Dog Obedience Training Classes

Beginner’s Classes (Clicker-style) will introduce you to the use of Positive Reinforcement/Clicker Training to teach your dog in a happy, non-aversive manner. During the classes you and your dog will learn to work together as a team on the following commands: Watch Me, Yes, Ouch!, Heel, Sit, Down, Heel with Sit, Come, Sit/Stay, Down/Stay, Finish, Leave-it, Stand and Off.

"Clicker training is a science-based system for teaching behavior with positive reinforcement. You use a marker signal (the sound of a toy clicker) to tell the animal (or person) when it's doing the action that will pay off. The system was first widely used by dolphin trainers who needed a way to teach behavior without using physical force." Karen Pryor, clickertraining.com.

Beginner's Classes (Traditional) teach basic commands which will enable you to gain control over your pet. Commands include: walking in a heel position, sit, come, down, and stay.

Intermediate Classes will help you refine behaviors learned in the Beginners Classes including heeling, sit, down, stay, and come with the addition of finish heel. The introduction to Rally Obedience (a new AKC event) will explore a variety of different heeling patterns, improved stays will be refined and a new course will be run every week. The introduction to Agility will help increase your dog's confidence by teaching them obstacles, such as the dog walk, see-saw, A-Frame, chute, tunnel and jumps using positive reinforcement and food rewards to help encourage you dog over and through the obstacles. The use of clickers and food rewards is recommended, but not mandatory. All students must have completed a 6-week Beginners course or have instructor's approval.

Advanced I Classes (Traditional) will cover the following:

Healing exercises, off-leash Recall command, off-leash Place command, off-leash Stand for exam, off-leash Introduction to exercises required for Obedience CD Competition. (Interested students must have completed an Intermediate Class with the LA/SPCA or attain Trainer's approval.)

Advanced II Classes (Traditional) will cover the following:

Advanced heeling patterns, fast response sits and downs, introduction to broad jumps, recalls over the bar jump and through the tire, introduction to the dumbbell (take it command), retrieve the dumbbell on the flat (Interested students must have completed an Advanced I Class with the LA/SPCA or attain Trainer's approval.) Read More