Obedience & Manners classes

Puppy Kindergarten

Social etiquette and first manners for young puppies, in a relaxed, encouraging class where puppies learn quickly.

Skills you will work on

• Social etiquette around other puppies and people
• Basic manners and first cues
• A weekly health or behavior topic — house training, chewing, digging, nutrition and more

How it is taught

All OTC classes are taught by team members using positive methods and AKC guidelines. Instruction is led by volunteer team instructors. OTC guidelines require the lead instructor in each class to have trained and shown a dog to an appropriate AKC title before instructing.

Next step after this class: Beginner Obedience

Questions about this class

Beginner Obedience

The basic pet manners class and the gateway to everything else OTC offers — heel on leash, sit, down, stay, stand for examination and a reliable recall.

Skills you will work on

• Heel on leash, sit, down, stay and stand for examination
• Coming when called
• Preventing jumping, chewing and digging, and handling an excitable dog
• A common health issue addressed each week

How it is taught

All OTC classes are taught by team members using positive methods and AKC guidelines. Instruction is led by volunteer team instructors. OTC guidelines require the lead instructor in each class to have trained and shown a dog to an appropriate AKC title before instructing.

Next step after this class: Advanced Obedience

Questions about this class

Advanced Obedience

Builds on Beginner Obedience and introduces Rally Obedience, a popular sport that rewards dog-and-handler teamwork.

Skills you will work on

• Continued work on the Beginner Obedience exercises
• An introduction to Rally Obedience

How it is taught

All OTC classes are taught by team members using positive methods and AKC guidelines. Instruction is led by volunteer team instructors. OTC guidelines require the lead instructor in each class to have trained and shown a dog to an appropriate AKC title before instructing.

Next step after this class: Level II Dog Obedience

Questions about this class

Level II Dog Obedience

A progression of Advanced Obedience with more attention work and off-leash handling.

Skills you will work on

• Attention exercises
• Off-leash heeling
• Recalls, sit-stays and down-stays

How it is taught

All OTC classes are taught by team members using positive methods and AKC guidelines. Instruction is led by volunteer team instructors. OTC guidelines require the lead instructor in each class to have trained and shown a dog to an appropriate AKC title before instructing.

Next step after this class: Rally Obedience

Rally Obedience

An interactive sport that strings obedience exercises into agility-style courses — less stressful than formal obedience, less frantic than agility.

Skills you will work on

• Reading and running a rally course
• Handler and dog teamwork between stations
• Obedience exercises applied in sequence

How it is taught

All OTC classes are taught by team members using positive methods and AKC guidelines. Instruction is led by volunteer team instructors. OTC guidelines require the lead instructor in each class to have trained and shown a dog to an appropriate AKC title before instructing.