K9 101
S.T.A.R. Puppy
Housetraining, biting, jumping, name response and the first taste of leash work — before habits set.
For puppies under 1 year
Canonsburg, PA · Teaching since 2009
Private, in-home lessons with Christen — an AKC-certified evaluator for all four Canine Good Citizen levels. Positive reinforcement, start to finish.
AKC
Evaluator
The curriculum
Every dog enrolls where they actually are, not where the calendar says they should be. Each level is taught in your home and on real streets, then tested against the American Kennel Club standard. Pass, and the title is yours for life.
K9 101
Housetraining, biting, jumping, name response and the first taste of leash work — before habits set.
For puppies under 1 year
K9 201
The ten-item test landlords, insurers and therapy programs recognize. Sit, down, stay, come, greet, and settle around strangers and other dogs.
Prerequisite: solid basics
K9 301
The same manners, now off the practice field: parking lots, trail traffic, dropped leashes and recalls with something better going on nearby.
Prerequisite: CGC title
K9 401
Sidewalks, elevators, doorways, transit and crowds. The level that makes a dog genuinely easy to take anywhere.
Prerequisite: CGCA title
Electives
The instructor
Smarty Paws K9 University is one person: sole owner, operator and trainer. No rotating staff, no handing your dog off. Lessons run on positive reinforcement — lure and reward, plus canine enrichment and game-based work — because the goal is a dog who chooses to listen, not one who is afraid not to.
2010
All four CGC levels, Trick Dog, Home Manners, Temperament Test
2020
Do More With Your Dog
Level 3
Conditioning for sport, structure and aging joints
Judge
Triple Crown Instructor, Do More With Your Dog
At home
A titled Goldendoodle and a Standard Poodle, still collecting titles
How enrollment works
STEP 01
Tell me your dog's age, breed and the one behavior driving you up the wall. We'll figure out which level fits.
STEP 02
Training happens where the problems happen — your doorway, your kitchen, your street. Everyone in the house is welcome to join.
STEP 03
You leave each lesson with homework you can do in ten minutes a day. When your dog is ready, I evaluate on site.
In the field
A dog who is perfect in a training hall and useless at the front door has not been trained yet. Lessons happen in Washington County living rooms, driveways and sidewalks.
Train with love,not fear.
— The only method used here, since day one
Service area
Anywhere within 15 miles of Canonsburg. Further out is taken case by case — ask.
Common questions
Your dog gets paid for the behavior you want — food, play, praise — instead of corrected for the behavior you don't. No prong collars, no shock, no intimidation. It takes a little more patience up front and holds up far better under pressure.
As soon as they're home and cleared by your vet. The AKC S.T.A.R. Puppy course is built for dogs under a year, and the earlier we start, the fewer habits we have to undo.
Often yes — leash reactivity is one of the most common reasons people call. Tell me what triggers it and how close your dog can get before reacting, and I'll tell you honestly whether I'm the right person or whether you need a veterinary behaviorist first.
Training is private and in-home so the work fits your house and your schedule. Testing and select events are booked online.
By appointment, seven days a week. Call, text, email or send a Facebook message and we'll find a time.
Enrollment is open
412-568-3139Call or text and tell me about your dog. The first conversation is free, and I'll tell you straight whether training will fix what you're dealing with.