Dog trainer coming to Havre

A Chinook woman has invited a  California dog trainer to Havre to help meet demand for those seeking quality dog training sessions.

Alissa Hewitt, owner of three rescue dogs, said she invited trainer Scott Jackson for four days of instruction after many people told her they wished there were more options for dog owners looking for training.

“We don’t have any resources at all for dog training,” Hewitt said Wednesday. “Nobody has access to this kind of thing. I just thought this would help.

Jackson has nearly two decades of training experience.

“Scott was at the sheriff’s office for 17 years in California He was the lead K-9 handler for the sheriff’s office for 15 of those years. He’s been doing this for a long time,” she said. “Any problem that we have, he’s seen before.”

A class Aug. 10 for aggressive and nervous dogs is filled up, but space is available for a class Saturday, Aug. 12 for dogs six months and older running from 9 a.m. to noon and a class that afternoon for puppies 12 weeks to six months from 2:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.

A class will run Sunday, Aug. 13 from 2:30 to 5:30 p.m. for dogs six months and older in age. The training sessions, except for the home visits, will take place at the Havre Fairgrounds.

People who’d like to book a weekend class, at $30 per dog for one class or $50 per dog for both, can call Hewitt at 357-3316.

Jackson will also be microchipping dogs for $40, a very beneficial service considering the region, Hewitt said.

“Microchipping is so very important, especially out here where we all kind of live in the country.”

Hewitt said the response has been so enthusiastic that people are already asking when the next training opportunites are happening.