Registration has begun for six-week dog training course run by Andrea McEwen of Just Fur Paws Grooming. Beginning Sept.26 at the Legion Hall in Carlyle the course is being offered once a week for an hour session. The beginner dog training and education program is geared at training dogs of all ages, and the saying you can never teach an old dog new tricks is not in McEwens vocabulary. She states that many customers come to session with their full grown rescue dogs. "Loose lease walking, learning your sits and stays, socializing with other animals and of course developing focus is very important when there are lots of distractions around," Andrea said when asked about the important aspects of the course.The short course also touches on manners in and out of the home, clicker basics, health, nutrition and grooming, problem solving, tricks and much more fun. Of course you won't learn everything from this first level, so she does plan on offering the follow-up courses for the more advanced dog in the near future. "I so far have an overwhelming response, and it might come to the point where I will offer two classes that evening," she said. "We are still taking applications, and want to take as many dogs as possible, but at the same time I like to keep my classes at around four to six dogs each. One class can start at 6:30 where another one can follow at 7:30"As for an update on McEwen's dog Audris, who had broken her paw before the last training event, she is fully recovered and ready to demonstrate her skills for participating pooches. "I even have a really stubborn breed. There are days where she does want to work and days where she doesn't. So it will be nice to be able to show people what the exercises are supposed to look like."To register, owners must simply fill out a form on the website and go from there. As for her grooming company, customers can now contact her about a new grain free dog and cat food called Acana which she recently brought to her Carlyle shop. McEwen's grooming and training website can be found at www.justfurpaws.ca ."I'm just there to teach people how to teach their dogs and the rest is up to them," she concluded.
