Classes Offered At Top Dog*

PET TRAINING:

Puppy Kindergarten: For puppies eight weeks to five months of age. Don't believe the old cliche which advises waiting until your dog is six months or a year old before starting to train him! Doing so will only lead to a young adult dog with unstructured behavior and many problems which could have been avoided. By starting your puppy early, you will establish proper behavior right from the start. In this class, puppies are taught to walk on a leash, sit, come, down, stand, and stay. They will also learn to socialize with one another, an important but often neglected part of proper canine development. This class makes the puppy's first introduction to obedience training non-stressful and fun. Housebreaking and problem behaviors also will be addressed.

Beginners: For dogs over five months of age with no formal training. This class will cover controlled walking and the sit, down, stay, and come commands, as well as dealing with common problem behaviors.

Advanced Beginners: For graduates of the Beginners class. This class will further enhance the relationship between dog and owner. The dog's response to commands will become more consistent and reliable, and the training will build up to off-leash recalls and stays. Dog and owner will learn the necessary skills to pass the AKC's Canine Good Citizen test, which is offered periodically at Top Dog.

Off-Leash Obedience: For graduates of the Advanced Beginners class. This class focuses on obtaining off-leash control of the dog using the controlled walking, recall, and stay skills which are taught in the Beginners and Advanced Beginners classes.

Pet Tricks: This class is a fun addition to your dog's training. It teaches a variety of tricks using motivational methods including clicker training and shaping. It provides an entertaining break for competition obedience dogs, as well as for pet dogs. Give paw, speak, roll over, play dead, beg, crawl, wave, and twist are just some of the tricks covered. This class is typically offered every-other class session.




COMPETITION OBEDIENCE CLASSES:

Competition Puppy Class: This class is for handlers with prior competition experience.  An excellent start of puppies 8 weeks to five months of age who are destined for competition obedience. Puppies will be introduced to exercises from all levels of obedience training, including the basics of sit, down, and walking, as well as heeling, retrieving, and go outs.

Attention and Handling: This class is the foundation for the competition obedience program at Top Dog. All students planning to show their dogs for obedience titles must start here. A six week course on attention will be presented along with distance attention and attention games. Part of the class each night will be spent without the dog, working on handling and footwork (so please bring a crate or plan to leave your dog in the car for the last 15 minutes of class each week).

Novice: This class is for graduates of the Attention and Handling class. More emphasis is placed on heeling with attention. Turns and figure eights are introduced. Distance and distractions are increased for recalls and sit and down stays in preparation for off-leash work. Hand signals, the stand, and fronts and finishes are taught.

Open: This is an advanced class in competition obedience. It will cover such exercises as the retrieve on flat, retrieve over the high jump, the drop on recall, and the broad jump, command disccrinination as well as heeling and figure 8 and the Stand Stay/Get Your Leash exercise. 

Utility: In this class we will cover the signal exercise, scent discrimination, the directed retrieve, moving stand, and directed jumping.

RALLY CLASSES:

Rally Novice/Advanced: This class is for those looking to learn AKC Rally or are ready to compete at the Advance/intermediate level.  We will cover Rally rules and the Novice and Advanced signs.  It is recommended that students complete the Attention and Handling class prior to taking this class, but any dog who has completed at least the Advanced Beginners or Off Leash class may attend.  Rally is a fun way to begin competing with your dog!

AGILITY CLASSES

Agility consists of many obstacles that dogs are taught to negotiate safely. Obstacles include a tire jump, A-frame, dog walk, seesaw, weave poles, and a pause table. Agility class is offered to dogs who have had off-lead training or have attended a Beginners obedience class. There are three class levels that are offered:

Beginners -- In the beginners class you will focus on obstacle performance and basic handling techniques. Beginners is for dogs and owners who are just starting out in the sport of Agility. The dogs are introduced to individual obstacles which instills confidence and develops proper technique.

Advanced Beginners -- In this class the students will continue to work on obstacle focus and handling techniques, as well as contact work and weave poles.

Intermediate -- In the Intermediate class you will start to apply obstacle performance and handling techniques into sequences.

Advanced is for owners and dogs who have completed Intermediate Agility. In the advanced class the focus will be on coursework. Understanding and choosing handling options, reinforcing and building upon basic skills, more advanced handling techniques, and more advanced course options.