Levels Of Obedience-Please Explaine

[mercedes]

I dont really know a whole lot about obedience, but what do the different levels mean?(Level1, 2, etc) I know that basic obedience is sit, down, stay, come, stand, and a few other simple commands, but what do you do in higher levels?

[Miabella]

Here is how it's set up at my training club.

Kindergarten Puppy Training Class:


Kindergarten puppy training offers new puppy owners an opportunity to socialize their puppies to friendly strangers (instructors, other owners, and other puppies.) The class will instruct students on how to begin teaching the basic commands of dog obedience to their puppies in a safe, structured environment.

Instructions will be given in:


Name recognition
Sit
Down
Polite lead walking
Handling and grooming exercises
Fun recalls
Confidence-building exercises

Prerequisites:

Puppies must be between the ages of 10 weeks and 20 weeks when the class starts.

Length: Eight weeks

Cost: $70

Successful completion: Dogs must attend at least six classes to receive a certificate.

Next logical classes:


Basic Class


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Basic Class:

Basic Class exposes new and experienced dog owners to the training that dogs need for good manners at home and in public, and perhaps for eventual obedience competition. This class also provides students the opportunity to teach their dogs appropriate behavior in the presence of other people and dogs. All training is done on lead.

Instructions will be given in:


Name recognition and paying attention
Lead handling
Sit
Down
Stays
Polite lead walking
Recalls
Heel position
Beginning stand
Help with common behavior problems

Prerequisites:

Dogs must be at least six months old at the time that the class commences or five months old and a graduate of a Kindergarten Puppy Class.

Length: Eight weeks

Cost: $70

Successful completion: Dogs must attend at least six classes to receive a certificate.

Skills needed to attend other CDTC classes:

Without the aid of food or physical prompting, the dog should be able to perform the sit, down, and stay on a verbal command. The dog should be able to maintain these positions for short periods of time and in the presence of mild distractions. Dogs should be able to walk properly on a lead without continuous pulling, lagging, or overly rambunctious behavior, and should understand the basic heel position.

Next logical classes:


Advanced Basic Class
Sub-novice Class (on recommendation of Basic Class instructor)
Agility Class: with approval of agility instructor (dog must be at least one year old)


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Advanced Basic Class:

The Advanced Basics Class offers students an opportunity to strengthen the dogs' training skills. Students will learn how to consistently get behaviors on cue, to teach their dogs to perform for longer periods, to do stays at greater distances, and to work with their dogs around greater distractions.

Instructions will be given in:


Loose lead walking
Heeling
Sits and Downs without physical or food prompts and at various distances
Formal and fun recalls
Stand
Finish (return to heel position)
Exposure to exercises from the AKC's Good Citizen Test * Accepting a friendly stranger
* Sitting politely for petting
* Appearance and grooming
* Out for a walk (walking on a loose lead)
* Walking through a crowd
* Sit and down on command - staying in place
* Coming when called
* Reaction to another dog
* Reaction to distraction
* Supervised separation


Prerequisites:

Dog must be a graduate of a Basic Class, a Puppy Class (with recommendation of Puppy Class instructor), or be recommended after evaluation by the Advanced Basic Instructor.

Length: Eight weeks

Cost: $70

Skills needed to attend other CDTC classes:

Dogs should be able to do a one-minute sit stay and a three-minute down stay (off lead and with handler across room), stand for examination, finish, on-lead heel, and off-lead recall.

Next logical classes:


Sub-novice Class: with recommendation of Advanced Basic instructor
Agility Class: with approval of agility instructor, dog at least one year old


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Sub-novice Class:

Sub-novice instruction offers students an opportunity to polish skills learned in Basic and/or Advanced Basic Class. This class helps the handler and dog to acquire skills necessary to become a "team" and lays the foundation for the exercises necessary to compete in the Novice level of obedience competition.

Instructions will be given in:


Attention
Heeling with attention
Automatic sits and turns
Stand for examination
Off-lead recalls
Off-lead group stays (one-minute sit and three-minute down)

Prerequisites:

Dog must be a graduate of an Advanced Basic Class, a Basic Class (with recommendation of Basic Class instructor ), or upon recommendation after evaluation by the Sub-novice Instructor

Length: Twelve weeks

Cost: $85

Requirements to attend CDTC Novice Classes:

Novice: Dog and handler must pass CDTC Proficiency Exam, which includes on-lead heeling, on-lead figure eight around posts, a stand for examination, an off-lead recall, a one-minute group sit-stay, and a three-minute group down-stay.

Next logical classes:


Novice Class
Freestyle Class
Agility Class
Flyball Class


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Novice Class:

Novice instruction offers students an opportunity to work with instructors who will help prepare them for showing at the Novice level of obedience competition.

Instructions will be given in:


Attention
Heeling with attention, automatic sits and turns, and figure eights
Off-lead heeling
Off-lead recalls
Off-lead group stays (with distractions)
Ring etiquette and procedures

Prerequisites:

Dog must be able to pass CDTC Proficiency Test, or by approval of the Novice Class instructor, if handler has previously trained.

Length: 12 weeks

Cost: $85

Requirements to attend CDTC Open Class:

Two legs toward Companion Dog obedience title or on by approval by the Instructor.

Next logical classes:


Open Class and/or Retrieving Class
Agility Class
Freestyle Class
Flyball Class


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Open Class:

Open instruction offers students who have completed , or who are completing, a Companion Dog title the opportunity to learn the exercises required in the Open level of obedience competition.

Instructions will be given in:


Off-lead heeling and Figure Eight
Drop on Recall
Retrieve on Flat
Retrieve over High Jump
Broad Jump
Out of site Sit Stay
Out of site Down Stay

Prerequisites:

Two legs toward Companion Dog obedience title or on by approval by the Instructor.

Length: 12 weeks

Cost: $85

Requirements to attend CDTC Utility Class:

Two legs toward Companion Dog Excellent obedience title or on by approval by the Instructor.

Next logical classes:


Utility Class
Agility Class
Freestyle Class
Flyball Class


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Utility Class:

Utility instruction offers students who have completed, or who are completing, a Companion Dog Excellent title the opportunity to learn the exercises required in the Open level of obedience competition.

Instructions will be given in:


Off-lead Heeling
Hand signals for Heel, Stand, Stay, Sit, Down, Recall, and Finish
Directed Retrieve
Scent Discrimination
Moving Stand and Examination
Directed Jumping

Prerequisites:

Two legs toward Companion Dog Excellent obedience title or on by approval by the Instructor.

Length: 12 weeks

Cost: $85

Next logical classes/goals:


Competition classes, as available, for working on Utility Dog Excellent title
Utility Dog Excellent title
Obedience Title Championship
Agility Class
Freestyle Class
Flyball Class

[mercedes]

Thank you!!

[sumojeb]

wow...I had no idea there were so many levels.

[Rott-Wiley]

At one of the training facilities I go to, they don't have levels per say but the classes get progressively harder. First we have what's called Puppy Love. This is a basic introduction of your basic commands and socialization of a puppy. Next they have Manners followed by Manners Plus. As the name implies, that's exactly what they are teaching. Next level would be your Basic Novice Class -- This prepares you and your dog to go on to showing in Novice, Open, and Utility ring. Next there is Novice Compition which sharpens up both dog and handler for the ring. And finally there is the Open and Utility Classes which are specifically for that ring. You can join any class at any time with your dog as long as the dog is qualified to work at that level. Prices vary and there are several package deals. We train in an air conditioned building inside a ring setup. One wall is all mirrors which is really great for seeing you and your dog from a completely different prospective.

[C Ross]

Here's how it works where we train:

Puppy Kindergarten teaches very basic skills like walking on a loose leash and coming when called. Basic I starts the formal training (heel, come with a front, the various stays). Basic II builds on that with longer stays, stand for examination, the finish for the recall. Basic III polishes the Basic II skills and transitions you to offleash work and the retrieve. After Basic III is a class called Competition Ready which works on the Novice routine, teaches ring etiquette for dog and handler, and shows you how to fill out the paper work to actually enter a dog show.

After the Competition Ready class there are small short classes for specific aspects of Open and Utility work. Need help with the retrieve? Take the class. Having problems with scent discrimination? Take the class. You get the idea. If there are enough people interested and you can talk someone into teaching it, the training director will try to find ring space for you.

Hope that helps.

Christine