Come Discover Dog Dance w/ Justus Joseph
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This six-week class is for students who are new to agility. Your dog must be at least 6-months old and be comfortable working around other dogs and people, and also be eager to work for yummy treats or a fun toy!

In Beginner Agility, dogs will learn basic skills that build the foundation for safe and successful agility runs, including:

-Focus on the owner.

-Introduction to jumping.

-Introduction to agility obstacles.

Because the bond between you and your dog is the most important factor in a successful agility team, our Beginner Agility Class not only teaches you how to best communicate with your dog but through one-on-one instruction and fun exercises we can help you create a powerful foundation for a successful relationship with your dog both in and out of the agility ring.

Thursdays at 10:15am
Instructor: Justus Joseph
Upcoming Class Dates: 8/6, 8/13, 8/20, 8/27, 9/3 & 9/24 (No Class 9/10 & 9/17)
Link to register for this class: https://app.punchpass.com/org/8136/series/48845

This 6-week class is for students who have taken agility classes before, and are either training a new dog or returning to agility with a dog in need of a basic training refresher. Dogs must be comfortable working around other dogs and people and also be eager to work for delicious food, treats, or an exciting toy. In this class, dogs will learn skills that form the foundation for safely and successfully doing agility. These skills include:

-Focus on the owner.

-Introduction to Sequencing.

-Introduction to agility obstacles.

-Introduction to Obstacles and Handler Skills.

Thursdays at 11:30am

Instructor: Justus Joseph
Upcoming Class Dates: 8/6, 8/13, 8/20, 8/27, 9/3 & 9/24 (No Class 9/10 & 9/17)
Link to register for this class: https://app.punchpass.com/org/8136/series/50075

Pet Collage Workshop w/ Justus Joseph
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🧡 Intermediate Dog Dance Classes:

Intermediate is by invitation only.

And this month, we’re getting spooky with Halloween choreography.

Saturdays at 2:45pm
Instructor: Justus Joseph
Upcoming Class Dates: 8/22, 8/29, 9/5, 9/26 & 10/17 (No Class 9/12, 9/19, 10/3 & 10/10)
Link to register for this class: https://app.punchpass.com/org/8136/series/50074

A Five-Week Retrieve Skills Class

Connected Fetch Foundations is a five-week class for dogs 6 months and up that teaches a clear, cooperative retrieve by breaking the skill into small, dog-friendly steps. This class is appropriate for dogs new to organized fetch, as well as teams considering AKC Fetch titles, improving obedience or rally retrieves, or simply wanting a safer, more thoughtful approach to toy play.

Rather than relying on repeated throws, we’ll focus on communication, clarity, and body awareness. Dogs will learn how to confidently take, hold, carry, and release objects while staying connected to their handler. Guardians will learn how fetch fits into the canine prey sequence, why structure matters for safety, and how to build retrieve skills without creating over-arousal or physical strain.
Each week builds progressively, giving dogs time to develop understanding and emotional comfort with objects before distance and speed are added.

Dogs will learn to:

• Take and release objects on cue

• Hold and carry items calmly

• Move with an object without dropping

• Respond to cues while holding an item

• Retrieve with clarity and purpose

Guardians will learn:

• How to structure fetch for sport, function, or enrichment

• Why excessive ball throwing can be hard on a dog’s body

• How to build retrieve skills that support confidence and communication

• How to adapt retrieve work for AKC Fetch, obedience, or rally

This class prioritizes clear communication, cooperative skill-building, and the dog’s physical and emotional wellbeing, making fetch a shared activity rather than a repetitive exercise.

Age Requirements: Dogs must be 6 months or older to participate in this class.

Pre-Reqs: This class is appropriate for dogs new to organized fetch, as well as teams considering AKC Fetch titles, improving obedience or rally retrieves, or simply wanting a safer, more thoughtful approach to toy play.

Please note that there will be 1-2 classes towards the end of your series that will require your dog to be crated between turns.

Saturdays at 5:15pm
Instructor: Justus Joseph
Upcoming Class Dates: 8/22, 8/29, 9/5, 9/26 & 10/17 (No Class 9/12, 9/19, 10/3 & 10/10)
Link to register for this class: https://app.punchpass.com/org/8136/series/50157

This six-week class is for students who are new to agility. Your dog must be at least 6-months old and be comfortable working around other dogs and people, and also be eager to work for yummy treats or a fun toy!

In Beginner Agility, dogs will learn basic skills that build the foundation for safe and successful agility runs, including:

-Focus on the owner.

-Introduction to jumping.

-Introduction to agility obstacles.

Because the bond between you and your dog is the most important factor in a successful agility team, our Beginner Agility Class not only teaches you how to best communicate with your dog but through one-on-one instruction and fun exercises we can help you create a powerful foundation for a successful relationship with your dog both in and out of the agility ring.

Fridays at 7:15pm

Instructor: Justus Joseph
Upcoming Class Dates: 8/28, 9/4, 9/25, 10/2, 10/16 & 10/30 (No Class 9/11, 9/18, 10/9 & 10/23)
Link to register for this class: https://app.punchpass.com/org/8136/series/50679

It’s getting spooky in here…

Dog dance (canine freestyle) is a training practice disguised as art: you and your dog learn a shared movement vocabulary — so your cues become clearer, your dog’s choices become more confident, and the two of you feel more connected. And this month, we’re tackling a Halloween song!

This class is for people who love their dogs deeply and want to make the time they have with them count — without pressure to perform, compete, or “look good.”

Over five weeks, you’ll learn beginner freestyle skills like spins, leg weaves, figure 8s, side switches, and arounds — then learn how to connect them into a small routine that feels like you and your dog, not a checklist.

Each week includes:

• A warm-up that builds focus through relationship

• 3–4 new dog movements taught with reward-based training

• Handler movement and timing made simple (no dance experience required)

• A mini routine that grows week by week

• Optional progress toward AKC Novice, Intermediate, or Advanced Trick Dog titles

Why dog dance?
Because it teaches a dog that coming close, moving with you, and choosing engagement is safe — and that’s a skill that carries into real life.

Who is this class for?

• Dogs 6 months+

• Beginner-friendly

• Great for sensitive, quirky, or “not a sport dog” dogs

• No prerequisites

Spots are limited (6 teams). When a cohort is full, join the waitlist so you’re first to know when the next series opens. Perfect for dogs of all ages, sizes, and experience levels.

Saturdays at 4pm (five weeks)
Instructor: Justus Joseph
Upcoming Class Dates: 8/29, 9/5, 9/26, 10/10 & 10/17 (No Class 9/12, 9/19 & 10/3)
Link to register for this class: https://app.punchpass.com/org/8136/series/50073

Pain & Big Feelings: What Your Dog's Body Might Be Telling You
A Live Workshop with Justus Joseph, Lineage of Love Dog Training

If you've ever felt like you're doing everything "right" with your dog's reactivity, fear, or big feelings — and still stuck — this workshop is for you.

Join Justus Joseph, CPDT-KA, Dynamic Dog Practitioner, and founder of Lineage of Love Dog Training, for a live, in-person workshop exploring a question that doesn't get asked enough: what if some of what looks like reactivity, nervousness, or fear is a dog managing discomfort we haven't identified yet?

Grounded in a pain-informed behaviour consulting framework — and in Justus's own experience living with dogs with complex needs — this workshop walks guardians through:

- How pain connects to big feelings — reactivity, fear, hypervigilance, clinginess, and shutting down — and why the research shows this link is far more common than most guardians (or even professionals) expect
- What "whole-dog" assessment actually means — looking beyond behaviour to movement, posture, and the body's role in what we label as "reactive," "anxious," or "fearful"
- Signs worth flagging to your vet — practical, physical and behavioural patterns to watch for at home
- Why behaviour modification alone sometimes stalls — and what changes when the pain question gets addressed first

This is a warm, judgment-free space for guardians who've already tried the standard toolkit and want another lens for understanding their dog — whatever their big feelings look like. You'll leave with concrete signs to watch for, language to bring to your vet, and a clearer sense of when it's worth exploring a pain-informed assessment for your own dog.


Bosly's Backyard, 4011 N. Ravenswood Ave, Suite 108, Chicago, IL 60613
Tuesday, September 1st

Spots are limited. Reserve yours today.

Sign up here

Dog Dance: Halloween Edition
Six Tuesdays · Bosly's Backyard · 6:30–7:30pm

Something's stirring this October.

Dog dance — canine freestyle — is a real sport: dogs and handlers building original choreography to music, out of tricks, movement, and connection. But here, it's less about the routine and more about the relationship underneath it.

Six weeks. Six dogs. Each pair in their own private space, moving to the same haunted season: no crowding, no comparison, no pressure to match anyone's pace but your own.

We'll build a short dance together, week by week, starting from how your dog already moves. Some will lurch and drag. Some will startle and bolt upright. Some will simply watch, still, until the moment calls them forward. All of it is celebrated in this class.

By the end, your dog has a piece of their own: spooky, strange, entirely theirs.

Bring your dog. Bring your imagination. And get ready to have a ton of spooky fun.

Intro to Agility
Six-week series at Bosly's Backyard — 7:45-8:45pm, Tuesdays, September 22 – October 27

Every dog already knows how to move — this class is about learning to move together.

Intro to Agility is where handling and confidence come first. Over six weeks, you'll build the communication skills that make agility work: reading your dog's stride, sending them ahead, calling them back to you, and helping them find their footing in a new environment. We'll also dig into confidence-building exercises for dogs who are unsure about new surfaces, sounds, or setups — the kind of groundwork that pays off everywhere, not just on course.

Along the way, you'll pick up agility-inspired games you can play at home or bring with you to Bosly's: cavaletti work, targeting, send-aways, and body-awareness exercises that build drive and coordination without needing a full course to do it.

This class is a great fit for dogs and handlers who are brand new to agility, or anyone who wants a lower-pressure space to build fundamentals before jumping into full equipment work.

Where: Bosly's Backyard, 4011 N Ravenswood Ave Suite 108, Chicago
When: September 22 – October 27, Tuesdays, 7:45-8:45pm

This six-week class is for students who are new to agility. Your dog must be at least 6-months old and be comfortable working around other dogs and people, and also be eager to work for yummy treats or a fun toy!

In Beginner Agility, dogs will learn basic skills that build the foundation for safe and successful agility runs, including:

-Focus on the owner.

-Introduction to jumping.

-Introduction to agility obstacles.

Because the bond between you and your dog is the most important factor in a successful agility team, our Beginner Agility Class not only teaches you how to best communicate with your dog but through one-on-one instruction and fun exercises we can help you create a powerful foundation for a successful relationship with your dog both in and out of the agility ring.

Age Requirements: This class is designed for dogs over 6-months of age.

Cost: $260

Duration: 6-Classes/60-Minutes Each

Please note that in order for your dog to participate in this class, it's very helpful that they are comfortable being crated between turns. 

Saturdays at 9am
Instructor: Justus Joseph
Upcoming Class Dates: 9/26, 10/17, 10/31, 11/7, 11/14 & 11/21 (No Class 10/3, 10/10 & 10/24)
Link to register for this class: https://app.punchpass.com/org/8136/series/50541