Classes
Puppy Kindergarten
Prerequisite: puppies 8 weeks up to 5 months old. Discover that your pup can become a welcome addition to your family and not a disaster waiting to happen. Puppies are like sponges, they will soak up both good and bad behaviors. We will teach you how to train your dog to learn good behaviors before the bad ones become deeply ingrained: come, sit, down, stay, leave it, loose leash walking, and to stop jumping up on you and your visitors. You will learn how to relate to, and develop a positive connection, with your pup to help you maintain a happy, healthy member of your family. Part of every class will also be spent socializing the puppies with other class members and pups. Puppies can graduate into Level 1 or Manners, depending on instructor recommendation.
Manners
Prerequisite: Age 5 months and up. This class is for rescues, older dogs with no training, dogs with special needs. Focus on the handler dog relationship and how human/ canine interactions can affect dog behavior. Leadership skills will be taught through a basic understanding of dog psychology, communication, and confidence building. Basic obedience, house manners, and socialization will be addressed, as well as, how to establish and set rules, boundaries, and limitations. Class content may vary according to the needs of the participants. Whether the dog is a rescue or has been with the family from puppy-hood, Manners Class sets the foundation for having a life-long companion.
Beyond Manners
Prerequisite: Level 1 or Manners. The CGC ( AKC’s Canine Good Citizen) test is given at the end of each session for those students who are interested. You will be taught to fine-tune your dog’s good behavior and good points. You will be taught to recognize unwanted behavior and learn how to change it. The primary focus in this class is to concentrate on the ten behaviors necessary to earn the Canine Good Citizen title.
Level One Obedience
Prerequisite: Age 5 months and up. This is our basic, fundamental dog training class. The primary focus of this class is to build a good relationship with you and your dog. You will learn how to relate to and train your dog to sit, stay, come when called, leave it, walk nicely, pay attention to you, and to behave correctly when out in public. The goal is to build a strong relationship between handler and dog.
Level Two Obedience
Prerequisite: Level 1. This class is a continuation of the fundamental lessons learned in Level 1. You will learn how to teach your dog more advanced behaviors that can be beneficial for a future therapy dog, performance dog, or just a more, well-rounded member of your family. Better attention, better heeling, longer stays, distraction training, footwork for performance/competition, stands, better recalls, and off lead work are the primary focus, and toward the end of the session recalls over a jump are introduced.
Level Three Obedience
Prerequisite: Level 2, or permission from the instructor. Level Three is for experienced dog and handler teams who want to compete in obedience trials. Instruction will be given from Beginner through Open levels of competition. Exercises in AKC, UKC, CDSP, and C-Wags registries are introduced and practiced. Dog and handler teams must have a strong working relationship, reliable stays, and good off leash manners to enter this class. You and your dog will learn how to work through distractions so there is more focus on attention. And there is also a lot of off-lead work, precision heeling, more footwork, and training of long sit, stand, and down stays. In addition, you will learn how to teach your dog how to retrieve and hold a dumb bell, and learn competition obedience jumping.
Agility
Dogs must be at least one year old, have a reliable recall and stay and have passed Level One obedience. Handlers Must arrive 15 minutes before class to help set up and stay after class until all equipment is put away. We offer Beginning, Intermediate, and Advanced Agility. Teams will learn how to use the agility equipment safely and how to send the dogs through a course. You can do this for fun or with a goal of entering agility trials in a number of different venues.
Rally
Prerequisite: Level 2 OR an existing Rally title(s) on the dog. This class is designed for handlers and their dogs who want to actively compete in the sport of Rally. The handler and dog complete a course designed by a rally judge. The course consists of multiple “exercises” each designated with a Rally sign. The judge tells the handler to begin and the dog and handler team move continuously through the course at a brisk but normal pace, with the dog on the left side of the handler. You will learn the signs and how to execute them with your dog. Practice courses will be set up in every class so you become familiar with what is required to compete. This is a fun and fast-paced class.
Breed Handling
OTCH offers a Drop in Breed Handling class. The drop in Breed Handling Class is more informal, because students choose to attend on a week-by-week basis. This class is very good for socializing dogs in a show-like environment with other dogs and having an unfamiliar individual going over them.
Intro to Canine Musical Freestyle
Like music? Love to dance? Why not put all these together! Canine musical freestyle combines music, your dog's tricks and obedience skills into choreographed routines designed by the owner and performed by both dog and owner. It's great fun for any dog, young or old, big or small. A great way to bond with your dog and even us with 2 left feet can do it. Join the instructors from the Steppin' Woofs to learn how to teach your dog clever moves and cute tricks, pick music that suits you and your dog, and more. It's great fun!
Scent Class
This class allows your dog to use his most powerful sense – smell. Your dog will be taught to recognize and find birch, cypress, clove bud, anise. You will be taught to recognize your dog’s cue to you that he has found the scent, which can be hidden in a box, container, anywhere in the room. This can be a stepping stone for you to enter trials and earn titles in scent work.
Tricks Class
AKC Tricks classes will provide a variety of tricks that will enable you and your dog to be the life of any party! These AKC sanctioned tricks taught in the Novice, Intermediate, and Advanced classes can earn prestigious AKC titles of TKN (Novice), TKI (Intermediate), and TKA (Advanced). Come out and join the fun!