Lads and Lasses Sign Up Now for Spring Classes

New Students fill out this form to sign up.

Returning students email us to hold a spot.

Check out video from last years spring session:

Spring Schedule:

-New Students fill out this form to sign up.

-Returning students email us to hold a spot.

-All Classes are $260 for 6-weeks of  fun, held beneath the East Bay sun in Oakland (on the border of Emeryville).

Circus 1 Spring Classes:

• Tuesdays, March 26 – April 30, 11 AM – noon
• Thursdays, March 28 – May 2, 6:30 PM – 7:30 PM
• Saturdays, March 30 – May 4, 11 AM – noon
• Sundays, March 31 – May 5, 6 PM – 7 PM

Circus 1.5 Spring Classes:

• Tuesdays, March 26 – April 30, 12:30 PM – 1:30 PM
• Thursdays, March 28 – May 2, 1:30 PM – 2:30 PM
• Saturdays, March 30 – May 4, 12:30 PM – 1:30 PM
• Sundays, March 31 – May 5, 11 AM – noon

Circus 2 Spring Classes:

• Tuesdays, March 26 – April 30, 6:30 PM – 7:30 PM
• Thursdays, March 28 – May 2, noon – 1 PM
• Saturdays, March 30 – May 4, 4 PM – 5 PM
• Sundays, March 31 – May 5, 12:30 PM – 1:30 PM

Classes are on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays, and Sundays.  Be sure to check out the evening classes in the Spring Calendar.   If you don’t see a time slot that works for you, and you can rally at least four other handlers total, we can talk about setting up a class at your convenience–let us know!

New Students fill out this form to sign up.

Returning students we will be contacting you, but please email us to make sure we know to hold your spot.

Notes:

No experience is needed, we teach you everything .  We encourage everyone to start at the Circus 1 level.  If we see you are a super star and have been placed below your level we will promptly move you up. We want to nurture your talent not hold you back.  However if you want to skip a level be prepared to show us your dog has performance titles.

Circus Class isn’t just about tricks, it’s about performance around other dogs and in weird situations as well as physical and mental conditioning.  We start easy and slowly make it harder, for this reason we suggest you start at the first level and move up from there.

In this video:  Balzac jumps the hurdle.  Norma sings Delia as I strum the uke in the background.

More Circus Class Video:

New Students fill out this form to sign up.

Returning students email us to hold a spot.

Questions?  Give us a ring at 415-779-6550 or email us.

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Winter & Spring 2013: Canine Circus Class Schedule

New Students fill out this form to sign up.   Returning students email us to hold a spot.

Class Descriptions 

-All classes cost $260 for 6-weeks of training fun in the great outdoors of Oakland (cusp of Emeryville)-

Winter Schedule:  Openings in Spring Session Below

Circus 1 Winter Class:

• Thursday, January 31 – March 7, noon – 1 PM
• Saturday, February 2 – March 9, 11 AM – noon full
• Sunday, February 3 – March 10, 4 PM – 5 PM

Circus 1.5 Winter Class:

• Tuesday, January 29 – March 5, 11 AM – noon
• Saturday, February 2 – March 9, 12:30 PM – 1:30 PM
• Sunday, February 3 – March 10, 11 AM – noon

Circus 2 Winter Class:

• Tuesday, January 29 – March 5, 12:30 PM – 1:30 PM
• Saturday, February 2 – March 9, 4 PM – 5 PM
• Sunday, February 3 – March 10, 12:30 PM – 1:30 PM

Spring Schedule:

Circus 1 Spring Class:

• Tuesday, March 26 – April 30, 11 AM – noon
• Thursday, March 28 – May 2, 6:30 PM – 7:30 PM
• Saturday, March 30 – May 4, 11 AM – noon
• Sunday, March 31 – May 5, 6 PM – 7 PM

Circus 1.5 Spring Class:

• Tuesday, March 26 – April 30, 12:30 PM – 1:30 PM
• Thursday, March 28 – May 2, 1:30 PM – 2:30 PM
• Saturday, March 30 – May 4, 12:30 PM – 1:30 PM
• Sunday, March 31 – May 5, 11 AM – noon

Circus 2 Spring Class:

• Tuesday, March 26 – April 30, 6:30 PM – 7:30 PM
• Thursday, March 28 – May 2, noon – 1 PM
• Saturday, March 30 – May 4, 4 PM – 5 PM
• Sunday, March 31 – May 5, 12:30 PM – 1:30 PM

We have been waiting for a sign from the Circus Dog Gods that we should begin classes again.  The sign has come in the shape of a double rainbow over our training area.  Norma caught the moment on film, I strummed the sacred Ukulele to mark the occasion.

Classes are on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays, and Sundays.  Be sure to check out the evening classes in the Spring Calendar.   If you don’t see a time slot that works for you, and you can rally at least four other handlers total, we can talk about setting up a class at your convenience–let us know!

New Students fill out this form to sign up.

Returning students we will be contacting you, but please email us to make sure we know to hold your spot.

Notes:

No experience is needed, we teach you everything .  We encourage everyone to start at the Circus 1 level.  If we see you are a super star and have been placed below your level we will promptly move you up. We want to nurture your talent not hold you back.  However if you want to skip a level be prepared to show us your dog has performance titles.

Circus Class isn’t just about tricks, it’s about performance around other dogs and in weird situations as well as physical and mental conditioning.  We start easy and slowly make it harder, for this reason we suggest you start at the first level and move up from there.

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September-October Canine Circus Class Schedule

Build your dogs: brain, confidence, and physical strength at Canine Circus School.

• Expand your trick training repertoire
• Improve your training skill and coordination
• Perfect your control around other dogs.

Circus 1 Class dates— circus ONE class is prerequisite for all circus training

• Tuesday afternoon class starts September 11 (through October 16), 1 pm- 2 pm
• Tuesday evening class starts September 11 (through October 16), 6:30 pm – 7:30 pm
• Thursday afternoon class starts September 13 (through October 18), 2 pm – 3 pm
• Sunday afternoon class starts September 16 (through October 21), 2 pm −3 pm

The six-week class series costs $260, meets each week in Emeryville. One make up class offered per series, date TBA.

Small class size of 8 students per class.

Returning students, please contact us:  415-779-6550   friendsofthefamilydogtraining@gmail.com

Sign up here!

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Click here for class descriptions.

The Circus Dog Army wants you! Sign up now!

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Canine Circus Class Schedule

Build your dogs: brain, confidence, and physical strength at Canine Circus School.

• Expand your trick training repertoire
• Improve your training skill and coordination
• Perfect your control around other dogs.

Tuesday afternoon class starts July 24  (meets each Tuesday through August 28),  2 PM- 3 PM (FULL)*

Wednesday evening class starts July 25 (meets each Wednesday through August 29), 6:30 PM – 7:30 PM (FULL)*

Thursday evening class starts July 26 (meets each Thursday through August 30), 6:30 PM – 7:30 PM (FULL)*

Saturday afternoon class starts July 28 (meets each Saturday through September 1), 1 PM – 2 PM (FULL)*

Sunday afternoon class starts July 29 (meets each Sunday through September 3), 2 PM −3 PM 

*if one of these class times works for you, please be in touch; we may be able to schedule more classes this session

The six week class series costs $260, meets each week in Emeryville. One make up class offered per series, date TBA.

Small class size of 8 students per class.

Sign up here!

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Click here for class descriptions.

The Circus Dog Army wants you! Sign up now!

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Circus Moves

 

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Join Us. Circus Class. Now.

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Canine Circus School Summer 2012 Schedule

Build your dogs: brain, confidence, and physical strength at Canine Circus School.

• Expand your trick training repertoire
• Improve your training skill and coordination
• Perfect your control around other dogs.

Scroll down for class dates

Tuesday evening class starts June 5 (through July 10th), 6:30 PM- 7:30 PM (closed)

Thursday evening class starts June 7 (through July 10th), 6:30 PM – 7:30 PM (FULL)

Sunday afternoon class starts June 3 (through July 8th), 5:00 PM – 6:00 PM (FULL)

The six-week class series costs $260, meets each week in Emeryville.  One make up class offered per series, date TBA.

Sign up here!

Click here for class descriptions.

Watch our videos, see how much fun we have in class!

The Circus Dog Army wants you! Sign up now!

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New Canine Circus Classes Starting Soon

Build your dogs: brain, confidence, and physical strength at Canine Circus School.

• Expand your trick training repertoire
• Improve your training skill and coordination
• Perfect your control around other dogs.

Scroll down for class dates

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Class is held on Sundays from November 6 to December 19 (skips Thanksgiving weekend, Nov. 27)

The six-week class series costs $260

Sign up here!

Circus I : 1:30 − 2:30

Circus II : 3:00 − 4:00

Click here for class descriptions.

Watch our videos, see how much fun we have in class!

The Circus Dog Army wants you! Sign up now!

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Canine Circus Class Question and Answer with Francis Metcalf.

What is Circus Class?

FM:  Lets start with what circus school isn’t.  Our primary focus is on tricks not manners.  Our students don’t come to us to fulfill a basic dog training obligation, they come to learn creative dog training and immerse themselves in a creative dog training environment.

What is creative dog training?

FM:  While creativity is essential in all types of training, we use the term creative dog training when the training itself is specially designed to tell a story by supporting a plot or designed to stimulate the viewers aesthetic senses.  This can include everything from useful service dog behaviors, film animal training, stunts, and of course the classic parlor tricks.

What inspired you to start the Canine Circus School

FM:  Have you ever wanted to enter a different world? To find a secret door that will transport you, to step through a garden gate only to find you are lost in the ruins of an old temple. Have you ever looked down at your dog and thought he would make a great companion for a journey like that? That’s what inspired me.

Tell me a little more about the inspiration behind Circus Class.

FM:  As a dog trainer I wanted to create a class that I would want to take myself.  I wanted it to concentrate on things I felt most people need work on, myself included.  Alot of that is control around other dogs and the distractions you would find in a performance environment.  I didn’t want a class that was boxed in with a set of rules, either the rules of a sport or a training philosophy. However I wanted to teach a set of behaviors I think are essential when developing an extraordinary dog.  Confidence, adaptability and a willingness to try again are our guiding principles.  Our goal is to make dogs that are the envy of your neighborhood, the coolest dog on the block.

What makes your class, Circus Class not obedience class?

FM:  Circus is about spectacle.  Obedience is about disappearing into the background.  Each class we aim to make a spectacle, we do this by teaching the dogs how to interact with props.  Obedience is important too, but confidence with the props and environment takes precedence.

Ok what differentiates Circus Class from a tricks class?

FM:  The big difference between a Circus Class and a trick class is Circus Class requires dogs to work together and to “honor” on their pedestal while another dog performs a trick.  We work up to this slowly in Circus 1.

What tricks do you teach?:

Our foundation exercises are designed so that any dog can benefit from them.  As you progress you will be taught tricks that combine multiple behaviors to tell a story. For instance we teach all the classic tricks like: sit pretty, roll over, play dead, shake, spin etc. However to put these tricks together in an entertaining way is the ultimate goal.

So is it like Canine Freestyle, where people dance with their dogs?

No.  We use a lot of the behaviors commonly associated with Freestyle, but we free the handler from being type cast as a dance partner. We coach the handler to present the dog like an extraordinary beast filled with skill and education, but not a dance number.  I have a ton of respect for really good Freestylers, some truly amazing trainers.  Circus is more about a rag-tag band of misfits coming together to make a  canine spectacle.  This creates an environment where so many interesting things are going on at once that a sense of wonder comes over the participants and spectators.

How long is the class?

Its six weeks, but basically is an ongoing class.  Once a week for an hour on Sunday afternoons.

How much does it cost?

Two hundred and sixty buckaroos gets you 6 classes. To sign up click here.

Thanks to Tobin Simon for the great questions!

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The Canine Circus Army Wants You!

Canine Circus Classes Start Soon. Sign up now click here! 

Francis, Balzac and Heklina at the Mint Plaza Bring Your Own Dog event.

Logan Achieves the double ball balance in Circus II Class.

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