Class Descriptions

Beginner Obedience

Pre-requisite: None

This 8 week class is for dogs 5 months and older, with no previous training other than a puppy class. This is an essential class in good basic manners for your dog. We will help you mold your dog into a wonderful family companion by working to develop an enthusiastic yet reliable response to basic obedience commands like sit, down, come and stay (with distractions), and heeling on a loose leash. We will also work on establishing control with good manners like not barking, biting or jumping on people. We will also help you with any other questions or problems that you may have. Dog training is not a precise science, we will tailor our training to help your dog. Not every dog learns the same, so we will help you bring out the best in your individual canine partner.

Puppy Class

Pre-requisite: None

This class is limited to puppies 10 weeks of age to 5 months of age.  This class will cover basic socialization including age-appropriate play with other puppies, housetraining, basic grooming and positive training methods.  Common puppy problems such as barking, chewing, etc. will be addressed. 

Beyond Beginners

Pre-requisite: Beginner Obedience or instructor permission

This class is an eight week class that further refines the beginners obedience exercises and includes off-leash heeling, and the finish. We work on heeling very closely to other people and dogs and increasing distance and distractions on recalls and stays.  This class is taught by Mary Jo.

Novice

Pre-requisite: Beginners Obedience and Beyond Beginners

This class is for dog and handler teams that have completed the Beginners and Beyond Beginners classes and are ready to move ahead with their training. You will be learning new skills, polishing old ones, and learning some tricks and techniques to improve your handling and your dog’s understanding of the exercises.  From this class you should be able to move on to the more advanced Competition Novice, Canine Good Citizen, or Rally classes with confidence.

Home Manners

Prerequisite: Beyond Beginners or by instructor permission.

This class will build on the skills learned in Beginners Obedience and Beyond Beginners.  The skills will build towards a well-mannered dog in the home setting, related to the dog owner having control over the dog and developing a bond with the dog during playtime.”  We will focus on heavy distractions while doing heeling exercises and the recall. This is great development of impulse control for the dog/handler team. Distractions can include toys, food, soft/loud noises, strange textures, etc.  At the finality of this 8-week class, you and your dog will be able to navigate and accomplish applying for the AKC Virtual Home Manners certificate. This is a great preparation class for Canine Good Citizen.  This class is taught by Jess.

Canine Good Citizen

Pre-requisite: Beginner Obedience or instructor permission

Responsible owners, well mannered dogs. The AKC’s Canine Good Citizen program is recognized as the gold standard for dog behavior. In CGC, dogs who pass the 10 step CGC test can earn a certificate and/or the official AKC CGC title. Dogs with the CGC title have the suffix “CGC” after their names.  This class runs 8 weeks. Testing for CGC is held at the end of each session.  This class is taught by Dave with the help of several instructors.

Competition Novice

Pre-requisite: Beyond Beginners or instructor permission

This class is for people want to compete or are competing. This class covers things you need to know before setting foot in the competition ring and will provide personal attention to help each dog and handler team polish their performance. This is as much about the handler skills as it is about the dog’s skills. We work on accurate heeling, fronts and finishes, fast recalls and heavy distractions. Games in and out of the ring to keep your dog engaged. The AKC regulations, new exercises and ring procedure.  This class is taught by Irene.

Rally

Pre-requisite: Beyond Beginner training and the ability to perform basic commands or instructor permission

AKC Rally® is a companion sport to AKC Obedience. It requires teamwork between dog and handler along with performance skills similar to obedience. Rally is a sport in which the dog and handler complete a course that has been designed by the rally judge. The dog and handler proceed at their own pace through a course of designated stations (10 – 20, depending on the level). Each of these stations has a sign providing instructions regarding the next skill that is to be performed. Basic obedience skills are taught including heeling, turns, pivots, jumps, positional changes between sits/down/stands.

All levels of AKC Rally are taught in class at the same time so you are learning for your next level up as you go.

Open

Pre-requisite:
-Open A – Instructor permission
-Open B – Open A or instructor permission

The Open Class is split into 2 classes.  The Open A is for beginner dogs just learning the required skills for the Open competition.  The Open B class is for dogs that are actively or soon to be competing.  The A class is for learning skills and the B class is for proofing.  Classes include skills for retrieving, jumping and the signal exercises. Included in this class is how to keep your dog engaged in and out or the ring, going over the AKC regulations, ring procedure and heavy distractions.  The Open A class is taught by Mary Jo and the Open B class is taught by Irene.

Utility

Pre-requisite: Instructor permission – must have earned Companion Dog Excellent (Open) Title

This is an eight week class which includes heeling and signals, scent discrimination, directed retrieve (gloves), the moving stand and directed jumping. We also work very hard at ring procedure, keeping your dog engaged in and out of the ring, heavy distractions and the AKC regulations.  This class is taught by Dave.

Shopping Cart
Scroll to Top