The basic objective of obedience is to train your dog to behave in the home, in public places and in the presence of other dogs.
Obedience trials demonstrate the dog's ability to follow specified routines in the obedience ring and emphasize the usefulness of the purebred dog as a companion to man.
Rally is a companion sport to Obedience. Both require teamwork between dog and handler along with similar performance skills. Rally provides an excellent introduction to Companion Events for new dogs and handlers, and can provide a challenging opportunity for competitors in other events to strengthen their skills.
Rally is a sport in which the dog and handler complete a course that has been designed by a judge. The judge tells the handler to begin and the dog and handler proceed at their own pace through a course of designated stations. Each of these stations has a sign providing instructions regarding the next skill that is to be performed. Scoring is not as rigorous as traditional obedience
Started in 1989, CGC is a certification program that is designed to reward dogs who have good manners at home and in the community. The Canine Good Citizen Program is a two-part program that stresses responsible pet ownership for owners and basic good manners for dogs. All dogs who pass the 10-step CGC test may receive a certificate from the American Kennel Club.
Many dog owners choose Canine Good Citizen training as the first step in training their dogs. The Canine Good Citizen Program lays the foundation for other AKC activities such as obedience, agility, tracking, and performance events.
Leon Ember, started teaching dog obedience with the Greater Columbia