Rte 9, Box 2873, Malta, NY 12020
(518) 587-0810
Agility
Increasingly popular dog sport!
Agility classes are offered May through November at beginners, intermediate and advanced level.

Link to schedule and biography pages

Foundation Training

Obedience Level 1: 6 week program (see schedule)
Designed for the beginner. Our Instructors teach all the basic commands with a fun approach. Problems such as jumping, barking and running away are addressed.

Agility Beginners: 6 week program (see schedule)
Obstacle training for the beginner dog. Teaching speed with confidence by teaching obstacle objectives with safety and fun as your priorities.

AKC S.T.A.R. Puppy Program: A 6-week class, ending with the S.T.A.R. Puppy test. Each class will last one hour, except the last class, which will be about 30 minutes longer. The fee is $110.   Maximum enrollment is 8 puppies. For more information, see the AKC website: http://www.akc.org/starpuppy/
“STAR” is an acronym for: Socialization - Training - Activity - Responsible owner! These are all the things every puppy needs.
The AKC S.T.A.R. Puppy program is for owners who graduate from puppy or basic training classes taught by AKC Canine Good Citizen evaluators. AKC S.T.A.R. Puppy is open to purebred and mixed breed dogs and the program defines ‘puppy' as a dog up to the age of 1 year old.

Musical Canine Freestyle: 6 week program (see schedule)
O
ne of the newest canine sports to reach North America. Here's something new to do over the winter or those rainy days! This class will introduce you to basic freestyle warm ups and moves, how to select music specifically for your dog, and how to begin creating a freestyle routine of your own! Wonderful additional training for your therapy dog, do demos, enter in competition, or just for fun!
This class is for those with little or no freestyle experience. A good way to get your dog moving, build on your relationship as a team — great for older dogs too! All of this and it's VERY FUN!

Flyball: 4 week program (see schedule)
Get in on the action. Flyball is a relay race with 4 dogs on a team. The course consists of a start line, 4 hurdles and a box. The dogs jump the hurdles and step on a spring loaded box that shoots out a tennis ball. The dog catches the ball and then runs back over the hurdles to their handler.
This is an introductory course which will introduce dogs and handlers to the fundamentals of flyball, including jumping, retrieving, and box work.
Prerequisite: dogs should have a good recall. Age requirement: 10 months of age.

Flyball Workshop: (see schedule) this two hour workshop will focus on ball and box techniques. Motivate your dog to "get" that ball! You will learn how to reinforce the retrieve and teach your dog to go get a ball that is not in motion and to return the ball to you. Your dog will learn the difference between chasing a ball and retrieving a ball from the box. Jumping will also be introduced.

Intermediate Training

Canine Good Citizen (CGC) test
Many dog owners choose Canine Good Citizen training as one of the first steps in training their dogs.
The CGC is a great next step to your level one and two classes and after passing the CGC test, you may choose continue training in obedience, agility, tracking, or performance events.

Continuing Musical Freestyle
By now you know, hey, YOU don't have to know how to dance!  This class  continues to teach your dog more flashy freestyle moves --  how to teach your dog to work out away from you, creative recalls, work around distractions and more! Continued work on routines for competition, demonstrations for therapy dogs, and just because it's FUN! Keep working as a team while the weather is nice and then keep the fun going even on those rainy days -- and yes, all winter long!

Obedience Level 2: 6 week program (see schedule)
This level continues to build your dog's confidence, teaching hand signals, beginning off-leash work and distraction training.

Agility Advanced Beginner: 6 week Program (see schedule)
For the beginner dog and handler ready to pull it all together. Connecting obstacles and beginning sequencing. Learn how to put the course together and how to run your dog with speed and confidence.

Ramps and Weaves : 6 week Program (see schedule)
With a focus on learning weaves and contacts in 6 weeks. This class will introduce several methods and get dogs weaving! Adding angled approaches, fast approaches etc...  Because you can't drill weaves for an hour it will be spiced up with some basic handling skills taught with contacts and jumps (jump boxes, serpentines etc...).  This class is geared toward dogs with little to no weave pole experience.

Rally Obedience (see schedule)
The latest AKC class: like agility without the obstacles.
It incorporates all the basic obedience exercises.
Prerequisite: the dog-handler team need to have completed our Level 1 class or equivalent.

Advanced Training

Obedience Level 3: 6 week program (see schedule)
The team dog/handler that continues on to this level of training may be interested in competing for dog obedience titles. Off leash heeling, distance commands, building handler confidence and eliminating error are the focus now.

Attention & Heeling: 6 week program (see schedule)
This class focuses on getting/keeping the dog's attention through a series of obedience exercises that are fun for the dog and handler team. It is also designed to improve heeling skills -- with creative heeling exercises that are fast moving and motivational, keeping the team interested and the dog giving the handler attention when heeling around distractions.
Additional focus "from fronts to finish" will give you the skills needed to teach reliable recalls with good fronts and great finishes!
Prerequisite: Dogs should have completed a course equivalent to Level 2 obedience.

Obedience Novice level: 6 week program (see schedule)
This class is offered to the handler that aspires to show their dog in the Novice level of obedience competition. The focus is on detailing the routine for the ring and enhancing the performance through improved handling skills.

FUN-damentals (see schedule)
This fast moving class incorporates all the basic obedience exercises with games that dogs and handlers play. Working on your leash manners has never been so much fun. While our dogs work on stays, recalls, sits and downs we add the element of games like Beat the bell, Bandana relay, Don't spill my drink and many more activities designed to enhance our dogs performance in a fun and sometimes competitive atmosphere.
Prerequisite: the dog-handler team need to have completed our Level 2 class or equivalent.

Rally Obedience (see schedule)
Build on the foundation of sign reading and learn the more challenging exercises to prepare for a rally advanced or excellent title. This class will help dog and handler improve their team work and develop new skills.

Agility Intermediate: 6 week program (see schedule)
This level of agility class will focus on the course. Students will master handling skills that enhance the performance of their dog. Running courses and building the team are the goal this six weeks!

Agility Advanced: 6 week program (see schedule)
Developed for the dog and handler that is in competition for agility titles or aspires to compete in the near future. Learn how to read and evaluate a course design, set up a competition course and teach you and your dog how to handle the challenges that you will find at the novice and open levels.

Agility Novice: 6 week program (see schedule)
This class is for the team that has acquired titles and is seeking coaching to resolve problem areas and excel at their level of competition.