Established 1960
Most spring classes are full and are about to get under way.
Summer classes will begin in late June. If you wish to receive an email notification when the new schedule is published (in May), contact the Registrar. All current students and waitlistees will be notified automatically.
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Only one dog per household per Puppy, Pre-Basic, or Basic class. Owners with multiple dogs must enroll them in separate classes.
Students in Puppy, Pre-Basic, and Basic must bring proof of the dog's age-appropriate vaccinations to the first class.
For puppies that will be between 12 and 20 weeks of age on the first day. The class is based on the AKC STAR program, the puppy level of the Canine Good Citizen program. To qualify for the STAR certificate, students must attend at least 6 of the scheduled class meetings. Puppies must have received at least the 2nd DAP shot by the start of class. Limit 6-8.
PREREQUISITE: None! Just follow the age and vaccination guidelines above. Students must bring proof of puppy's vaccination (2nd DAP at a minimum) to the first class.
MEETINGS: 8 meetings, 45 minutes
PRICE: SOTC members $72 or 8 points, non-members $104
For older puppies 5-14 months of age. Appropriate both for those who have taken our Puppy class, and for those new to our program and too old for Puppy class. Designed for the older puppy to introduce basic obedience commands while recognizing the special needs of the younger dog. Limit 6.
PREREQUISITE: None! Just follow the age guidelines above. Students must bring proof of vaccination (DAP and, if dog is old enough, rabies) to the first class.
MEETINGS: 8 meetings, 45 minutes
PRICE: SOTC members $72 or 8 points, non-members $104
For those continuing from Pre-Basic or new to obedience with an older dog (14 months of age and up). Includes walking under control on leash and development of basic obedience commands, including come, sit, down and stay. Limit 6.
PREREQUISITE: None! Just follow the age guidelines above. Students must bring proof of vaccination (DAP and rabies) to the first class.
MEETINGS: 8 meetings, 45 minutes
PRICE: SOTC members $72 or 8 points, non-members $104
Introduction to on-lead heeling, off-lead recalls, and stays; continued work on basic obedience skills. Limit 6-8.
PREREQUISITE: SOTC Basic graduate or permission
MEETINGS: 8 meetings, 45 minutes
PRICE: SOTC members $72 or 8 points, non-members $104
Teaching you how to train your dog to be a Canine Good Citizen as defined by the AKC. At the last class meeting you will be able to take the AKC test for CGC certification. Limit 6.
PREREQUISITE: SOTC Basic graduate or permission
MEETINGS: 6 meetings, 45 minutes
PRICE: SOTC members $54 or 6 points, non-members $78
For those wishing to take the CGC test without the prep class. Limit 5.
PRICE: $10 (member or non-member)
Preparation for the AKC Community Canine test “CGCA” (Advanced CGC). Handlers should be prepared to practice skills offsite. Limit 8.
PREREQUISITE: Dogs must have earned their AKC CGC and be current on those skills before the start date. Proof of CGC required.
MEETINGS: 5 meetings, 60 minutes. Will meet on 3/29, 4/5, 4/19, & 5/3, with testing to be held offsite the weekend of 5/5 (exact time and date TBD).
PRICE: SOTC members $45 or 5 points, non-members $60
Come learn some tricks your dog does not know! Possibilities are many, and participants are welcome to request particular tricks. Each week at least one new trick will be introduced, and we will review and advance on the prior week’s tricks. Among the tricks we can consider are: shake, high five, circle around you forward or backward, spin in front or on the side of you, go around a cone, get in a box, put front feet on a pad and stand facing you (good for lots of kinds of training), circle around a pedestal while front feet stay on the pedestal (excellent for rear end awareness and keeping butt in for heeling), roll over, play dead, get on a platform, shake, high five, jump over a bar, kiss, touch fist or target stick, bow, figure of 8 through legs, weave through your legs as you walk. Limit 5.
You will need some low-cost (or no-cost) equipment, such as a cardboard box big enough for your dog to stand in with the sides cut down low (one-quarter to one-third the dog’s leg length). It would also be useful for you to have a clicker: a small hand-held device used to mark a precise point where your dog is doing what you want. Clickers are available at pet supply stores or from chewy.com and amazon.com. Use of a clicker is not required, but the instructor highly recommends that you at least experiment with one.
PREREQUISITE: SOTC Basic grad or permission. Students must have basic control of their dogs. No dog-reactive or food-aggressive dogs (there will be some throwing of treats, and some of the dogs will be moving fast).
MEETINGS: 4 meetings, 45 minutes
PRICE: SOTC members $36 or 4 points, non-members $52
This class will teach the basics: retrieving a tennis ball; coming back with the ball; going over jumps to get the ball; doing a swimmers turn off the flyball box while catching; and doing all of this while running fast. Limit 6.
PREREQUISITE: SOTC Basic graduate or permission. Handlers must have basic control of the dog. Dogs should be at least 1 year old. No people- or dog-aggression.
MEETINGS: 6 meetings, 45 minutes
PRICE: SOTC members $54 or 6 points, non-members $78
Drop in class for training dog and handler for the conformation (breed) ring. If appropriate for class make-up, breed standards, conformation rules, grooming of dog and handler will be discussed.
PREREQUISITE: None! Dogs should be at least 12 weeks of age and should have received age-appropriate vaccinations.
MEETINGS: 6 meetings, 45 minutes
PRICE: SOTC members $9 or 1 point, non-members $13 (per drop-in, pay as you go -- checks, exact change, or click HERE to pay on-line with a credit card)
TO REGISTER: To reserve a spot for a particular meeting and to confirm that class will be held, email the instructor via the link below
Rally students must crate their dogs while they walk the course. Non-members may use a guest crate, if available, or bring their own crate each time and carry it out after class.
An introduction to AKC Rally, with an emphasis on learning the signs and how to run a smooth and efficient course. Students will work their way through the Rally Novice signs and will learn to walk a course. Dogs will be leashed on course. Limit 6-8.
PREREQUISITE: SOTC Basic graduate or permission. Students must crate their dogs while they walk the course.
MEETINGS: 6 meetings, 60 minutes
PRICE: SOTC members $54 or 6 points, non-members $78
Work on the Novice and Advanced signs for dogs not ready to work offlead. Limit 6-8.
PREREQUISITE: SOTC Basic graduate or permission. Dogs should have had some prior obedience training and be able to walk nicely on lead. Students must crate their dogs while they walk the course.
MEETINGS: 6 meetings, 60 minutes
PRICE: SOTC members $54 or 6 points, non-members $78
Work on the Advanced/Excellent signs. Limit 6-8.
PREREQUISITE: Dogs should be able to work off-lead. Students must crate their dogs while they walk the course.
MEETINGS: 6 meetings, 60 minutes
PRICE: SOTC members $54 or 6 points, non-members $78
Courses with instruction. Limit 6.
PREREQUISITE: RA title or permission of instructor. Students must crate their dogs while they walk the course.
MEETINGS: 6 meetings, 90 minutes
PRICE: SOTC members $54 or 6 points, non-members $78
Courses with instruction. Limit 6.
PREREQUISITE: RE title; or RN and CD; or permission of instructor. Students must crate their dogs while they walk the course.
MEETINGS: 6 meetings, 90 minutes Monday class, 60 minutes Tuesday class
PRICE: SOTC members $54 or 6 points, non-members $78
Rally-FrEe is a relatively new sport combining the course layout of rally and the creativity and musical aspects of canine freestyle. (More information available on the Rally Freestyle Elements website.) The sport was developed to help freestyle competitors fine-tune their foundation behaviors and to create a fun activity without the pressure of designing your own routine. Not to mention it's a great next step for dogs competing at high levels of rally or obedience. Limit 6.
PREREQUISITE: Dogs should be comfortable being in a class with other dogs and with being crated for occasional course walk throughs. Handler focus and heeling or strong loose-leash walking skills required.
MEETINGS: 6 meetings, 45 minutes
PRICE: SOTC members $54 or 6 points, non-members $78
A continuation of the fall Young Dog class. Limit 6.
This is the 3rd class in a 3-class sequence. The sequence starts once a year, in the fall, with follow-on classes offered in the winter and spring sessions.
PREREQUISITE: For those who took the fall and winter classes.
MEETINGS: 6 meetings, 45 minutes
PRICE: SOTC members $54 or 6 points
A continuation of the instructor's fall 2022 Precision Heelwork class. In addition to teaching dogs how to heel in precise heel position, the class will also teach some fun exercises that will enhance the ability to perform other exercises that make use of heel position. Examples are the Stand for Exam from HP and the Finish into HP. Limit 6 dogs.
PREREQUISITE: Priority will be given to students who took the instructor's prior class, and next in line will be the auditors from that first class. Beyond that, any additional students must know how to shape behaviors, and their dogs be under control with some prior obedience training. Dogs must be crated in the ring in which the class is held.
MEETINGS: 8 meetings, 60 minutes
PRICE: SOTC members $72 or 8 points
For those familiar with the Novice exercises but not ready for competition. This class will continue work on Novice skills, including the recent changes to the CD requirements. Limit 8.
PREREQUISITE: Prior Novice class, BN/PN title, or permission. Students must have Novice skills prior to sign-up.
MEETINGS: 5 meetings (4/3, 4/10, 4/17, 5/1, 5/15), 45 minutes
PRICE: SOTC members $45 or 5 points, non-members $65
An introduction to the Open exercises. Limit 6.
PREREQUISITE:
MEETINGS: 6 meetings (4/3, 4/10, 4/17, 5/1, 5/8, 5/15), 45 minutes
PRICE: SOTC members $54 or 6 points, non-members $78
For those who have learned all the Open exercises and want to start training for Utility. Limit 6.
PREREQUISITE: Working knowledge of all the Open exercises
MEETINGS: 6 meetings (4/3, 4/10, 4/17, 5/1, 5/8, 5/15), 45 minutes
PRICE: SOTC members $54 or 6 points, non-members $78
Students should email their Open or Utility problem to Steph. This is a problem-solving class, not a class designed to teach the exercises. Handlers must already understand the Open or Utility exercise they want to troubleshoot and must already have taught their dogs the exercises. Limit 6.
MEETINGS: 6 meetings, 60 minutes
PRICE: SOTC members $54 or 6 points
Scentwork classes are held offsite, at American High (the old A.V. Zogg Middle School), 800 4th St., Liverpool.
*** IMPORTANT NOTICE ABOUT DATES *** Classes will not be held at American High for the two weeks preceding SOTC's spring scent trial, to be held at that site April 29-30. This is so the site can air out prior to the competition. If possible we will arrange another location for classes to be held on those dates (Tuesday April 18 / 25 and Thursday April 20 / 27). Otherwise those meetings will be skipped and will be made up at the end.
For dogs that have no scentwork experience or need more basic experience in foundations.
Limit 6-8.
PREREQUISITE: None! But no aggressive dogs.
MEETINGS: 6 meetings, 45 minutes
PRICE: SOTC members $79 (or 6pts + $25), non-members $104
For those who have the basics of scentwork and need more experience with different container and interior set-ups. Limit 6-8.
PREREQUISITE: Successful completion of Introduction to Scentwork or one leg earned at a Novice-level scentwork trial.
MEETINGS: 6 meetings, 45 minutes
PRICE: SOTC members $79 (or 6pts + $25), non-members $104
Handler Discrimination (HD) is the fifth of the AKC Scent Work divisions. Instead of using birch, anise, clove, or cypress, you use your own scent. At the Novice level you compete using a cotton sock or cotton glove that you have scented by wearing it somewhere on your body for a few hours (or days) ahead of time. The item is then placed in a container/box of the same kind used for regular Novice Containers. In this class we will start out with the sock/glove and after a few weeks start practicing for the Advanced level, which uses a cotton ball instead of the sock/glove.
PREREQUISITE: Prior SW experience is a plus, but not a requirement. No aggressive dogs.
MEETINGS: 6 weeks, 45 minutes
PRICE: SOTC members $79 (or 6pts + $25), non-members $104
In this class we are going to have lots of fun by using scentwork games to target and improve both fundamental and advanced scentwork skills. In addition to the games, there will be container and interior hides set up to practice and enhance both dog and handler search skills in order to achieve the best possible outcome for the team. Limit 8.
PREREQUISITE: This class is intended for dog/handler teams who are working at the Novice to Advanced level or beyond and are capable of conducting a search for multiple hides. Preference given to those who were enrolled in the instructor’s 2023 Winter class.
MEETINGS: 6 meetings, 75 minutes
PRICE: SOTC members $79 (or 6pts + $25), non-members $104
With the exception of Agility Foundations, we are unable to admit any new non-member agility students at this time.
Agility students must arrive on time so as to be available to help with equipment setup if required.
Dogs must be crated while students walk the course or move equipment. Students may use a guest crate, if available, or bring their own crate each time and carry it out after class.
This class will cover the foundation skills required for competition agility, such as teamwork, self-control, body control, and shaping. The class is appropriate for all handlers (experienced agility competitors as well as those new to the sport) and is required for inexperienced handlers. If you have never competed in agility, you must take Foundations before enrolling in any other agility class SOTC offers. Limit 6.
MEETINGS: 6 meetings, 45 minutes
PRICE: SOTC members $54 or 6 points, non-members $78
Introduction to contact equipment, jump training, practicing lead-outs, and basic handling. Building drive while maintaining focus and control. Limit 6.
PREREQUISITE: Students who have not previously competed in agility must have taken SOTC Agility Foundations or an equivalent class elsewhere before enrolling in Beginner Agility. Dogs should be at least 8 months old. Preference given to students repeating the class at the recommendation of the instructor.
MEETINGS: 8 meetings, 75 minutes
PRICE: SOTC members $96 or 12 points, non-members $136
Building confidence on contact equipment, introduction of weave poles, developing dog and handler skills, beginning simple sequencing, and doing grid work. Limit 6.
PREREQUISITE: Successfully passing SOTC Beginner Agility or run-through. Preference given to students repeating the class, or moving up from the prior class, at the recommendation of the instructor.
MEETINGS: 8 meetings, 90 minutes
PRICE: SOTC members $96 or 12 points, non-members $136
Getting ready for the Novice ring! Developing confidence on obstacles and weaves. Starting to put things together: sequencing, handling techniques, what to do and where to do it, working through distractions. Limit 6.
PREREQUISITE: Successfully passing SOTC Advanced Beginner Agility or run-through. Off-lead control is required. Dogs should be confident jumping at full height, going through all "hoop" obstacles, negotiating full-height contacts with mild support, doing 6 weaves with mild support, doing a sequence of 5-8 obstacles.
MEETINGS: 6 meetings, 60 minutes
PRICE: SOTC members $54 or 6 points, non-members $78
A 6-week on-line class.
Each week’s lesson will consist of a few drills (using 3 or 4 jumps and a tunnel) and one longer sequence (10-12 obstacles). Class will include an in-person Orientation consisting of two parts: one focusing on safe and efficient course building, the other (optional) focusing on the tech side: how to video, upload, post, use YouTube/Facebook, etc.).
Registered students will get an invite to join a Facebook group set up for this class. Each week we will post course maps and videos of the drills and sequence. Students are then expected to schedule an Open Training session, set up the course, and video themselves running it. Students will then submit their videos to the Facebook group and will receive instructor feedback (verbal and visual, using video editing software) a few days later. Students are encouraged to communicate through the Facebook group and to work together when feasible. Limited in-person instruction may also be available.
PREREQUISITE: The drills and sequences are appropriate for students who have successfully completed SOTC's Advanced Beginner class (or beyond). Students should be able to perform most obstacles with some independence.
MEETINGS: In-person Orientation on a date to be announced
PRICE: SOTC members $36 or 4 points, non-members $52 (price includes 2 hours of Open Training; price for additional OT sessions is $5 for members, $10 for non-members)
Those rears need work? Can’t get there for the blinds? Young dog doesn’t like the teeter? Weaves just aren’t happening? Let’s fix it! Your time on the floor is for you and I to see if we can make your team stronger. Let’s work on the problems you might be having in agility -- at any level. Limit 6.
PREREQUISITE: For teams getting ready to trial (or beyond). Dogs should be at least 12 months of age. Should have been on contact equipment and be working on weaves, or be already showing in Novice or at higher levels.
MEETINGS: 6 meetings, 60 minutes
PRICE: SOTC members $54 or 6 points, non-members $78
Contacts training / proofing for dogs at all levels, whether starting from scratch or retraining contacts. Method used will be 2on/2off. Limit 6.
PREREQUISITE: Dogs must be old enough to do full-height contacts (at least 12 months of age). Dogs must be able to work loose in the ring with other dogs, since multiple dogs will be working at the same time at different stations.
MEETINGS: 6 meetings, 60 minutes
PRICE: SOTC members $54 or 6 points, non-members $78
For teams learning 2x2s or not weaving 6 poles with confidence. Limit 6.
PREREQUISITE: Dogs must be at least 12 months of age
MEETINGS: 6 meetings, 60 minutes
PRICE: SOTC members $54 or 6 points, non-members $78
Learning crosses and when to use verbals. Appropriate for any level after beginner level.
MEETINGS: 6 meetings, 60 minutes
PRICE: SOTC members $54 or 6 points
An advanced jumping class that will focus on some jump grids and jump sequences with advanced jumping and tunnel skills. Dog and handler teams need to have knowledge of backsides, blind crosses, reverse spins, serpentines and threadles, etc. Limit 4 dog-and-handler teams.
PREREQUISITE: Handlers and dogs must be actively showing in agility or by permission
MEETINGS: 6 meetings (3/31, 4/14, 4/28, 5/19, 5/26, 6/2), 90 minutes
PRICE: SOTC members $72 or 9 points
Nested courses will be built, course maps will be provided. Run the courses or train as you wish. Please be prompt for setup. Limit 10 teams per meeting.
MEETINGS: 5 meetings (April 13 & 20, May 18 & 25, June 1), 90 minutes
PRICE: SOTC members $9 or 1 point, non-members $13 (per drop-in, pay as you go -- checks, exact change, or click HERE to pay on-line with a credit card)
TO REGISTER: To reserve a spot for a particular meeting and to confirm that class will be held, email the instructor via the link below
For students preparing for Novice. Limit 6.
PREREQUISITE: Successfully passing SOTC Intermediate Agility or permission. Dogs must be able to perform full-height contacts, do 6 weave poles, and negotiate sequences of 8-10 obstacles.
MEETINGS: 6 meetings, 60 minutes
PRICE: SOTC members $54 or 6 points
For students preparing for Open. Limit 6.
PREREQUISITE: Novice agility titles or permission
MEETINGS: 6 meetings, 60 minutes
PRICE: SOTC members $54 or 6 points
For students preparing for Excellent/Masters. Students are expected to help set up the course. Limit 6.
PREREQUISITE: Open agility titles or permission
MEETINGS: 6 meetings, 75 minutes
PRICE: SOTC members $72 or 9 points