About K-9 Healers

K-9 Healers is the reward-based end of the Finger Lakes market and the clearest published route to a Canine Good Citizen title in the region. It runs from the Branchport side of Keuka Lake, and it is the only school on this hub that publishes a named training framework rather than a general philosophy.

The framework

The site is built around Family Dog Mediation and its L.E.G.S. model – Learning, Environment, Genetics and Self – which it uses to describe each dog's needs and behavior before deciding what to change. The stated commitment is positive reinforcement and reward-based work, with harsh methods explicitly avoided in favor of what the site calls enjoyable, rewarding experiences.

The two published classes

Pawsitive Beginnings: Foundations in K9 Manners & Social Skills is the entry class and takes both puppies and adult dogs. The published curriculum is sit, stay, come, polite greetings and leash manners, plus impulse control and confidence in new situations. Puppies under one year can work toward the AKC S.T.A.R. Puppy certificate in this class; older dogs use it for manners and social skills.

Beyond Basics: Pathway to CGC and Confident Companions builds on that and prepares an owner and dog for the American Kennel Club's Canine Good Citizen test. The published work is calm greetings, loose-leash walking, recall, polite handling and focus around distractions, and the site says the official CGC test can be taken after the class.

The rules stated up front

The site is direct about who each class is not for. Dogs must be up to date on vaccinations including bordetella and at least four months old, with proof required at the first class and no refunds without it. Beyond Basics is stated as unsuitable for aggressive or highly reactive dogs, and the school says it may recommend private lessons instead. That is a useful filter to read before booking.

Who runs it and where

The site names Gail Furst as the founder and lists two contacts, Gail Furst and Julie LaBarr, each with their own phone number. Its own location line reads simply Finger Lakes, NY; the published class venue is Hopewell Fire Station #1, on the Canandaigua side, while the business address on file is at Branchport. Therapy dog work is named as something the school prepares dogs for, alongside CGC and AKC certifications.