Ridgefield's Talk of Our Town

A Dog Training “Field Trip”? Where Does Fido Sign Up?

Redding resident Janet Metzger  conducts dog obedience classes through the Ridgefield Parks and Recreation department.  According to Metzger, “For the last class [we go on a] field trip and practice our skills in public where there are distractions.  The dogs have an opportunity to practice properly sitting at the corner before they cross the street.”  Metzger also praises The Town Hall which allows the dogs and their handler’s entrance so that they can familiarize them with proper behavior inside of a public building, “They’re wonderful!” she adds.

Janet Metzger has been a canine trainer for The Rec Center for almost ten years and conducts many levels of classes ranging from Puppy Kindergarten to a very advanced agility class for seasoned dogs.  She emphasizes that Puppy Kindergarten is a valuable program for pups aged 3-5 months of age and that. “This is a narrow window in which you can do a lot of baseline training so when the dog gets older and starts ‘feeling their oats’, you have laid some ground work.” She reminds dog owners that although you can teach an old dog new tricks,  “By 6-8 months old, you have a teenager on your hands  and they have already established some behavior patterns.”

While she also conducts private classes, where she says “dogs may learn faster” she encourages group lessons stressing that, “Dogs learn skills and function with many things going on around them and handlers learn just by observing other people and dogs.”  Not to mention, what doggie wouldn’t want to take a stroll down Main Street and get a look at Town Hall?

For more information, call Parks & Rec at 203.431.2755