dog Training for real life.
Not graduation day.
A completely different kind of group dog training class built around the skills you actually need to live with your dog.
This ain't your typical dog training class.
For adult dogs and S.T.A.R Puppy Graduates.
✓ SOMETHING NEW EVERY DAMN WEEK.
New skills. New games. New challenges. New outings. New ways to use your dog's brain. You could stay for a year and still have something new to learn.
✓TRAIN FOR THE STUFF THAT ACTUALLY MATTERS.
Sit, down and stay are in there…but so are vet visits, cooperative care, fitness, muzzle training, real-world distractions, confidence, enrichment and actually enjoying life together.
✓ BECOME THE DOG NERD YOU NEVER INTENDED TO BE.
We're going to teach you body language, genetics, fear, reinforcement, predation, enrichment and how dogs actually learn. Eventually, you'll stop asking “How do I make my dog stop doing this?” and start understanding why they're doing it in the first place.
✓ WELCOME TO THE REVOLUTION.
You're not just signing up for a class. You're joining a community of people who want to understand their dogs, question the old-school rules, celebrate tiny wins and keep learning long after everyone else would've handed you a graduation certificate. Your Canine Revolution Membership—including weekly calls, Pack Walks, workshops and virtual training—is part of the Life Skills class.
Come for the dog training. Stay because you've accidentally joined a cult.
i was that dog owner, too.
That's Opie.
And yes, that's his Advanced Education diploma.
We were very accomplished. 😂
I signed up for the classes.
We practiced.
We graduated.
Then we signed up for the next class, practiced some more, and graduated again.
And I genuinely thought I was going above and beyond for my dog.
Opie could sit.
He could stay.
He could pass the tests.
But somewhere along the way, I realized we were learning how to pass dog-training classes but not necessarily learning how to do life together.
There was so much more I could have given him.
I could have learned more about his genetics.
His body language.
How his brain worked.
We could have explored cooperative care, fitness, enrichment, confidence, new environments and a hundred completely useless things that would've been fun simply because learning together is good for dogs.
But I didn't know what I didn't know.
I thought taking six-week group classes made me a pretty damn dedicated dog owner.
And it did.
It just wasn't the finish line I thought it was.
That's why I built the kind of group training program I wish Opie and I would've had:No graduation.
No finish line.
No running out of classes to take.
Just a new reason to show up every week and keep discovering how much more there is to your dog.
We did, in fact, graduate.
Real Results from Real Dog Owners
“I highly recommend Common Scents Training. We approached Emily due to our dog’s reactive issues. Emily’s approach is straightforward and non-judgmental. Her training instructions were easy to understand and put into practice. She has a deep understanding of dog behavior and has helped us understand our dog better. Walks are getting easier and our dog’s confidence has grown. I only wish we had approached her sooner.”
Rebekah M.
"Emily is knowledgeable, patient, and truly meets you where you are while encouraging you to reach the next level. Her direct, practical advice made a world of difference in our day-to-day living, and we're so grateful for her guidance."
Megan s.
“We have the best trainer in Emily with Common Scents Dog Training. She is so gentle and at ease with Duke. It helps Duke and Mommy.”
Robbie L.
Join the Revolution.
Sign up for Life Skills and get one in-person class every week, plus your Canine Revolution Membership.
No choosing your next class. No six-week finish line. Just show up. We’ll always have something new waiting for you.
GET INDOCTRINATED.
Learn enough about dogs that you can never look at behavior the same way again.
Genetics. Body language. Learning theory. Enrichment. Fear. Predation. Reinforcement. Welcome to the rabbit hole.
Go do cool shit with your dog.
The goal isn't to spend the rest of your dog's life training.
It's to understand each other well enough that you can grab the leash, jump in the car, and go experience life together.
You didn't get a dog just to make them obedient.
You got a dog because you wanted a life with them.
You wanted the dog who jumps in the car and goes places with you.
The dog you understand.
The dog you actually enjoy living with.
But somewhere along the way, dog training became about obedience.
Sit. Down. Stay. Heel. Pass the test. Get the certificate. Graduate.
At Common Scents, we think obedience is the lowest standard of dog ownership.
Your dog is an entire living, thinking animal with genetics, instincts, emotions, needs and preferences. And there's a hell of a lot more worth learning about them than whether they'll sit when you ask.
That's why we rebuilt group dog training from the ground up.
Life Skills gives you somewhere to keep learning together.
Every week brings something different: practical skills, cooperative care, fitness, enrichment, games, real-world adventures, and plenty of weird dog stuff you didn't know you needed to know.
Along the way, we'll teach you how dogs actually learn and help you understand the dog standing at the other end of your leash.
Because we're not trying to raise robots.
We're raising dogs.
And the goal isn't to spend the rest of your life training yours.
It's to build a relationship, meet their needs, teach some cool stuff, understand each other…and eventually realize that somewhere along the way, life with your dog just got easier.
Grab the leash.
Get in the car.
Go do stuff together.
That's what we're training for.
what do life skills classes actually look like?
A new reason to show up every week.
No two months look exactly the same.
One week we might be working on canine fitness. The next, cooperative care. Then basic skills, scent work, real-world training, body language, enrichment, tricks, confidence building, or something completely unnecessary that's just really freakin’ fun to teach your dog.
But here's the important part:
The topic changes. The training doesn't.
If we're working on FIT DOG exercises, we're also practicing settling while another dog works. We're working on leash skills as we move around the room. We're reinforcing good choices around distractions. We're practicing impulse control, communication, confidence and all of those boring little basics that make everything else possible.
Because real life doesn't organize your dog's behavior into convenient six-week lesson plans.
Neither do we.
And while you're at it...collect some badges.
We created the Common Scents Path to give you something to work toward without turning training into another race toward graduation.
Each badge represents practical skills you've actually put to use. Things like targeting, leash skills, making good choices, safety behaviors, fitness, recall, tricks and plenty more.
There's no order you have to earn them in. No deadline. And nobody cares if another dog gets one before yours.
They're milestones, not finish lines.
You'll also see AKC titles mixed into the Path. Are titles everything? Absolutely not. Are they still pretty damn fun to earn? Yep.
We're AKC Evaluators, so if you want to work toward STAR Puppy, CGC, CGCA, CGCU, Trick Dog or FIT DOG, you can. When you and your dog are ready, we'll test you. No waiting for the next six-week class or extra testing fees.
And if you couldn't care less about titles?
Cool. Keep earning the badges that matter to you.
And next month? We do something different.
New skills. New games. New challenges. New outings. More things to check off your Common Scents Path.
You never have to figure out whether you're supposed to sign up for Basics, Advanced Obedience, Cooperative Care, FIT DOG, Tricks, CGC, or whatever comes next.
There is no “what comes next?”
You already belong here.
Just keep showing up.
This is a sample size of the available badges to earn.
Here’s what a month might look like:
WEEK 01 — THE BASICS, BUT BETTER
Sit • Down • Stand • Stay • Recall • Leash Skills • Impulse Control
Take the basics out of the training bubble and learn how to actually use them.
WEEK 02 — COOPERATIVE CARE
Mouth Targeting • Teeth Checks • Muzzle Training • Vaccine Prep • Blood Draws
Teach your dog to participate in their own veterinary care instead of just hoping they'll tolerate it.
WEEK 03 — CANINE FUN
Trick Dog • Body Awareness • Balance • Stability • Strength • Sports
Build the body underneath the dog you're asking to hike, walk, play, adventure…and eventually grow old.
WEEK 04 — LET'S GO DO SOME STUFF
Distractions • New Environments • Confidence • Nature • Outings • Seasonal Challenges
Because eventually we have to leave the training room.
JOIN THE REVOLUTION.
One in-person Life Skills class every week
plus your Canine Revolution Membership
✓ Weekly virtual recap + Q&A
✓ Monthly Pack Walks
✓ Workshops
✓ Online learning & community
✓ Common Scents Path + badges
✓ AKC testing when you're ready
✓ New skills, games & experiences every week
No contracts. No graduation date. Just keep showing up.
Frequently asked questions
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The short answer: we teach dogs. We don’t hurt them.
Our training is reward-based, science-informed, and focused on teaching your dog what we want them to do rather than punishing them for getting it wrong. We use things like food, play, access to things your dog enjoys, environmental management, marker training, desensitization, counterconditioning, and…believe it or not…letting dogs have some choices.
We follow the IAABC Joint Standards of Practice, which call for positive reinforcement as the primary training strategy and oppose methods that intentionally use pain, fear, or intimidation. Our approach also aligns with the American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior's position on humane dog training, which recommends reward-based methods for dog training and behavior modification. (IAABC)
We do not use shock collars, prong collars, physical corrections, intimidation, or other aversive training methods. And we're pretty serious about that: our training agreement requires clients not to use aversive methods while participating in one of our programs.
Why?
Because our job isn't simply to find something that makes your dog stop doing something we don't like. We're interested in why the behavior is happening, what your dog needs instead, and how we can teach skills that make life better for both of you.
We're raising dogs. Not robots.
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A little barking, excitement, uncertainty, or distraction around other dogs doesn't automatically mean your dog can't participate in group classes. Dogs don't have to be perfect to come here. That's kind of why we're here.
The question we care about is whether your dog can stay under threshold enough to learn and feel safe around the other dogs and people in class.
If your dog is so stressed, fearful, reactive, or aggressive that simply being in the room puts them over threshold, group class isn't the right starting point…and we're not going to force them through it for the sake of “socialization.”
That doesn't mean group classes aren't in their future.
In fact, quite a few of our Life Skills dogs started with us in private training for reactivity, fear, or aggression. We work on the bigger stuff privately, build the skills and confidence they need, and when they're ready, group class can become the next step.
And graduating from private training into Life Skills? That's a pretty damn cool milestone.
If you're not sure where your dog belongs, we'll help you figure it out. The goal isn't to squeeze every dog into a group class.
It's to put your dog in the environment where they can actually succeed.
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Yup! And I’m a stickler about it.
Prior to the first day of class, I will need a photo of their vaccination records.
Core vaccines (DAPP or whatever variation), Bordatella, and rabies (if age-appropriate) are required.
If they’ve had the live Bordatella vaccine (ask your vet), it will need to have been more than 9 days prior to the start of class.
If we do not see your vaccine record prior to the first day of class, your classes are postponed until we see them.
Vaccine records can be text to: 785-390-2502