Dog Obedience Training, Match and Trial Info

Household Obedience Training Classes

We offer household classes, formal classes and advanced practice to train and prepare your dog to compete in obedience trials, however, you do not need to be interested in competing with your dog to participate. Our Household Obedience class provides the perfect opportunity to have fun and bond with your dog, pure breed or mixed breed, while at the same time teaching him or her good behavior. We start a new Household Obedience class the first Monday of every other month. Dogs must be at least 6 months old and you must provide proof of rabies vaccination upon registration. The fee for the class is $75.00 (we accept checks or cash) which includes 6 weeks of group classes. Bring the dog the first week - you will be training. Please print and fill out the registration form and bring it to class. There will be a Sign-Up, Brief Orientation then Attention training will begin. Only one handler may train the dog through the six week course. Bring water and a bowl for the dog to drink out of and small treats that the dog likes as a reward. We accept any dog, pure breed or mixed breed, into our classes. Classes are held at the Davie/Bergeron Rodeo Arena, 4201 SW 65 Way, Davie, FL (Davie Road and Orange Drive). Meet at the picnic tables at the south end (main entrance) of The Arena for registration at 6:30 P.M. All registration is done on the first night and cannot be missed. We CANNOT accept mail-in or pre-registration at this time.

Novice Obedience Training

This class is divided into two six week sessions and is designed to get your dog ready for the Novice Ring. You will learn, precision heeling on and off leash and a figure eight, recall, front, finish and, stand for exam. The dog will be taught to sit for one minuet, and lay down for three minutes while the trainer is forty feet across the ring. You will be taught how to train your dog to be part of a working team and enjoy the work. Games are taught to heighten the enjoyment of training for the dog and handler. You will be taught handling do's and do not's in the ring. You will learn a warm up for your individual dog before you go in the ring. You will have a wonderful bonding experience with your dog and gain the ability and confidence to show your dog in the Novice Obedience Ring. This class is taught once or twice a year, depending on demand.

Open Obedience Training

Open obedience is an advanced class of obedience. The dog needs to drop while coming towards you in a recall by either your hand signal or voice command. He must heel and do a figure eight off lead, retrieve a dumbbell over a high jump and on the flat, jump a broad jump and sit for three minutes and down for five minutes while the handler is out of sight. All of these exercises are broken down and taught with the goal in mind that the dog and handler will ultimately understand the exercises and enjoy performing them. This class is taught once a year.

Weekly Advanced Obedience Practice

Every Monday night at 8:00 P.M. we hold an obedience drill class for 45 minutes at the Davie/Bergeron Rodeo Arena. This class is for obedience enthusiasts to practice their skills in a structured class like environment, with other dogs and distractions around and for those who just want to keep up with their training. Everyone is welcome to come to drill class, regardless of experience (please, basic obedience skills at least!). Drill class is $5 per night for non-club members, and $2 for members.

Rally rings may be set up, time and space permitting.

We also offer Open and Utility Run-Throughs beginning at 7:00 P.M. Cost is $5.00 per night for non-club members and provisional members. To add Drill to your run-through, just add $2.00 per night.

Obedience/Rally Trials

Obedience trials test a dog's ability to perform a prescribed set of exercises on which it is scored. In each exercise, you must score more than 50% of the possible points (ranging from 20 to 40) and get a total score of at least 170 out of a possible 200. Each time your dog gets that magic 170 qualifying score or better, he's earned a "leg" towards his title. Three legs and your dog has become an Obedience Titled dog! There are 3 levels at which your dog can earn a title and each is more difficult than the one before it. You may see levels divided into "A" and "B" at a trial; "A" classes are for beginners whose dogs have never received a title while "B" classes are for more experienced handlers. Visit our obedience classes & titles section for more information on the various obedience titles.

Rally trials test dog and handler teams to perform a course of different obedience exercises, following course signs that are set-up at three different levels, Novice, Advanced and Excellent, each is more difficult than the one before it. The emphasis is on the handler reading the signs correctly and having teh dog perform exactly what the sign says then moving to the next sign in the proper sequence. The team must earn at least 70 out of a possible 100 points. Each time the team earns that magic 70 qualifying score or better, they earn a "leg" towards a Rally title. When the team earns three qualifying scores, the team earns a title. The levels are divided into "A" and "B" classes at a trial in Rally as they are in Obedience.

Sanctioned matches

"B" matches are the most common and are not run according to AKC rules. Scores do NOT count toward titles, but they are a wonderful place to test your dog and get him or her accustomed to the environment and circumstances of a regular trial. It is also a great spot for anyone interested in becoming an AKC approved judge to gain experience. In most "B" matches, you can register your dog on the day of the match.

"A" matches are one step below a trial. Everything at an "A" match is run exactly like a real AKC trial, however scores you receive do not count toward titles. Clubs that are striving for AKC approval typically should have at least 2 "A" matches before the AKC will consider sanctioning a "real" trial.

Show and Go's

Show and Go's are "run-throughs" which are put on for trial practice. The DOCOH usually hosts a rally the week prior to a big area trial. These run-throughs are NOT AKC sanctioned, and almost anything, within reason, goes.