Puppy Obedience – Foundations
For puppies up to 12 months old.
Give your puppy a great start! This five-week class introduces essential skills, including sit, down, stand, stay, coming when called, loose-leash walking, and attention to the handler – all using positive reinforcement.
We’ll also address common puppy challenges such as house training, crate training, nipping, barking, and jumping. Puppies will practice gentle handling to help them become more comfortable with grooming, tooth brushing, and veterinary visits.
What to bring: a hungry puppy, soft treats, a leash, and a willingness to have fun!
Beginner Obedience
For dogs 6 months and older with no previous obedience training.
Build a solid foundation of good manners and communication with your dog! This class introduces essential skills, including attention and focus, sit, down, stay, coming when called, and controlled leash walking.
Beginner is a great starting point for adolescent and adult dogs who are new to formal obedience training. Through positive, engaging exercises, you and your dog will develop the confidence, communication, and teamwork needed for everyday life – and a strong foundation for continued training.
Obedience 1
For dogs 6 months and older who have completed Puppy Obedience or Beginner, or equivalent training.
Take your dog’s foundational skills to the next level! This class builds on basic obedience while introducing new exercises that strengthen attention, focus, and teamwork.
Students will practice sit for examination, fronts, and finishes, while beginning to learn elements of AKC Beginner Novice Obedience and the Canine Good Citizen program.
Obedience 2
For dogs wo have completed Obedience 1 or equivalent training.
Continue building your dog’s obedience skills as you develop greater precision, focus, and teamwork! This class introduces more advanced exercises while strengthening the foundation needed for competitive obedience.
Students will practice heeling and footwork, sit and stand for examination, recalls with fronts and finishes, and group sit and down stays. The goal is to develop the skills and confidence needed to compete in AKC Beginner Novice Obedience.
Obedience 3
For dogs who have completed Obedience 1 and 2, or equivalent training, and have reliable sit, down, stay, and recall skills.
Ready to work toward your AKC Novice title? This class builds on your dog’s existing obedience skills and focuses on the exercises needed for Novice-level competition.
Students will practice on-leash heeling, the figure eight, stand for examination, recalls, and sit and down stays. Emphasis is placed on developing consistency, precision, confidence, and teamwork as you and your dog prepare to enter the competition ring.
Novice A Ring Ready Obedience
For first-time AKC Novice competitors and handlers looking to improve their ring performance.
Ready to take your obedience skills into the competition ring? This class helps dog-and-handler teams make the transition from training to trialing with greater confidence and preparation.
Through practice run-throughs, students will work on maintaining focus, handling distractions, proper leash and hand placement, and developing smooth, confident ring performances. Individual feedback and constructive critiques will help handlers identify areas for improvement and fine-tune their teamwork.
Whether you’re preparing for your very first obedience trial or already competing and looking to sharpen your skills, this class will help you feel more comfortable in the ring.
Open/Utility Obedience
For experienced dog-and-handler teams preparing for AKC Open and Utility Obedience competition.
Take your obedience training to the next level! This advanced class focuses on developing the precision, consistency, and teamwork required for AKC Open and Utility competition.
Students will work on advanced obedience exercises, including retrieving, jumping, scent discrimination, directed exercises, and other skills appropriate to their competition level. Training emphasizes accuracy, confidence, and reliable performance while helping each team refine its skills and prepare for the challenges of advanced obedience trials.
Whether you’re working toward your first Open title or polishing exercises for Utility competition, this class provides an opportunity to continue growing as a team.
Canine Good Citizen
Good manners make great companions! The AKC Canine Good Citizen program recognizes dogs who demonstrate good behavior, responsible ownership, and the skills needed to be well-mannered members of the community.
This focused class prepares you and your dog for the ten skills evaluated in the CGC test. Students will practice exercises involving polite greetings, loose-leash walking, responding to basic commands, remaining calm around distractions, and interacting appropriately with people and other dogs.
This class is specifically designed for test preparation rather than introductory obedience training. Testing opportunities and class formats may vary by session.