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Introductory Classes Advanced Classes

Introductory Classes

These classes are open to both non-members and Oriole members. Some of our introductory classes are offered every 6 weeks and others are offered in a 8-week session format which falls within one of the club semesters:

Fall: September to December
Winter: January to March
Spring: April to June
Summer: July and August

Classes which are linked to the semesters are listed in the Course Catalog. The more frequently offered introductory classes are listed on the Home page.

Puppy Kindergarten

This class covers the 4 areas necessary for you and your puppy to have a good life together: Socialization, Training, Activity, and a Responsible owner. This class is open to puppies purebred or mixed breed from 14 weeks old to six months of age (toy breeds should wait until at least 14 weeks of age). This class is offered frequently throughout the year; see the Home page for the next start date.

Basic Obedience

This class is intended for older puppies and adult dogs just starting an obedience program. Dogs that are older than 6 months should enter this class rather than Puppy Kindergarten. This course introduces the dogs to all of the basic obedience commands such as sit-stays, down-stays, stand for examination, walking on a leash, etc. This class is offered frequently throughout the year; see the Home page for the next start date.

Advanced Basic Obedience

This class is intended for older puppies and adult dogs. It continues the instruction provided in Puppy Kindergarten and Basic Obedience. The basic obedience principles are taught in greater detail. This class is open to dogs that have graduated from any Basic obedience class (including non-Oriole classes), dogs owned by handlers with prior recent obedience experience, or dogs that been evaluated and approved by the instructor. At the end of the session, an AKC Canine Good Citizen® (CGC) Test is offered. This class is offered frequently throughout the year; see the Home page for the next start date.

Introduction to K9 Nose Work®

Have fun teaching your dog how to use his nose!

Dogs have an amazing sense of smell and natural desire to hunt. The Introduction to K9 Nose Work class focuses on teaching and encouraging the development of your dog’s natural scenting abilities by using their desire to hunt for food and/or toys.

This class teaches both box work and the search process and is great fun for both you and your dog. In addition, the activities of box work and object searches help your dog build confidence, burn both mental and physical energy and provide the means for you to explore your dog’s amazing scenting abilities. This class is NOT offered throughout the year; see the Home page for the next start date.

Foundations for Agility & Other Dog Sports

Looking to become the coach of your very own canine athlete?

This class is for dogs aged 5 1/2 months & up who have graduated from a Basic Obedience or Puppy Kindergarten class. Dogs will be introduced to the basic handling and foundation skills needed to be competitive in timed, physically active dog sports such as agility, flyball, rally and disc dog. Foundation training includes: clicker & target training; tandem agility moves; fitness training; focus games; drive games emphasizing fast fun recalls & tugging; rear-end awareness exercises. Dogs can and should be entered in this class at a young age (although it is reasonable to expect very young dogs to rotate through it twice to expose them to each foundation exercise twice during their “puppy brain” stage). Dogs will also learn to negotiate wobble boards, tunnels and low jump grids. Graduation criteria: (1) ability to work off-leash while another dog is working on the other side of the ring, and (2) performance of a “rally style” course composed of exercises learned in the class.

Once you and your dog have a foundation established, you can start Beginner Agility in which all the agility equipment is systematically introduced and you can begin some sequence work. This class is offered frequently throughout the year; see the Home page for the next start date.

Advanced Training Classes

Advanced classes at Oriole include:

Agility
Conformation
Flyball
K9 Nose Work
Obedience
Rally
Tracking

These classes build on the basic skills acquired in the introductory classes and prepare you and your dog for:

Individual competition in the organized sports of agility, obedience, rally, tracking or K9 Nose Work
Team competition as a member of one of Oriole’s Flyball racing teams: No Speed Limit or Scallywags

These classes are open to both non-members and Oriole members. Advanced classes are generally offered in a 10-week session format organized into the following semesters:

Fall: September to December
Winter: January to March
Spring: April to June

In addition, a greatly reduced schedule of classes is used over the summer months of July and August.

Advanced classes, their prerequisites, and instructions for registration are described in the Class Catalog posted on a separate web site which handles online registration. Oriole members do receive discounted fees and priority entry into classes. See the Membership FAQ for information in becoming an Oriole member. Use the below Register button to view the registration procedures and begin perusal of the current Class Catalog.

Other Activities

Oriole also offers trials for other activities for which we do not offer training classes ourselves. We do recommend the following local training businesses /clubs for these:

Flying Disc

Mid-Atlantic Disc Dogs: http://www.mad-dogs.us/index.html
Branchwater Training Center: https://branchwaterbc.com/
Homegrown Dog Sports: http://www.homegrowndogsports.com/

Barn Hunt

Superpup: https://superpup.site/
Branchwater Training Center: https://branchwaterbc.com/

Oriole Dog Training Club

Training Classes