The Humane Society of the Treasure Coast offers a multitude of classes to help your dog become the best version of itself! Unless otherwise noted in the class description, all classes are:
For questions regarding classes, the registration process, or to be put on a waiting list for a specific class- please contact Tracy Steffen at 772-600-3236 or Tsteffen@hstc1.org or fill out a waitlist form by CLICKING HERE.
*Puppies must have their first set of shots (DHLPP) and a negative fecal exam in order to participate in this class.
*Must first have completed the pre-requisite Basic Obedience course.
Give back to our community while spending time with your dog! This advanced course prepares dogs and their handlers for a multitude of situations that will occur during Pet Therapy programs, and will also prepare you for the three part evaluation done by a therapy dog organization. Dogs will also be evaluated on the Canine Good Citizens exam as well as begin the evaluation process on the last class. This Pet Therapy class is required by those who wish to volunteer with Misty’s Pals at HSTC (link to hstc1.org/pettherapy).
*Please note- all 6 sessions in this course are mandatory for both dog and owner to complete class.
On various days and times during the week, we provide one-on-one basic training sessions for dog owners seeking to address specific challenges or overcome particular issues with their canine companions.
In these sessions, pet parents learn positive reinforcement and proactive training methods. These private trainings are $60 per hour.
These training sessions are not for dogs that show aggressive behavior to people or are exhibiting separation anxiety. If you have a dog with these issues, you are welcome to reach out for recommendations for a Veterinary Behaviorist. These are not issues we are equipped to handle at private training sessions.
Please register online, and we will contact you to schedule your training. For any questions, please contact Tracy at Tsteffen@hstc1.org or 772-600-3236
Please have your dog on a regular 4-6 foot leash and bring LOTS of small, soft treats.
Continue to challenge your dog in the fun game of Nose Work with Nose Work 2 class. Dogs will be presented with buried hides and vehicle searches. With more distractions and more odors to the game, your dog will love these new challenges. (Need to complete Nosework 1 to sign up).
Foundation for Agility is an introduction to the fun sport of Agility.
This American Kennel Club class is fun for dogs and their parents as participants set out to learn new tricks. This course strengthens communication and bonding between pet and parent. AKC Trick Dog concludes with an opportunity for the dogs to earn another AKC title.
*This 3-week class costs $60
Loose Leash & Reliable Recall Class is an abbreviated course that will help develop appropriate leash manners and will make your dog's recall solid, even with distractions.
Rally Obedience (Rally-O) is a team sport for both dog and handler, requiring each team to navigate a circuit course with 10-20 different signs, each indicating a different obedience skill to complete. This introductory class focuses on teaching participants the basic positions, equipment, and signs to create a solid foundation to learning this fun sport. Rally-O is a fun and effective way to continue enhancing your dog's obedience skills while also strengthening the bond between you and your four-legged friend.
Build on the skills that you learned in Intro to Rally-O and take your dog’s skills to the next level! Novice Rally-O is designed to teach handlers how to communicate with their dogs by using body language and verbal commands. This class also teaches participants how to perform the AKC Rally exercises. Rally-O is a fun and effective way to continue enahncing your dog's obedience skills while also strengthening the bond between you and your four-legged friend. This class focuses on Rally Novice signs. All class work is performed on leash.
*Must first have completed the pre-requisite Basic Obedience and Intro to Rally-O courses
The Humane Society of the Treasure Coast offers a variety of agility classes for the dog at every level. Handler teams must have taken Basic Obedience & Focus Proofing classes to participate in Agility. If you have previous agility experience, please call Heidi Fischer at (772) 600-3207 to see which class would be the right fit for your dog!
Agility Club memberships are open to all handler teams who have successfully completed at least six (6) weeks of agility classes and have a basic understanding of the use of the equipment. Joining the HSTC Agility Club will allow you to practice at HSTC on your own schedule, whenever there isn't an HSTC-scheduled class or event!
A completed membership application, with check payable to HSTC in the amount of $150, should be returned to the shelter or emailed to tsteffen@hstc1.org. Upon completion of the application and acceptance by the Humane Society, the member will receive the gate code.
The Humane Society of the Treasure Coast is home to four highly-skilled and multi-talented obedience and agility trainers. We are so grateful to have them as part of our obedience and agility team!
Lead Trainer & Behavior Evaluator
Heidi Fischer, Lead Trainer & Behavior Evaluator at the Humane Society of the Treasure Coast, has been involved with the organization for 14 years. She also has been with the HSTC’s pet therapy group, Misty’s Pals. She has titles in AKC, Agility, Rally USDA and CPE and she has made successful champions with the pack of dogs that she rescued. Her rescue dog, Diesel, was ranked #3 in the country for AKC agility at the Invitational Eukanuba in Orlando. She has attended many seminars with top international handlers to keep her skills up to date for her students. Heidi also has attended outside dog training and behavioral seminars, and she is an AKC evaluator for CGC testing. Heidi's training method is always positive for dogs and owners to help them develop their training skills to grow and have confidence — whether it’s to compete or just want to have a fun, social time in her classes.
Agility Trainer
Sonya Cerron fell in love with agility years ago. She had seen it on TV and decided she wanted her cattle dogs and herself to at least try the new sport. She loves all of the training that went into it as well as watching her dogs catch on to each new lesson. Primarily, Sonya enjoys being around others who share her love for dogs and the sport, and she also loves teaching agility, watching her students succeed at each level and learning to be in touch with their dogs. She finds it soothes her soul just to be out at the field. As an instructor, she makes a point to keep up with all the changes in agility and new techniques and handling. With more than 16 years of agility experience, she has witnessed many changes to the sport. She tries and trains with Pike, her 7-year-old border collie, and Albe, a 3-year-old border collie. Both compete at the master’s level in AKC. Sonya’s history with animals is as a dog groomer in Dayton Ohio, obedience instructor and animal warden in Marathon, Florida, and as an agility instructor since 1999.
Agility Trainer
Bill Becker has been training dogs for more than 15 years and through the mentorship of Sonya Cerron, has been an instructor at The Humane Society of the Treasure Coast since 2010. He has been playing, training and competing in AKC Agility since 2005, earning many agility titles, including five Master Agility Champion (MACh) titles and was nationally ranked annually with his rat terrier, Maggie Mae, now at the Rainbow Bridge. He continues to compete in agility and enjoys teaching the Competition Agility Class at our facility. Bill was instrumental in organizing the HSTC’s first team to go to the Dog Agility Competition of Florida (DACOF) in 2012, has helped organize the teams each year since, and has become president of DACOF for the third year in a row. Bill believes his strengths are helping handlers evaluate courses, identifying off-course potentials and proper paths, while helping the handlers “Align their Cues” to help the handler/dog teams be successful and to have as much fun as possible. Bill’s philosophies are “It’s all about making it fun for your dog,” “If you’re not training your dog, it’s training you,” and “The best trainer in the world is the one whose dog is having the most fun.”
Kristi Jackson fell into training through working with a great Llama named Inky who taught her that positive training was the way to a Llama's heart. She has been training for 20 years with a variety of breeds, but her true love is herding dogs. She has trained all levels of obedience from Puppy Class to Utility as well as Agility Foundations. She has earned both Rally and Obedience titles on a Shetland Sheepdog and two Collies. Her Shetland Sheepdog, Lorelei, was a rescue with no hearing but loved the game of agility. She was master's level when she passed away. She has trained and evaluated many dogs for pet therapy and is an AKC evaluator for CGC testing. She has also attended outside dog training and behavior seminar. Kristi loves watching those light bulb moments for owners as they build a bond with their dogs. It's all about having fun with your partner!
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Humane Society of the Treasure Coast
4100 SW Leighton Farm Ave
Palm City, Florida 34990
Main Line: (772) 223-8822
Fax: (772) 220-3610
admin@hstc1.org
Journalism inquiries only: Contact Doreen Poreba at prczar@prczar.com
Central Thrift Store:
3302 SE Federal Hwy., Stuart, FL 34997
(772) 286-6909
North Thrift Store:
1099 NW 21st St., Stuart, FL 34994
(772) 232-4887
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A copy of the official registration and financial information may be obtained from the Division of Consumer Services by calling toll free (800) 435-7352 within the state
or by visiting FDACS.gov. Registration does not imply endorsement, approval or recommendation by the state. Registration #CH1552.
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