Tracking & Obedience

Tracking & Obedience

Class Descriptions

Tracking

Tracking is one of the few canine sports that absolutely ANYONE and ANY BREED can get involved in. You dog does not need to have any prior training for tracking, only a basic understanding of “sit” or “down”. Ashley has successful trained and titled Poodles to Dobermans in tracking and has yet to meet a dog that does not enjoy it! It is a great way to get out into the sunshine and enjoy some quiet bonding time with your dog. Tracking is not about obedience, it is not about yelling or pulling on a dog, it is about letting a dog be a dog and directing the natural instincts dogs have to smell things into a fun and productive activity.

To start you will learn how to properly lay a track and how to motivate your dog to follow it (you’ll be using A LOT of hot dogs!). You and your dog will learn how to indicate articles, either by laying down or by sitting and then you will begin, once your confidence begins to soar, to learn to negotiate changes in terrain, turns on the track and other obstacles. Most tracking classes will take place in the back field of Performance Dogs in Action, however the more advance students will be moving around the property.

Tracking is an AKC sanctioned sport and you can participate in tracking competitions however we encourage you to just enjoy the time spent outside with your dog.

You will need a properly fitting body harness to begin your tracking. It does not have to be an expensive tracking specific harness, just something that does not put strain on your dog’s neck.

Family Obedience courses

Ashley’s obedience courses work on a “at your own pace” system: explained below.

What is "At Your Own Pace" training?

Our training classes are built on a "levels" system. A dog needing basic training would enroll in our Basic Training course and start at Beginner level 1. In that level they would learn "watch me", "sit", and we would discuss typical behavioral issues such as chewing, biting, barking etc. That dog and owner would typically stay at level 1 for two weeks. Once feeling they have mastered those skills they would move on to level 2 and repeat until they've mastered that skill set, and so on. Most people will spend 7 to 9 weeks on the training, however you have a full 6 months to complete your training, which means that no matter how much of challenge your dog may be, you will learn to skills you need under the supervision of an expert trainer that can help you get the results you really want. Classes of all levels are available weekdays and weekends, ensuring that you and your dog will be successfully undergoing training without have to sacrifice other parts of your normal schedule.

Benefits of this training?

The benefits of this system are that you and your dog can start training IMMEDIATELY. As the levels are always running you simply start at any of the Beginner (or puppy for dogs under 6 months) Level 1 courses. This is also a better bang for your buck and you pay only for the system, not for how long you are in training. There are no penalties for missing classes, and you can be sure that you and your dog are ACTUALLY mastering a skill as opposed to practicing it for a week and never going back to it again only to forget it completely in a month.

What does this training cost and when are classes, where are they held?

Classes are always running and you can join in any Level 1 course. For puppies we have a specific level 1 so we can discuss potty training issues, for dogs not struggling with potty training, you can start in a Beginner level 1.

Beginner Classes

In our beginner classes you will be learning how to communicate correctly with your dog to ensure that your dog understands you and you understand him to make your training more effective and your relationship more rewarding.

You will be taught “watch me”, “loose leash walking”, “leave it”, “drop it”, “come”, “stay”, “sit”, “down” as well as received the advice and help needed to get through any potty training, destructive or other behavioral issues commonto young dogs who have not had any prior training.

Throughout this class you will be introduced to basic behaviors that will enable you and your dog to take and pass the American Kennel Club’s Canine Good Citizen Test (CGC), given as part of the Intermediate Class.

Intermediate Classes

In the intermediate class you will be proofing the behaviors taught in the beginner classes. We will work on “stay” but with distractions, your dog will learn “come” with distractions etc.

The behaviors discussed in this course are “heel”, “stand”, “on your bed”, “put your toys away” and other complicated tricks, “come”, “stay” and other advanced behaviors.

As part of this class you will be invited to take the CGC test as a part of your graduation. We encourage everyone to partake in this test, as your dog does not have to be AKC registered or a pure bred dog to take this, and it is a wonderful insurance policy for your any your dog if anything were to ever happen and someone were to accuse your dog of being unstable or aggressive.

For those seeking more training after the Intermediate class we would encourage you to continue to AKC Obedience or Rally.

AKC or Schutzhund Obedience

Competitive AKC or Schutzhund obedience is a challenging sport to take on with your dog, and Ashley will be there all the way support and helping you as she teaches you and your dog straight sits, heel finishes, scent discrimination, retrieves over hurdles and other advanced behaviors.

This class is geared for those who have not competed in Obedience before or just need extra practice before attending trial.

For those who are looking for a little less formality and little more fun instead of competition, Rally obedience is another wonderful option and open to you at Performance Dogs In Action.

Click here for Class Schedules & Fees