Canis Sapiens Dog Training
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About Canis Sapiens Dog Training
<h2>Science-based training in Hyde Park</h2>
<p>Canis Sapiens works out of Hyde Park, Chicago and opens with a single premise: "Trust between owner and dog is everything." The site describes "Positive, science-based dog training that builds real understanding — No shouting. No dominance games. Just results you can see — and a dog who genuinely wants to listen." Three principles are named: relationship first, positive methods, and personalized goals, with the site explicitly refusing "a one-size-fits-all checklist" in favor of the companion the owner actually wants.</p>
<h3>Method in their own words</h3>
<p>Training is marker-based. "Mark the Moment" is described as a verbal "yes" at the exact instant the dog gets it right; every marker is "backed by a reward your dog actually cares about," and the site notes food rewards are "thoughtfully faded" as training progresses. Reading canine body language is treated as central — "Most 'disobedience' is really miscommunication." Classes are deliberately small so every owner gets hands-on coaching, under the motto "Festina lente — Hurry slowly."</p>
<h3>Programs</h3>
<p>Group classes run on rolling admission and are published with prices: <strong>Older Puppy Kindergarten</strong> (up to 6 months, Sundays, $145 for 6 weeks) covering socialization, basic commands and puppy problem-solving; <strong>Outdoor Manners + Reactive Dogs</strong> ($145 for 6 weeks), working loose leash walking and distractions toward AKC Canine Good Citizen certification; <strong>Pup Crawl</strong>, real-world practice for barking, jumping, reactivity and guest behavior; and <strong>Tracking</strong> on Saturdays, scent work modeled on detection work. <strong>Private lessons</strong> come to the home or neighborhood and cover basic obedience, leash pulling, anxiety, fearfulness and reactivity, listed at $75 for a single hour-long lesson, $276 for a 4-lesson package, $185 for a focused package and $165 for the Zoom version.</p>
<h3>Background</h3>
<p>The site names Jane Masterson, Ph.D. as Founder & Lead Trainer, crediting her with a Ph.D. in Evolutionary Biology and "decades of hands-on experience," and states she is a certified evaluator for the American Kennel Club's Canine Good Citizen (CGC), Trick Titles and STAR Puppy programs.</p>
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