizens focuses on the skills that make your dog generally easy to live with. Not just obedient at home, but reliable out in the real world.
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Loose leash walking without pulling
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Reliable recall
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Café and public place manners
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Polite greetings with people and other dogs
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Road safety and kerb behaviour
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Leave it - ignoring food scraps and distractions on walks
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Holding a sit or drop at a distance
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Settling calmly in busy environments
Why Real Life Skills Change Everything
Good Canine Citizens aims to build on the skills we developed in Puppy Preschool. We focus on real life skills your dog will need to navigate suburbia safely and for you to have a dog that is easy to take with you our and about. Let's be real, if we're not dreading taking our pup out for fear of them blowing up on lead, jumping up on people, or just generally being a bit of a pill, it's more likely our dog will get to spend more time out of the house, hanging out with their favourite person, YOU!
Dogs that have the skills to be a good canine citizen will receive more enrichment in incidental activities, rather than waiting for you, full of beans, to exercise them after a busy day of work. And again, if we are being honest, it's a lot easier to find pet sitters for dogs that are easy to handle when you make plans for your next holiday.
All the skills we don't think of but are grateful we have them once we realise the alternative would be a greater handful to have to deal with.
Course Details & Pricing
Course Length: 6 weeks
Session Length: 45 minutes
Class Size: Maximum 6 dogs
Age Requirement: 4 months and older
Course Price: $260
Pricing includes your welcome pack, access to the private online community, and weekly group Zoom check ins with Olivia throughout the course.
Classes are kept intentionally small so you receive advice that relates specifically to you and your dog. Your dog's breed characteristics and individual temperament are always considered, not just the class average.
What Comes Next After Good Canine Citizens?
Good Canine Citizens is Level Two in the Northside Dog Training course pathway. Once your dog has their real-life obedience foundations in place, the next step is The Art of Play. This is designed for dogs moving through adolescence, where maintaining focus and engagement gets harder before it gets easier.
The full course pathway:
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Puppy Preschool (8 weeks - 5 months): socialisation and foundation skills
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Good Canine Citizens (4 months +): real life obedience
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The Art of Play: adolescence, drive and play-based training
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Canine All Stars: advanced training, dog sports, and competition preparation
Dogs that continue through the full pathway consistently become more confident, more reliable, and more enjoyable to live with as every stage.
Common Questions About Good Canine Citizens
