Obedience & Rally Classes

Dog playing with puzzle toys on a green floor.

Rally is a fun and exciting sport. It is mostly just fun for everyone! Rally was created by taking the idea of a numbered course from Agility and exercises from competitive Obedience (and adding a few unique ones). Put those both together, and you have Rally. It is not as strict as formal competitive obedience; you can talk to your dog, encourage them, and verbally praise him/her in the ring. You can compete in Rally with purebred and mixed breed dogs in numerous venues: AKC (American Kennel Club), WCRL(World Cynosport Rally League) and UKC (United Kennel Club) . If your dog is proficient with basic obedience exercises, including sit, down, controlled walking (walking beside you and not pulling) and stays, then you are set to take Rally class.

GoDogs offers a variety of Rally classes on a rotating basis that train you to win titles in various venues. Inquire about Obedience & Rally here: Inquire

Life Skills

Life Skills is an introduction to dog training class that will teach you all the dog training skills you need to train your dog for home life and beyond! Many are interested in our Agility, Competitive Obedience and Rally, CGC classes or Flyball programs. Life Skills is the prerequisite into those programs.**

In Life Skills you will learn the basics of dog training and relationship building through a series of games you play with your dog. You will train:

Sits, downs, walking on a loose leash
Tricks
Reliable Recalls
Kennel manners, door manners, greeting strangers and much more!

Classes are held weekly (check the class calendar) for 6 weeks. Classes are one hour.

** To skip Life Skills and go directly into one of our competitive programs (Flyball, Agility or Competitive Obedience/Rally ), Venue Head approval is required.

A woman with long hair and glasses training a black dog to sit in an indoor dog training facility with green turf flooring. Another woman in a hoodie and shorts watches nearby.

Beyond Life Skills

Take the basics to the next level! This class will build on the skills learned in Life Skills. The curriculum will include more advanced skills such as the three D’s (distance, distraction, duration), fading the lure, advanced shaping, delayed reinforcement, stand, stays, engagement, and training with distractions. Beyond Life Skills may not be offered every session. Contact us for more information.

Rally Novice

Rally Novice is a class that prepares you and your dog for the exercises needed to perform at the novice/intermediate level in the various Rally venues. The prerequisite for this class is Obedience/Rally Fundamentals or similar class or permission of venue coordinator and class instructor. You will be working on additional exercises needed for success at the beginning and intermediate levels of AKC, WRCL, and UKC Rally and then incorporating those exercises into full courses.

Open Rally

Open Rally will incorporate weekly courses geared to Novice, Advanced, Excellent, and Masters Rally students. AKC & WCRL courses will be nested to benefit all levels of students. Students must be competing at the Novice level and above. This class is offered on an occasional basis.

Rally Advanced / Excellent / Masters

Rally Advanced/Excellent/Masters focuses on the advanced exercises necessary for those dog/handler teams to successfully compete at the higher levels in the various venues. Dogs and handlers must be prepared to work off leash. The prerequisite for this class is Go Dogs Novice Rally, equivalent at another training facility, any Novice and/or intermediate Rally titles from the various venues, and/or permission of the venue coordinator and class instructor.

Group of people and dogs in an indoor training facility with green flooring, wall decorations, and banners.

Obedience/Rally Fundamentals

Obedience/Rally Fundamentals is an introduction to Rally. Prerequisite: Completion of Go Dogs Life Skills class, or an equivalent class at another training facility and/or permission of the obedience venue coordinator and class instructor. In this class you will focus on basic skills (sit, down, front and finish, attention to handler, walk on leash without pulling, etc). This class will focus on exercises that will be needed to enroll in our Rally Novice class. You will also be introduced to Rally signs and be given information on the various Rally venues available.

Competition Novice Obedience

Our goal is to prepare teams for Novice obedience competitions. The prerequisite for enrolling in this class is completion of Go Dogs Life Skills class, Obedience/Rally Fundamentals, a comparable competition novice class at another training facility or by permission of the obedience coordinator and the instructor. Skills required to enroll include focus on the handler, walking nicely on a loose leash, a recall, sit, down, a basic understanding of fronts and finishes. This class is offered on an occasional basis.

AKC STAR Puppy Class

(For Puppies Up to One Year Old)

The AKC S.T.A.R. Puppy is an exciting new program designed to get dog owners and their puppies off to a good start. It is an incentive program for loving dog owners who have taken the time to take their puppies through a basic training class. Find out more about the STAR Puppy program from AKC®.

Your instructor will administer the AKC S.T.A.R. Puppy test at the end of the course. Upon passing the test, you’ll get an application to send to AKC® for enrollment in the AKC S.T.A.R. Puppy Program. All dogs are welcome to participate in the AKC S.T.A.R. Puppy Program including purebreds and mixed breeds.

Puppies must have their second set of shots.

Four women and four dogs standing and sitting in an indoor dog training or socialization class, with colorful fabric screens and bulletin boards in the background.

A woman walking a brown Labrador retriever inside a training facility, marked with an orange traffic cone and signs, including a wheelchair accessible sign on the wall.

A woman and a golden retriever participating in a dog training or agility class indoors with a green carpeted floor and decorative fabric panels.

Canine Good Citizen (CGC) Prep Course

Go Dogs is proud to offer the AKC’s Canine Good Citizen (CGC) Program. Started in 1989, the CGC Program is designed to reward dogs who have good manners at home and in the community. The Canine Good Citizen Program 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 American Kennel Club.

Many dog owners choose Canine Good Citizen training as one of the basic steps in training their dogs. As you work with your dog to teach the CGC skills, you’ll discover the many benefits and joys of training your dog. Training will enhance the bond between you and your dog. Dogs who have a solid obedience education are a joy to live with. They respond well to household routines, have good manners in the presence of people and other dogs, and fully enjoy the company of the owner who took the time to provide training, intellectual stimulation, and a high quality life. We sincerely hope that CGC will be only a beginning for you and your dog and that after passing the CGC test, you’ll continue training in obedience, agility, tracking, or performance events.

All dogs, including both purebred and mixed breed dogs, are welcome to participate in the AKC’s Canine Good Citizen (CGC) Program. Dogs must be old enough to have received necessary immunizations such as rabies vaccines. Owners will sign the Responsible Dog Owners Pledge attesting to having the dog under the routine care of a veterinarian who will work with the owner to determine an appropriate plan and schedule for vaccines and other health care procedures.

There is no age limit for the CGC test. A dog is never too old to be a good citizen. Puppies who have completed all immunizations and boosters may be tested, however, because we know that behavior and temperament can change over time, when puppies pass the CGC test, owners should have them re-tested as adults.