Cairo Canine Academy

We are excited about our role as a center for Positive Reinforcement Training and dog owner networking in Cairo. Our classes started mid-January 2009, at our training center on Road Nine in Maadi. We offer private, group and mini classes for all levels of obedience. For more information see the class description list, our training calendar or see pictures of some recent graduates.

The Cairo Canine Academy is committed to helping owners better understand and train their dogs using positive reinforcement methods. We offer a wide variety of training classes that feature everything from the basics, fun tricks, and more advanced behaviours (ever wish the your dog could take out the trash? You can teach him to do it!). We can even help to get your dog certified as Canine Good Citizen through the American Kennel Club.

We have several styles of classes to choose from. Private one-on-one classes are offered, along with group classes, and finally mini-sessions that focus on individual behaviours like house training or nipping. Sarah Michelle Leonard, the lead instructor of the Cairo Canine Academy, has over five years of dog training experience in both the United States and Egypt. She is a certified dog trainer, and is a member of the Association of Pet Dog Trainers. She has taught over 200 group classes, 100 private classes, and has won several dog training awards.

Positive Reinforcement Training works on the scientific principles of operant conditioning, and is a highly effective way to train your dog and improve your bond. Basically, using positive reinforcement means that you reward your dog for the behaviours that you want repeated; by helping your dog understand the connection between visual/audio cues and a reward, you will find that he responds to you quickly and consistently regardless of what is happening.

But using positive reinforcement doesn’t mean that you will always have to “bribe” your dog with a cookie or treat to get them to do something. First of all, a reward doesn’t have to be food; toys and petting also work. Furthermore, once your dog gets a behaviour down, you slowly fade the treat away. Thus the reward is a tool that helps to shape the behaviours you want from your dog, not a bribe. Think of it more as a paycheck that your dog has earned after he has completed his “job”- whether it be sitting nicely when guests come over, or performing a cute trick.

The advantage of this training method is that your dog will be doing what you want not because he’s afraid, but because he knows and understands what to do. More importantly, you will both want the same behaviours because they are rewarding for both of you. Learning the appropriate household behaviours should not be painful or harmful for you or your dog; positive reinforcement has been scientifically proven to be the most efficient and effective way to train.

Our goal at the Cairo Canine Academy isn’t to simply train your dog to sit or walk nicely. We want to help you understand how your dog thinks and operates, and have the tools be able to train your dog far beyond basic commands and situations.