Dogs & Storks
Is your little one starting to walk, explore, and get into everything? It’s an exciting milestone—but it can also be overwhelming for your dog.
Dogs & Toddlers™ is a two-hour, people-only workshop led by certified trainer and Licensed Family Paws Educator Fina Garcia. Designed for families with toddlers, crawling babies, or children under 3 years old, this class offers practical guidance to help you create a safer, more connected home for your child and your dog as you navigate this busy stage of development.
You’ll learn how to recognize your dog’s subtle communication signals, create safe zones, adjust your routines as mobility increases, and better understand how your dog and toddler are experiencing their environment. We’ll also address spatial awareness, toddler unpredictability, and how to prevent common issues like growling, nipping, and stress-related behaviors.
Whether you're a parent, grandparent, or caregiver managing life with dogs and little ones, this class will help you plan ahead, stay compassionate, and build a foundation of safety and trust.
What You’ll Learn
In this introductory workshop, we’ll explore how to support your family and dog through growing pains thoughtfully. You’ll walk away with a better understanding of what your dog may be experiencing, and how small changes now can lead to big wins later. We’ll cover:
- Preparing your home: Layout tips, management tools, and how to make your dog’s space feel safe and predictable
- Understanding your dog’s perspective: How dogs may perceive toddlers on-the move, new routines, and kid-related changes
- Body language basics: Learn to spot early signs of stress, discomfort, or excitement in your dog
- Creating “Success Stations”: How to use safe zones, boundaries, and enrichment to promote calm behavior
- Safe inclusion strategies: Ways to include your dog in kid-related routines while keeping everyone safe and relaxed
You’ll also receive helpful handouts, planning prompts, and family-friendly language to share what you’ve learned with other caregivers.
This class is meant to introduce key ideas and jump-start the conversation. For more personalized support, I’m always happy to guide families through private training tailored to their dog and household.
Why It Matters
Even the most loving, well-behaved dog can struggle when everything in their world suddenly changes. Our goal is to help you feel empowered—not overwhelmed—with the knowledge and tools to support both your dog and your growing family with empathy, structure, and clarity.
Because this isn’t just your baby’s big debut—it’s a new chapter for your dog, too.
Upcoming Class Dates
Class Size & Waitlist Info
To ensure a supportive and engaging learning experience, both in-person and virtual group classes are limited to 10 participants. This allows plenty of time for discussion and personalized Q&A. If a class fills up before you’re able to register, don’t worry—email me to join the waitlist! If more than 5 people want to join the waitlist for a particular session, I’ll schedule an additional class within a week to make sure no one misses out. Your questions matter, and I want everyone to feel seen, heard, and supported.