Training Resources, and Sports Information
Dogs love spending time with their people, and one of the best ways you can spend time with them is to train with them. Training helps teach them to be successful, happy members of your household and the world around them. Puppies often have tons of energy, and while play is great for the body, training also helps burn off some of that energy by working their mind! We suggest that all of our puppy owners attend a weekly puppy class in basic manners, obedience or conformation beginning after their final set of shots.
Whether traning is for basic behavior in your house, to help your family get involved with the dogs (kids and grandkids love to teach tricks and skills too!) or you want to compete with your dog in dog sports, we’re always here as a resource.
Online basic training and enrichment resources:
Free Online Puppy Raising Class!
Online Puppy Training Reddit Community - r/puppy101
Trick Training, Canine Good Citizen and More!
Virtual Home Manners - Done via video!
Virtual Home Manners is a new AKC title that people can do with their pets. It involves basic home training and there are two categories for puppies and adults.
- Virtual Home Manners skills checklist
- Videos can be submitted directly to AKC at cgcinfo@akc.org
AKC Trick Titles - Can be submitted by video!
AKC Trick titles are a great way to get the family involved in dog training! Check out the trick list, train your chosen tricks, take a video and submit to a CGC evaluator.
- Trick List for Novice Trick Title
- For a list of instructors who can review virtual video submissions, email: CGC@AKC.ORG
Canine Good Citizen - The Canine Good Citizen test is something that early training and manners classes will often work towards being prepared for. Dogs that are able to pass this test and get the Canine Good Citizen title are able to calmly and happily be out in public places like dog friendly shops and parks.
Sports and Advanced Training!
There are more ways to get out and have fun with your dog than ever before! No matter your interest or new family member’s favorite thing to do, there’s a sport for that! Here are some of the most popular:
FastCAT - A timed 100 meter dash! Your dog runs alone after a lure, and you can find out how fast they really are.
Scent Work - The sport of Scent Work celebrates the joy of sniffing, and asks a dog to sniff to their heart’s content; turning your dog’s favorite activity into a rewarding game.
Barn Hunt - Dogs and their handlers work as a team to locate and mark rats (which are always safely held in aerated tubes) hidden in a maze of straw or hay bales.
Dock Diving - Diving Dogs is a fun, exciting but easy to do sport with simple rules: You throw your dog’s favorite toy into a pool while he waits on a dock. On your command, he runs along the dock, flings himself off the end of it, lands in the water and grabs his toy.
Rally-Obedience - Is an obedience based sport where the course and commands change every time! Video example here! Rally titles can be done virtually!
Agility - Dog agility is a sport where you direct your dog through a pre-set obstacle course within a certain time limit.
And many more things that dogs can be trained in and compete in (Truffle Hunting, Tracking, Competitive Obedience, Dog Dance/Musical Freestyle, just to name a few!).
During the COVID Pandemic it has been difficult to find sport and obedience training classes to attend in person, if you’re struggling to find a class but interested in a sport let us know and we may be able to help. Another resource is Fenzi Dog Academy which offers obedience, rally, scent work etc etc classes online!
For kids, grandkids and family - Most of the sports above allow children to compete as well as adults! There are also some specific dog programs designed for children and teens.