Obedience Classes

Seattle Agility Center’s Obedience Program is held in our NEW heated, air conditioned building at the Wilderness Business Park (23330-D Maple Valley/Black Diamond Hwy in Maple Valley), just three (3) miles south of our agility center. Visit the Driving Directions webpage for directions. Our classes and Star Puppy Program provide a positive, supportive environment for you, your family and your dog to learn basic through advanced obedience and become the well socialized family member you desire. Our program is designed to help you and your dog work together, have fun together, and build a healthy relationship that lasts a lifetime. The goal of training is to teach the dogs to learn. We do not teach the dog to sit. We teach the dog to LEARN to sit. Dogs learn by mimicking, following lures, emulation, exploration and discovery. The more constructive learning a dog does, especially between ages 0-2 years, the more complex the task the dog is capable of learning throughout its lifetime. Our obedience program facilitates this process.

All dogs participating in classes must be current on shots or provide titer results. Only non-aggressive dogs are appropriate for group classes. If you have a serious behavior or aggression problem, please ask us about resources to help you.

Star Puppy Program

Click here to learn more about this exciting 3 month training program for your puppy.

The following are 7 week, one hour a week classes.
Class Tuition is $155.00 for one dog, $135.00 for second family dog registered in a concurrent obedience class or second concurrent obedience class for same dog.

Beginning Obedience

For dogs 6 months or older or younger puppy graduates from Puppy Kindergarten. Dogs learn controlled leash walking, sit-stay, down-stay, coming when called and appropriate social behaviors. This class increases the teamwork and understanding between dog and person. DO NOT BRING DOG WEEK ONE. This is orientation, so bring your questions!

Intermediate Obedience

For dogs who have completed Beginning Obedience with Seattle Agility Center or with instructor’s approval. Dogs increase sit and down stay skills, prefect coming when called, work on beginning off leash control and learn drop on recalls. Games are used in class to keep dogs and handlers interested. BRING DOG WEEK ONE.

Advanced Obedience/Rally 1

This class goes beyond intermediate obedience and works on increased attention and teamwork, perfecting basic skills and adding cool new skills that will wow your friends and neighbors! Working sequences of skills, games and jumping keep dogs and handlers engaged! The curriculum of this class also begins preparing you to participate in Rally Obedience competitions if you desire. Do you want you and your dog to be the best team you can be?? This is the class for you! Prerequisite: Beginning and intermediate obedience or equivalent, or instructor approval. BRING DOG WEEK ONE.

Watch the Rally Video
Produced By Ford Video

Sampler Class

This exciting class teaches the person who loves interacting with their pal how to keep things interesting and engaging! You will learn some beginning Rally Obedience exercises that will make walking your dog more fun and create more attention on leash. You will learn how to use a clicker to teach your dog tricks that will keep your neighbors oohing and ahhing and give you something to do with Rover on rainy days (not here in the Seattle area....REALLY??). In addition, you will learn simple massage and stretching techniques that help with long term mobility and relaxes you while you relax your dog! All these activities will create a deeper connection and build a stronger friendship with your best friend! Prerequisite: STAR Puppy graduate, Intermediate Obedience, or Instructor approval.

Companion Dog

The Companion Dog class goes beyond intermediate obedience and works on heeling on and off leash, precise turns, long sit, down and stand stays, and happy, fast recalls, all with distractions!!!! The class is designed to begin your team skills for competition obedience, or having a dog you can take anywhere without a worry! Prerequisite: Beginning and intermediate obedience or equivalent, or instructor approval. BRING DOG WEEK ONE.

Off-Leash Control

This class requires instructor permission. Off-Leash Control is designed to give handlers and dogs the skills to have good off-leash control in the presence of other dogs including Heel Free, introductory to Retrieving, Long Sit/Down, introduction to jumping for obedience and multiple team exercises. This class uses games, play and positive reinforcement to teach dogs how to withstand proofing exercises for Off-Leash control. Dogs should be off-leash for up to 80% of class time by week 4.

Canine Good Citizen

The American Kennel Club’s Canine Good Citizen Test is a certification program that tests dogs in simulated everyday community situations. Passing the CGC means your dog has demonstrated he/she has the training and demeanor to be a reliable family member as well as a community member in good standing. This class and certification is for purebred and mixed breed dogs. All dogs that successfully complete the 10 items on the CGC test can receive a certificate from AKC and are automatically recorded in the AKC’s Canine Good Citizen Archives. (NOTE: If you are considering volunteer work with your canine friend as a Pet Partner, this class teaches most of the skills you will need to certify). Completion of the 7 week Canine Good Citizen class includes one free Canine Good Citizen Evaluation at SAC Obedience Center. Beginning obedience is required, and additional training is beneficial. BRING DOG WEEK ONE.

The following are monthly ongoing classes that meet once a week for 90 minutes.
Class tuition is $95.00 per month for one dog.

Rally/Competition Obedience

A great combination of practicing Rally courses and working on basic heeling, figure 8, recall, stays, sit for exam, preparing for competition with AKC in Beginning Rally and Beginning Novice Competition open to purebreed and mixed breed alike! A great way to continue working with your companion dog for increased fun and control whether you wish to compete or not. A Really Fun Class!!!!! Prerequisite Intermediate Obedience or equivalent and full control on leash. This is a monthly ongoing class that meets once per week for 90 minutes.

The following are a 4 week, one hour a week class.
Class tuition is $80.00 for one dog, $70.00 for second family dog registered in same class.

Tricks and Clicks

Teaching your dog tricks is a great way to interact with your dog and deepen the dog/human bond. This class teaches how to train your dog with a clicker and then uses this technique to train and reinforce a medley of tricks! If your dog knows tricks, you can play in your living room on a rainy day and reduce the boredom that can lead to destruction. Lots of Fun for both you and your dog! Pre-requisite: Beginning Obedience or instructor approval. BRING DOG WEEK ONE.

The following is a 3 week, one hour a week class. Class tuition is $50.00 per dog.

Pre-Agility Skills

This class is for owners who want to start their dog in agility but are not sure their dog is ready. Did Rover go to puppy school a year ago, but no formal obedience since? Is Rover home schooled and minds well at home but you aren’t sure you will have control in a stimulating agility class? Or do you simply want to get a head start on the skills needed to be successful in beginning agility classes? This is a 3 week class designed to prepare you and your pal for agility or determine whether Rover does need more training first. Pre-Agility Skills covers focus, appropriate social behaviors, targeting, and basic obedience skills needed to succeed in agility. BRING DOG WEEK ONE.

For the schedule of upcoming classes visit the class schedule page.