Gloucester Parks, Recreation and Tourism, in partnership with Amy Willoughby, owner of Shared Joy Dog Training, will begin offering dog training classes beginning next Wednesday, Aug. 18 at Beaverdam Park’s Whitcomb Lodge.

Two classes are being offered—puppy training and dog training—which focus on positive reinforcement and reward-based training. Pets will be rewarded for the good choices they make during the training.

The puppy training class is for young dogs 12 weeks to one year old. This introductory six-week group class focuses on socialization and is designed to familiarize puppies with basic behaviors and cues such as “sit” and “down.”

The class will also help puppy owners address common puppy issues like potty training, chewing and loose-leash walking. It will also address undesirable behaviors such as jumping and not coming when called.

The dog training class is for canines nine months and older. This course will help owners better communicate with their older pu...