Welcome to the Muskoka District Kennel Club!

Puppy Obedience focuses on the foundational skills needed to help your puppy navigate the world. This class incorporates skills such as attention, sit, down/settle, wait, come, walking on leash, off/take it, and stay. Both the hand signals and verbal commands for these exercises will be taught. 

There is a handling component to the class to help your puppy learn to be comfortable and confident when having the various parts of their body touched. And we also discuss other puppy related topics including: environmental set up, enrichment, crate training, and transport. 

This class is for dogs under 6 months of age, and we encourage puppies to have their second set of vaccinations prior to participating. 

Level 1 Obedience is for dogs 6 months of age and older, and has the same goals as Puppy Obedience while incorporating additional distractions when learning these skills. 

This class focuses on attention, sit, down/settle, wait, come, walking on leash, off/take it, and stay. Both the hand signals and verbal commands for these exercises will be taught. There will also be a handling component in these classes to ensure your dog is comfortable and confident in having the various parts of their body handled. 

Level 2 Obedience goes beyond the beginner levels with additional skills and commands, and first requires the completion of either Puppy Obedience or Level 1 Obedience. If you are interested in challenging your dog or working towards trying a dog sport in the future this is the class for you! 

Level 2 Obedience  provides the framework for a dog to move on to more advanced classes such as Rally Obedience or Agility, and includes skills such as attention, recalls/wait, finishes, stand, drop, stay, go out's, and heeling. You will learn both hand signals and verbal commands in this class. 

Level 3 Obedience builds on the exercises learned in Level 2 while adding new skills, building body awareness, and increased work on attention. This class requires the completion of Level 2 Obedience or equivalent prior to enrollment.

 If you have an interest in Obedience or Rally Obedience, or would like to continue challenging your dog with new exercises/skills than this is the class for you! 

Level 1 Manners focuses on everyday etiquette while you work towards the goal of having a dog that is well mannered in the presence of a variety of people, dogs, and situations. 

The framework for the class is the Canadian Kennel Club's Canine Good Neighbour program, and provides an opportunity for dogs to practice skills such as greeting people and other dogs appropriately, learning to settle, and encountering distractions while walking. We also touch on topics that impact daily life with your dog including feeding routines, environmental set up, crate training, enrichment, and transport. 

Dogs require the completion of Puppy Obedience or Level 1 Obedience (or the equivalent) to enroll as we will be revisiting the skills from those classes including sit, down, wait, stay, off, recalls, and walking on a loose leash. 

Rally Obedience is a dog sport that involves guiding your dog through a course with signs/stations that indicate specific exercises. The dog/handler team must heel from sign to sign, and perform the indicated exercises. 

Our classes teach the various CKC rally obedience signs/exercises, and incorporates those skills into various courses that the participants practice. 

 The completion of Level 2 Obedience or the equivalent is required to enroll as some foundational skills are required. 

Agility is an obstacle course sport where dogs and their handler work on their ability to function as a team while navigating various obstacles. The skills incorporated into the classes include learning to handle various agility obstacles, working off leash, and building confidence in your dog while working at a distance from the handler. You will have the opportunity to practice various obstacles including jumps, the teeter totter, the A-frame, tunnels, the dog walk, and weave poles.   

Dogs must meet the following criteria to participate:

*Able to get along with other dogs & people in a fast paced environment

*At least 1 year of age

*Completed Level 2 Obedience or the equivalent