OBEDIENCE AT  KEYSTONE  CANINE  TRAINING  CLUB

WHAT IS OBEDIENCE TRAINING? – Obedience training is a fundamental tool to train your dog to obey your commands with words, hand signals or both.  A well-trained dog is a well-behaved family member, and a welcome member of the community.

HOW DO WE TEACH OBEDIENCE TRAINING AT KCTC?  -  Our programs teaches the handlers how to train their dogs utilizing positive reinforcement.  Positive reinforcement is a method of training in which dogs are rewarded for choosing to do a desired behavior.  Positive reinforcement helps to build confidence in dogs and reinforce the leadership role of the handler.  We do not believe in harsh corrections or punishment.

WHAT CLASSES DOES KCTC OFFER? – The KCTC Obedience Training Program consists of:

	Puppy Basic Obedience (for puppies 7-12 months of age)
	Basic Obedience (for dogs 1 year and over)
	Basic II Obedience
	Canine Good Citizen (CGC)
	Novice Obedience
	Rally Obedience

OBEDIENCE TRAINING EXPLAINED - KCTC teaches you the basic obedience skills including:  attention, sit, down, stand, stay, come, heel, leave it (disregard food distractions), and off (no jumping).  From that point you can continue to polish your dog’s skills and learn more advanced obedience techniques in our Basic II and Novice classes.  You can also take our Canine Good Citizen (CGC) class.  CGC is an American Kennel Club (AKC) certification program that is designed to reward dogs who have good manners at home and in the community. CGC 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 AKC.  Our Novice Obedience class is designed to ready both dog and handler for obedience competition.  Our Rally Obedience Class is a fun and innovative way to complete various obedience exercises solely by following signs. 

WHY SHOULD I TRAIN MY DOG AT KEYSTONE CANINE TRAINING CLUB? - Attending classes at our club gives you the benefit of helping and learning from one another.  Our instructing staff has the experience of working with dogs of all breeds (including mixed breeds), ages and temperaments (including puppies, adolescents and seniors), dogs with physical limitations, feisty dogs and shy dogs.  Our instructors have earned various AKC obedience titles, and have competed in many levels of competition.  All of our graduates have benefited from training using our positive reinforcement method and are more aware of their dog’s needs.  The joy and pride that you get from having a well behaved dog is beyond words!   

AKC OBEDIENCE INFO

Levels of Competition

There are three levels of competition in obedience:

NOVICE - For the dog just getting started in obedience. Exercises include:

	Heel on Leash and Figure Eight
	Heel Free
	Stand for Examination
	Recall
	Long Sit (1 minute)
	Long Down (3 minutes)

OPEN - The second level includes more complicated exercises, which teach the dog to do a variety of tasks and to follow commands either by voice or signal. Exercises include:

	Heel Free and Figure Eight
	Drop on Recall
	Retrieve on Flat
	Retrieve Over High Jump
	Broad Jump
	Long Sit (3 minutes)
	Long Down (5 minutes)

UTILITY - The third and highest level of obedience competition. Exercises include:

	Signal Exercise
	Scent Discrimination
	Directed Retrieve
	Moving Stand and Examination
	Directed Jumping

Qualifying Score

A dog receives a qualifying score when it earns more than 50 percent of the points for each exercise, with a total of at least 170 points. A perfect score in any class is 200.

Obedience Titles

AKC titles can only be earned at an AKC-licensed or member club trial. The Novice (CD) title must be completed before an exhibitor can enter the Open class. The Open title (CDX) must be earned before an exhibitor can enter the Utility class.

	Companion Dog (CD)
	Companion Dog Excellent (CDX)
	Utility Dog (UD)
	Utility Dog Excellent (UDX
	Obedience Trial Champion (OTCH)
	National Obedience Champion (NOC)

SEE WWW.AKC.ORG FOR MORE INFORMATION.