Obedience classes
BKC Contacts |
Obedience classes Intro, Obedience
I, II, III, Attention Advanced Obedience: Open, Utility, Freestyle Rally classes: Obedience Run Thrus: |
BKC offers a variety of obedience classes for new and experienced dogs and handlers. Courses are designed to help you condition reliable behavior from your dog and work together as a team. BKC also offers several courses designed to help handler/dog teams successfully participate in AKC obedience events. Courses offered include:
- Introduction to obedience
- Obedience 1
- Obedience 2
- Obedience 3
- Rally Obedience
- Novice ready for ring
- Open and Utility obedience
Obedience run throughs are also offered as extra practice for people interested in participating in AKC obedience events.
Introduction to Obedience
Introduction to Obedience, aka Beginner Obedience, is a 4 week entry course for adult and adolescent dogs and for handlers that have not had previous dog handling training. The dogs must be 7 months or older. The handlers may be any age permitted by BKC Policy and Procedure. The only requirement to enter this class is that the dog has a manageable disposition. On completing this class the dog/handler team should be prepared to fulfill the entry requirements for the Obedience 1 training class. The dog should be able to:
- Watch the human handler on cue
- Sit and Stay on cue
- Down and Stay on cue
- Stand on cue
- stay
- Come when called on cue
These are basic exercises that all dogs should know and will make them more enjoyable companions for you and your family.
Obedience 1
Obedience 1 is a basic 8 week class for adult and adolescent dogs and their handlers that have had the Intro to Obedience class, a similar basic class (from another training facility) or the Canine Good Citizenship (CGC) class. The dogs must be 7 months or older. The handlers may be any age permitted by BKC Policy and Procedure. The purpose of the class is for the human/dog team to learn basic dog handling skills. To enter Obedience 1 the human/dog team should be able to reliably accomplish the skills from the Intro to Obedience Class (above).
At the completion of Obedience 1 the handler should be able to:
- Heel with the dog on a loose leash,
- Maintain Sit/Stay and Down/Stay on command for 30 seconds
- Maintain Stand/Stay for 10 seconds
- Come when called on cue off-leash with some degree of distraction from a distance of 20 feet.
Obedience 2
Obedience 2 is an intermediate obedience class for dogs and their handlers who have completed Obedience 1 or equivalent, and for those handlers who wish to improve their companion dog handling and the dog-handler association using positive reinforcement. It is also for those handlers and their dogs that have an interest in entering the Obedience sport and want preparation before taking the Obedience 3 class. To enter the Obedience 2 class, the human/dog team should be able to accomplish all of the final tasks of the Obedience 1 Class (listed above).
At the completion of Obedience 2 class the human/dog team should be able to:
- Heel with the dog on loose leash to off-leash (or simulation of off-leash with umbilical cord, leash-over-shoulder or lure techniques), do about turns, left and right turns, move at a normal, slow and fast pace.
- Heel with the dog on loose leash or off-leash, Heel in a Figure 8 pattern, and to perform some "Rally doodles" such as spiral left, spiral right, circle right, circle left.
- Maintain a Sit/Stay, Down/Stay and Stand/Stay off leash for a specified time.
- Come when called off-leash with some degree of distraction from a distance greater than 20 ft.
Obedience 3
Obedience 3 is an 8 week course designed for dogs and their handlers who have completed Obedience 2 or equivalent training. It is intended for those handlers who wish to continue in improving fluency in handler-dog teamwork. Obedience 3 provides opportunity for experienced handlers to work in a more formal Obedience ring environment. Entry to this class requires the ability to perform the class accomplishments of the Obedience 2 Class (above).
At the completion of Obedience 3 class the human/dog team should be able to:
- Complete a qualifying AKC Novice routine.
- Complete a 10 exercise Rally-O Novice course.
Teams completing Obedience 3 class may elect to take the "Ready for Ring" Novice class, which is specific preparation for participation in AKC Obedience trials.
Rally
Rally-O is a fun obedience activity that combines elements of obedience and agility, with an emphasis on teamwork between dog and handler.
Rally Novice Level 1 : In this 8 week class you will become familiar with all the novice level Rally actions, practice on a variety of Rally courses, and gain the skills to be able to pass a Rally Novice trial. The teaching method is positive reinforcement using a clicker and or marker word. To take this class your dog must be able to sit, down, and do a short stay.
Rally Novice Level 2: In this 8 week class, there is more emphasis on novice handler's course work. A continuation course from Novice Level 1. Less clicker work, and more course handling, focusing on traps and typical course tricks to work through at trials.
For these classes you will need: a flat buckle collar or a slip collar and a 4-ft or 6-ft lead (no flexi leads, please), a clicker, a treat bag full treats (bring lots and lots, more than you think you need), and comfortable shoes (you're going to do some walking!). Maximum class size is 8 dogs/handlers.
Courses geared towards participation in AKC obedience events
For information about competing in AKC obedience, see the AKC Getting Started Series: Getting Started in Obedience and Tracking.
For answers to frequently asked questions about obedience trials, visit Cindy Tittle Moore's Obedience Trials FAQ.
Novice Ready for Ring
Ready for Ring Novice is an 8-week class for dogs and their handlers who have completed Obedience 3 (Advanced Novice) or equivalent training with approval of the instructor. This training class is preparation for AKC Obedience trials. It is for handlers with their dogs who intend to compete in the Novice Obedience class and earn a CD title. It also provides opportunity for experience handlers to work in the Trial Obedience ring environment. Class participants will work individually with an instructor on on-leash and off-leash exercises and in small groups with an instructor for Figure 8, Recall and stationary (stand, sit, down) exercises. Novice Ready for Ring is offered the first session every year and/or on demand thereafter if a group of 8 or 10 teams can be formed.
To enter the Ready for Ring class the handler should have an established Attention technique and be able to:
- Heel with the dog on loose leash to off-leash, do about turns, left and right turns, move at a normal, slow and fast pace. While heeling and given the command to Halt, the dog will do an automatic sit in the heel position.
- Heel with the dog on loose leash through the Figure 8 exercise.
- Have the dog maintain a Stand/Stay off-leash, handler a specified distance from the dog and have an instructor, assistant instructor or a class participant examine the dog.
- Have the dog come when called off-leash with some degree of distraction from a distance greater than 30 ft.
- Have the dog maintain a Sit/Stay and Down/Stay off leash with a group of dogs in line for a specified time.
- Exit from Ready for Ring Novice the handler can:
- Complete a qualifying AKC Novice routine.
Open & Utility Obedience
Open / Utility class is structured for dog and handler teams preparing for the upper levels of AKC (or comparable) obedience competition. Teams will be working at different levels on many exercises. Class content will vary according to the individual needs of each dog and handler.
Competition Novice / Beginning Open is for dogs that will eventually go on to compete in obedience trials with AKC or other organizations. Dogs can begin to learn the necessary skills for advanced classes while preparing to compete at the Novice level.
Obedience Run-Thrus
Does your team both need competition routine practice? Obedience run-thrus are intended as a training aid for handlers and their dogs in Novice, Open, or Utility classes. No scoring will be done; however, the practice judge will make helpful suggestions on your performance if you wish.
Run-thrus are held the 4th Thursday of the month, excluding November and December. Registration starts at 6:00 pm; enter any class you wish.
Last modified:
December 10, 2006
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WI 53532 (at Hwy. 51 and I-90 intersection)
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