NYOC is a not-for-profit dog training club. We offer training classes for all breeds and at various levels of ability. It is not necessary for you to be a club member in order to take any of our classes.
Classes are once a week for 8 sessions and cost $195 unless stated otherwise.
Please read the following descriptions carefully so that you register at the appropriate level.
Puppy Kindergarten
Get things off to a great start with our Puppy Kindergarten Class. This class is for puppies between eight and fifteen weeks of age at the beginning of the session.
The Goals of Puppy Kindergarten
- To Introduce your puppy to new environments, novel objects and environmental stimuli in a safe environment to reduce the possibility of your pup developing fear-based behaviours
- To get your puppy comfortable with and accustomed to interacting with other dogs, big and small, shy and bold and help you learn to read dog’s body language so you can identify safe and unsafe dog to dog interaction.
- To introduce your puppy to and be handled by unfamiliar people, to prepare them for everything from children rushing to see them and visits to the vet.
- To teach you how to get and maintain your dog’s attention, so that you can clearly communicate your expectations to the dog; this gives the dog the best opportunity to succeed at learning desired behaviours
Beginners 1
People taking this class want to have a well-mannered and obedient dog that will be welcome in most situations.
Basic obedience exercises are taught including sit, down, stay, heeling on leash, and coming when called. Minor distractions are used to ensure success. Class discussions include how to use praise effectively, choice of collars, and lots more.
The key behaviours taught in this class are:
- Paying attention
- Loose leash walking
- Introduction to basic recall
- Sit when asked
- Down when asked
- Gently accepting praise, rewards, and treats from handler and family.
Beginners 2
Building on skills taught in our Beginners 1 class, this class is designed for those who want to continue bonding with their dog through training, as well as handlers who are interested in building a solid foundation for competition obedience and/or other dog sports.
The course is structured around the needs of those in the class. Fun, motivational exercises are used throughout. Specific skills include:
- a continued emphasis on teaching dogs to focus on their handlers, even with distractions
- solid loose-leash walking and an introduction to precision heeling
- teaching dogs to continue to work well in the absence of obvious food lures and constant treats
In addition to the above, the Spring session of this class also includes the exercises required for the Canine Good Neighbour (CGN) test, as offered by the Canadian Kennel Club.
Obedience 102
Rally Obedience Beginner’s Class*
Our Rally Obedience Class is an exciting way for you and your dog to learn to work effectively as a team while refining and enhancing skills learned in previous classes,
In Rally Obedience, you and your dog negotiate a course consisting of signs that instruct you to do various things such as sit and stay or weaving through pylons. Each week you will learn new skills or reinforce existing ones while enhancing the teamwork between you and your canine partner. You and your dog will have so much fun you might even want to enter our rally obedience trial in June.
*Prerequisite: Successful completion of Beginner’s II or equivalent. Dogs should be able to heel on a loose leash.
Rally Obedience Advanced Class *
Like Rally Obedience Beginner, this class asks you and your dog to negotiate a course. This class will use beginner signs as well as intermediate, advanced and excellent signs. For instance, the class will include jumps and use signs that are such as Halt – 90° Pivot Right- Halt, and figure 8s with toys as distractions. There will also be opportunities for dogs and handlers to try the course off-leash as they would do for Rally Advanced and Excellent trials. Even if you never enter a trial, this class is a great way to interact with your dog and learn some fun moves that you can demonstrate to family and friends..
* Prerequisite: dogs and handlers must have earned a Rally Novice title or a Companion Dog Obedience title.
Trial Preparation*
The purpose of this class is to prepare you and your dog to compete at the CD level in an obedience trial.
Key elements will include:
- Precision heeling on and off-leash
- Motivated recalls with a formal finish
- Preventing handler errors
- Sit stay for at least 1 minute with distractions
- Down stay for at least 3 minutes with distractions
People who have never trialled before will be given information on how to enter, participate and succeed in a trial. Helpful hints pertaining to the trial such as warm up exercises, calming and motivating your dog will be covered. The instructor will also share her experience triallng at all levels in obedience.
* Participants should have a strong interest in competing in obedience trials.