We would like the opportunity to teach you to train your dog. Once you have lived with a trained dog, you will never be without one.

Between us, we share many years of competitive dog showing and training and have conducted our classes of basic pet control for the general public since 1977. We are both endorsed by the National Association of Dog Obedience Instructors and carry credentials from that organization for puppy training through Utility.

For the interested dog owner, we also are authorized to do AKC Canine Good Citizen (CGC) evaluations and for the puppy owner of a six months to one year old puppy, we are authorized to perform evaluations for the AKC S.T.A.R. Puppy Program. The AKC S.T.A.R. Puppy is a program designed to get dog owners and their puppies off to a good start. The AKC S.T.A.R. Puppy Program is an incentive program for dog owners who have taken the time to take their puppies through a basic training class.

We have conducted dog training classes for many of the leading dog organizations in the area including Columbus All-Breed Training Club, Central Ohio Dachshund Club and the Mid-Ohio Chapter of the Owner Handler Association.

Although the majority of our classes consist of basic pet control training for the family dog, we also offer private training for those people who have "special" problems or those who wish to go into competitive showing.

Our classes consist of approximately eight dogs and handlers with two instructors per class. If you are familiar with the typical class held locally, you will recognize the extremely high teacher/student ratio. This allows the personal time which is required, yet promotes the socialization which is also important.

We are, what is termed "soft" trainers, using lots of food and lots of praise as positive motivation and, because of our methods, have had considerable success with puppies as young as twelve weeks in our classes. We make every effort to encourage those young puppy owners to enroll as early as possible. We have also had dogs as old as thirteen years in those same classes. We do not offer "puppy" classes as some do because it has been our experience that the puppies can and will learn in the same environment as the older dogs and, in some cases, learn quicker. Puppies are, however, treated a little differently than the older dogs.

The classes include heeling, or controlled walking at the left side with an automatic sit when the handler stops, a sit, stand, and a lay down on command with a "stay" in each of those positions, and probably the most important, a recall or "come when you call". We also discuss those "personal problems" such as jumping on people, stealing from counters, etc.

Classes are held for about one hour each week for eight weeks.

Classes are held several evenings each week.

 

 

On a separate schedule, we mentor those enthusiasts that are interested in competing in "traditional" obedience competition.

These sessions are usually available on a private basis and conducted at the beginner, or Novice level, intermediate, or Open level, up to the advanced or Utility level.

 

We have had considerable success in this venture with many of our students attaining obedience titles of various levels over a large geographic area.