*Obedience Classes

The following is a list of Obedience Classes offered by the Wichita Dog Training Club. People often wonder which classes to take. WDTC suggest that all puppies under one year of age to take AKC S.T.A.R. Puppy class first. After that it depends on a lot of factors. Please talk to the Obedience Registar for helpful suggestions and if necessary she will refer you to the Obedience Director for more help.

AKC S.T.A.R. Puppy

The AKC S.T.A.R. Puppy^sm is an exciting new program designed to get dog owners and their puppies off to a positive start while building the foundation for responsible care and ownership. The AKC S.T.A.R. Puppy^sm Program is an incentive program for loving dog owners who have taken the time to take their puppies through a basic training class. Training classes teach you how to best communicate with your puppy. Organized training classes also provide an opportunity for your dog to socialize with other dogs. In classes aimed at earning the AKC S.T.A.R. Puppy distinction, you’ll be able to get information on all of your puppy-raising questions including housetraining, chewing, and the most effective way to teach practical skills such as coming when called. AKC S.T.A.R. Puppy training is a natural lead in to the AKC^® Canine Good Citizen^® Program.  When you complete a basic training class (taught by an AKC Approved CGC Evaluator) with your puppy (up to 1 year old) your puppy is eligible to be enrolled in the AKC S.T.A.R. Puppy Program. Please refer to the AKC Website (http://www.akc.org/events/cgc/ ) for more information.

AKC Canine Good Citizen/Therapy Dog International Preparation

The CGC Program is designed to reward dogs who have good manners at home and in the community. The Canine Good Citizen Program is a two-part program that stresses responsible pet ownership for owners and basic good manners for dogs. All dogs who pass the 10-step CGC test may receive a certificate from the American Kennel Club.

Many dog owners choose Canine Good Citizen training as the first step in training their dogs. The Canine Good Citizen Program lays the foundation for other AKC activities such as obedience, agility, tracking, and performance events. As you work with your dog to teach the CGC skills, you'll discover the many benefits and joys of training your dog. Training will enhance the bond between you and your dog. Dogs who have a solid obedience education are a joy to live with-they respond well to household routines, have good manners in the presence of people and other dogs, and they fully enjoy the company of the owner who took the time to provide training, intellectual stimulation, and a high quality life. We sincerely hope that CGC will be only a beginning for you and your dog and that after passing the CGC test, you'll continue training in obedience, agility, tracking, or performance events.

This class requires graduation from the Basic Obedience class or AKC STAR Puppy class or certification by the lead instructor.  It expands on the basic exercises, with the handlers improving their control over their dogs.  All dogs that take this class will have the chance to take the Canine Good Citizen exam at the end of class and/or participate in the Therapy Dogs International exams - given by the Wichita Dog Training Club approximately 4 times per year.  Scheduled TDI visits are arranged by WDTC members throughout the year.  For more information on pet therapy visits, contact WDTC at 832-1952.

Basic Obedience

This class is for dogs at least 18 weeks of age.  We emphasize control on lead – which includes walking on a loose leash, coming when called, wait a 1 minute sit and/or down, and the leave it command. A test is required to pass this test, since Basic Obedience is a prerequisite to our more advanced classes.

Intermediate

This class requires graduation from the Canine Good Citizen class or Basic Obedience, or certification by the lead instructor. Focus is on the core skills of heeling, recall, stays, front, and finish with a concentration on attention work. This class “formalizes” the training taught in Basic Obedience and Canine Good Citizen Class and starts to prepare the team for competition obedience training.

Competition Obedience

This class requires graduation from the Canine Good Citizen class or Basic Obedience, or certification by the lead instructor.  It is designed for people wanting to compete in AKC Obedience Trials. It is intended to teach the necessary obedience exercises on an individual basis.  We will cover such items as attention, footwork, distraction, go outs, signals, articles, distraction and problem solving.  Main emphasis will be attention, go outs and articles.  

Competitive Retrieve

This class requires graduation from the Canine Good Citizen class or Basic Obedience, or certification by the lead instructor. It is designed for people wanting to compete in AKC Obedience Trials. It is intended to teach the necessary obedience exercises on an individual basis.  We will cover such items as retrieve, broad jump, drop, distraction and problem solving.  Main emphasis will be retrieve training. 

Rally Obedience

Rally obedience is a less formal style of obedience.  It is performed by following numbered signs and doing the exercises asked for.  It is run on a course similar to agility.  Handlers are allowed to interact with their dogs.  This class requires graduation from the Canine Good Citizen class or Basic Obedience, or certification by the lead instructor. Dogs and handlers need to have an understanding of the basic commands such as sit, down and heel. This class will teach the rally exercises and will prepare the team for the Rally Competition.  This style emphasizes fun and excitement for the dog, handler and spectator. 

Beginner Novice Class

The Beginner Novice class is an optional titling class that may be offered by clubs at AKC Obedience Events. This obedience class prepares the handler and dog to compete in this class at an AKC Obedience Trial. This class requires graduation from the Canine Good Citizen class or Basic Obedience, or certification by the lead instructor.