About Flying Fur

Flying Fur is a facility on Route 460 at Newport, described on its own site as a "Dog DayCare, Boarding and Training Facility just west of Blacksburg on Route 460". It has been open since spring 2008.

What they train

The class program is published with dates and prices. Basic Manners 1 is "Open to dogs and puppies 11 weeks and older at the start of class" and teaches "clicker training basics", "management techniques", "important socialization information", and on the dog's side hand targeting, sit, down, stay, a reliable recall, leave it and drop it, stopping jumping, and loose leash walking. It runs "7 Weeks — $110". Basic Manners 2 is for dogs 16 weeks and older that already have the basics, focusing on "improving leash walking", longer stays under distraction, a reliable recall in different environments and "strengthening various aspects of our friendly greetings", also seven weeks at 110 dollars. Private training is 80 dollars a session, with packages at "3 sessions for $225, 5 sessions for $350", and the site is specific about what those sessions cover: "These sessions can address any training issues or behavioral concerns including problems such as leash reactivity, separation anxiety, fearfulness, etc." Sport classes run too – a Foundation Skills For Agility class covering "building off-leash control, targeting, handling moves, flat work for agility, and some basic obstacle introduction", a Beginning Agility class, and flyball.

How they work

The method is stated without hedging: "Stephanie teaches clicker training and uses the latest science of positive reinforcement. We will never use choke chains, prong collars, shock collars, electronic collars and other devices that may hurt your dog." The wider framing is "Our classes will show you how to have fun with your dog while you teach manners and boundaries."

Who runs it

The owner is named: "Sharon Harrell built the facility and opened Flying Fur in the spring of 2008", and she "competes in agility and flyball with her dogs" and captains the flyball team New River Rapids, which "practices at Flying Fur weekly". The trainer is separately named and credentialed: "Stephanie teaches the Basic Manners classes at Flying Fur, as well as teaching private sessions. Stephanie is independently insured and CPDT-KA certified." Her route in is described as three years at an Arlington daycare and training facility "while simultaneously completing a 2-year apprenticeship to become a dog trainer". A training assistant, Aubrey Peters, "assists Stephanie with her group manners classes here at Flying Fur and hopes to become a certified trainer in the future".

The rest of the facility

Daycare and boarding are the larger part of the business. Every dog must first do an evaluation day – "We carefully evaluate every dog that comes to Flying Fur for daycare or for boarding" – which "costs just $5". Daycare is 32 dollars a day or 250 for ten days, and boarding is "1-3 nights – $50 per night" and "4 or more nights – $47 per night", with boarding dogs joining daycare each day of their stay.