Canine Academy Training Center

Canine Academy Training Center

Written by Mark Collins Tuesday, 26 February 2008

The Canine Academy Training Center is getting homeless dogs off the street and on their feet with advanced training and three square meals a day.

“Most of the dogs we take out would probably be euthanized in a shelter,” said Canine Academy owner Lisa Caughlin. “It’s such a great thing for both sides. We get to help these nutty, crazy dogs, and they get to ride around in the back of a police car and be nutty, crazy dogs.”

She estimates 95 percent of the dogs she trains come from shelters. As often as she can, Caughlin will visit each Austin-area shelter in search of canines that have a special quality.

“We look more for drive than we do for a particular breed of dog. We want them to be obsessed with fetching,” she said. “They don’t make really good pets because they want to be doing something all the time. They’re not bad dogs; they’re just high energy.”

When dogs first arrive at Canine Academy, their hips and elbows are tested for dysplasia to make sure the joints can withstand the rigors of the job. Training consists of fetching drills and associating a specific odor with the training. Eventually, the dog will go after the odor and not just the training toy. Caughlin has taught dogs to detect mold, termites and drugs.

Her strangest request, though, was for a dog that could detect cheating spouses.

Although the Canine Academy was founded in 1990, Caughlin acquired the property in April 2005 when the previous owners retired. Caughlin always had an interest in canine training and made the move to Cedar Park from a position as a crime lab toxicologist in California.

“I was training part time on the side. Animals were definitely my passion more than crime scenes,” Caughlin said. “The opportunity was there, so I quit my job and moved here and started up.”

She is now licensed by the Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers.

In addition to training dogs for professional work, Canine Academy also provides services for stay-at-home pets. The 11-acre property has 50 on-site runs available for boarding.

Two play yards allow space for dogs to exercise and socialize.

On Sundays, Caughlin teaches “zone” obedience classes. Owners can attend when convenient and move to the next level of difficulty when the pet is ready.

For those who may not have time to spend training a dog, Canine Academy offers boarding school. The pet will stay with Caughlin for four to five weeks and receive training from her staff.

When the owners return, they need only learn the commands to get in sync with the dog.

Handler training

When working dogs have completed training, the potential handler comes to Canine Academy Training Center for two weeks of handler school.

“It’s more teaching the handler how to use the dog; the dog is already pre-trained,” Caughlin said.

The pair will spend two weeks bonding and getting comfortable with commands. If the canine is trained to attack, the handler will come early for an additional week of bite work.

Canine Academy Training Center, 13420 Cedar Lime Road, Leander, TX 78641, 512-267-2275, email: canineacademytx@aol.com