Mahogany Ridge Dog Training and Daycare: Training Classes

Obedience - Agility - Breed Ring

Theresa recently developed her "Off the Course" workshop. Designed to teach the handler how to teach their dog basic techniques off the agility course to make better use of the winters in the great north east!
(call for info)

All levels of training are offered to help you achieve your goal(s):

from basic house manners to competitive obedience training
from agility for fun to competition agility
from breed ring basics to fine tuning your skill.

Showing and/or competing with your dog is very rewarding but can also be frustrating.

Why is my dog not getting this?
What am I doing wrong?

Theresa's showing and competing experience gives her the tools to analyze different cases and help you gain control or get that title you are so eager for. In addition to classes, Theresa offers private training sessions by appointment at the Malta location or in your home.

Link to schedule and biography pages

Dog Of the Month April 2006

"GIA"

She is just over a year old and Gia has spent most of that time with us in daycare. Along with her sister, Ava, a weimerwiner, Gia fit right into our dog family! She is a West Highland White Terrier who has no idea she is one of our smallest dogs. Gia can be a firecracker in the yard doing everything she does at full speed and with terrier focus! She can be very obedient and enjoys playing with the big dogs but you can often find her having a game of chase with any willing party!

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.

Calling All Puppies!: 4 week program (see schedule)
For puppies ages 10 to 16 weeks at the time of class - covers leadership exercises including sit, down, following, tracking and coming when called. This fun class will teach your puppy the foundation skills and develop the confidence needed to become a lifetime companion!

Agility Puppy class: 4 week program (see schedule)
For puppies ages 10 weeks and up. This fun, motivating class teaches the foundation of dog agility including obstacle and handling objectives. All obstacles are taught at ground level to keep your puppy safe and to build confidence. Establish techniques that will begin a long love of the sport!

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.

Musical Canine Freestyle: 6 week program (see schedule)
One 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.

Canine Social Hour: 4 week program (see schedule)
This class has been designed for the dog owner that would like to better understand their dogs behavior while interacting with other dogs. This is the perfect class to develop dog savvy skills for walks in town or off leash visits to the dog park. Learn what our dogs are saying to each other and when and how to intervene. This class will be held outside in a secure area.

Intermediate Training

Canine Good Citizen (CGC) workshop/test
Many dog owners choose Canine Good Citizen training as one of the first steps in training their dogs. Our CGC workshop lays the foundation for owners to better understand the challenges and exercises of the CGC and to be well prepared for the CGC test. The workshop is a preview of all 10 items included in the CGC test. It is an opportunity to review, and assess your dog's readiness for the test in a relaxed atmosphere.
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.

Drill It! : 4 week program (see schedule)
Developed for people who may be working toward obedience titles as well as just plain wanting their dogs to really sit and stay at the door when company arrives. Each week different behaviors are selected keeping the focus simple and fun leaving you with a plan of action. Handlers will learn just how rewarding training our dogs can be when we make the time to drill it!

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.

Weave, weave, weave: 6 week Program (see schedule)
With a focus on learning weaves 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 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 Handling: 6 week program (see schedule)
This class, based on the outlines used at Volhard Training Camp, is to teach and clean-up handling skills to improve the teams score and performance. Enter the ring feeling confident and well prepared. The first 3 weeks of this class are without your dog.

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.
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.

Check your leash at the door! : 6 week program (see schedule)
As the name of this class implies, it is completely off leash. Developed for the obedience competitor, we will work AKC Novice exercises to perfection off leash. This class will be held in a fenced environment.

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.

Agility Games: Gamblers, Snooker, Jumpers and Tunnel games. A different game each week! The courses will be at the open level with limited enrollment so all teams get the most out of the hour.

Theresa is also available for coaching the Adult or Junior handler on a private basis. Call for an appointment.