Our group training classes will resume on Monday, June 15th.  The class schedule will be posted on the website no later than June 1st.

Posted below are our guidelines for Clients and Instructors.  Group class sizes will be temporarily reduced to 4 people.  Our classrooms are 8,000 sq ft of space.

We will start with a limited schedule as we bring our Instructors back in waves.  Training For Life students will have their expiration dates extended by 6 months.  Any student that was in a class that was mid-session when we closed will be contacted with their options.  If you are affected, please reach out to us.  This is a large project that will take time to figure out.

Social Distancing Guidelines & Infectious Disease Plan For The Training Center

Guidelines for Clients

1. All clients must wear a face mask that covers both nose & mouth. Face masks must be on when they come into the room & stay on.  If clients need a break from their face mask, they must step outside.  Clients are required to wear masks when doing agility.
2. Only ONE person is allowed per dog. If the client would like their whole family to get training, switch to private lessons.
3. All clients (both people & dogs) must stay at least 10 feet apart, even if they know each other.
4. Social distancing guidelines are applicable in the parking lot as well as the training center. Clients will be instructed to wait in their cars until the instructor “waves them in”. Clients will come into the facility and leave the facility one at a time.  This applies to private lessons and group classes.
5. Clients are expected to maintain control over their dog in any group class. If the client can't maintain control over their dog without help from the instructor, they will be asked to switch to private lessons.
6. Hand sanitizer will be readily available at the entry/exit of the room for clients to use when coming in and when leaving.
7. The restroom is required by law to be available but the class reminder will ask for people to refrain from using it unless it is an emergency.
8. There will be a sign posted at the entrances to the training center. This sign will post about our required face mask policy, social distancing guidelines for the parking lot, telling clients not to touch any equipment or barriers, and reminding them not to come to class if feeling sick.
9. There will be an additional form on social distancing and our infection disease plan that the clients will receive as part of their class reminders. Clients will agree to these guidelines by accepting enrollment into the class.
10. For group classes, clients may not share a barrier. There must be a space between the barrier setups for the clients so they can social distance and not touch common surfaces. In some areas, that means you would use every other tie-down.
11. For agility crating, you must have at least 10 feet between clients with barriers. You can’t have more than 2 clients along any “wall” in the training centers.

Guidelines for Instructors

1. Instructors are required to wear masks in the training center if other clients or employees are in the room. If they are by themselves, the masks can be removed by the mask should remain nearby to be put back on.  Surgical masks are provided to employees at no cost by Wags & Wiggles.
2. Instructors are required to take their temperature before clocking in.
3. Wags & Wiggles will no longer provide water bowls to clients. The class reminder will tell them to bring their own bowl and water. In the event, a client NEEDS a water bowl, that bowl will need to be sanitized with rescue or soap/water after the class is over.
4. For obedience classes, on day 1, the instructor will sanitize their hands and then place the clicker, bait bag, and obedience folder on the student’s chair. At the start of class, determine which martingale collars you might need.  Sanitize your hands again and then pass out the collars by tossing them on the ground in front of the client.
5. If the class requires the client to interact with an object, like a buzzer, that object will need to be placed in their section by the instructor (with sanitized hands). That object will then be sanitized after class.  Clients can be required to bring their own objects.
6. Sport Dog classes will be on hold due to the intense contact with the equipment. Equipment can still be used for puppy class in the middle of the room but clients MAY NOT touch that equipment.
7. For Agility classes, the instructor will do all bar changes and clients MAY NOT touch the equipment.
8. For Rally classes, the instructor will handle all signs, and clients MAY NOT touch the signs.
9. Instructors may not touch any dog coming in for classes except for puppy playtime (see additional guidelines).
10. We will discontinue the use of the brag board and only do ORAL brags during class.
11. We will discontinue bones and class graduation toys.
12. We will discontinue graduation photos. Clients will be encouraged to send pics to us from home.
13. We WILL continue to pass out the graduation certificates and Free Day certificate. The instructor will sanitize hands before pre-placing these items on the student chairs before the start of class.
14. Gloves will be available for any instructor at any time
15. The instructor will only use the new metal folding chairs and discontinue using the cloth chairs.
16. The instructor will have ready plastic baggies (provided by Wags) to put meat roll in. The instructor will sanitize their hands and prefill these baggies.  If a client needs treats, the instructor will sanitize their hands and then toss this bag of treats on the ground in front of the client.

Post Class or Post Private Lesson Sanitizing

1. Spray rescue on a towel and wipe down all chairs
2. Spray rescue on a towel and wipe down all barriers and xpens
3. Spray rescue on a towel and wipe down the tie downs
4. If a client used the restroom, spray rescue on a towel and wipe down the door handles and sink handles
5. Spray rescue on a towel and wipe down the exterior door handles
6. Spray rescue on a towel and wipe down the keyboard and mouse of the computer in the training center if you use it to check-in and out your students.
7. All class registrations should be prepaid online. If a student needs to purchase retail items, you or a front office person will collect and bag the items for the client. The client should not touch retail items. The front counter in the daycare has sneeze guards for protection for in-person payments for retail.

Guidelines for Private Lessons (Puppy Raising/Bc/Privates)

1. For private lessons, the instructor will follow all the above guidelines for facility safety and sanitation for before and after the lesson.
2. For private lessons, the instructor will need to decide if they will be training the dog or if the client will be training the dog. The dog may NOT be passed back and forth.
3. A closed pen for the dog will be set up near the client’s chair.  Tapes lines on the ground will designate where the client should train and where the instructor will stand. For PRP or BC go home lessons, if the dog is already at the facility, the dog will be placed in the pen waiting for the client.  The owner will only handle their own dog at that point. The instructor can use another dog to demonstrate for the owner.
4. The client will be instructed to bring their own collar and leash. The instructor should never touch the client’s collar and leash.
5. If the dog is going to stay at the facility after the lesson, the client will leave the dog in the pen. The instructor will spray a towel with chlorhexidine and wipe down the dog before returning it to the play area or kennel.  Chlorhexidine is approved to kill coronavirus (as well as rescue) but Chlorhexi can be used in a diluted fashion on dogs without harm.
6. If the private lesson can be done outside safely, please do so. You can still use the pen transfer method inside and then move outside.
7. Clients may NOT share a private lesson but can have up to 3 family members attend the private lesson.

Guidelines for Puppy Classes

1. Puppy classes will now require a reservation.
2. Puppy clients will have the same barriers and distance requirements as an obedience class.
3. Instructors may set up a puppy confidence course in the middle of the room. The clients may NOT touch any of the equipment.
4. Puppy playtime may occur for Returnees only. The instructor will section off a part of the room using xpens.  The instructors will wear gloves for playtime.   One at a time, the client will remove all collar and leashes and place their dog in the “play area”.  The instructor will already be in the play area waiting for the puppy.  The instructor will set up designated floor targets for each client to stand and watch that are spaced out with social distancing of 10 feet.  Or the client can remain at their seats, whichever they prefer.  At the end of playtime, the client will call the puppy to the “door” of the play area and leash them up.  Wags & Wiggles will re-evaluate having playtime at all in puppy class once we try this a couple of times.  If we can’t minimize inter-client contact or client-employee contact, playtime will be discontinued.  Clients would then be encouraged to join daycare in addition to puppy class.

There is NO direct evidence that pets and humans can interchange coronavirus.   This is directly from Dr. Fauci which was broadcasted several times during task force briefings. However, our staff, are not allowed to kiss or get their face near dogs.  Petting is still okay.

Deciding when to reopen will be one of the hardest business decisions we have ever had to make.  Stay safe so we can play again soon.

• Our Online Classroom is still active and an instructor is available to answer your questions or get feedback.  All Courses and Memberships are on sale.  in the last week by far the popular has been Tricks and Sport Dog.  Many clients are working towards their tricks titles now that AKC is allowing online testing through our classroom.
• 10 Day Free Canine Enrichment Challenge.  There are at least 10 fun home activities that will are big boredom busters.  The challenges can be found through our blog.  You can also find these challenge videos on our Youtube Channel.
• Join our Free Canine Enrichment Facebook Group.  This is a moderated group sharing ideas to keep your dog's mind and body stimulated during this stressful time.

Our clients have been using our Wags & Wiggles Facebook Page as a way to post photos to let us know everyone is safe and sound.

Stay safe so we can play again soon.

Hang in there Wags Family. We will miss you and miss the dogs so very much it hurts our hearts. When we reopen it will be staffed with the same staff you have come to love.

We will continue to update our social media and our coronavirus live feed about our reopening date. We will also post uplifting photos & videos to keep our spirits up.

Our Online Classroom is still active and an instructor is available to answer your questions or get feedback.  All Courses and Memberships are on sale.

Remove your dog's collar, harness etc. Have them naked. We will use our own leashes.

If you have a lunch or cash, please have that ready at the car for the wags employee. Do not bring it inside the facility yourself.

Please schedule your bath, dayschool, puppy raising program, or upgrade like break from the pack over the phone.

If you are a new client and need a meet and greet right away to get essential dog care, we will allow one client inside the building at a time.