SDTC currently offers the following classes:

POSITIVE PUPPY CLASS Noelle Nasca
Noelle's "Positive Puppy" class is intended to provide puppies and their families with an opportunity for socialization and obedience education in a safe, well managed, motivating, fun environment! Each week puppies are introduced to new commands as well as novel social situations. Creating a strong, healthy bond built on leadership and trust, preparing our puppies for the world, and fostering manners and control are the guiding concerns of this program. Registration is open to puppies under 20 weeks of age at the start of the session.
PUPPY CLASS Sarah Connaughton CPDT
Designed for puppies age 10 weeks to 6 months, this class will build a strong foundation for you and your puppy with proper socialization and basic training. You will train the sit, come, down, wait and stay and do attention work, all at the puppy level with an emphasis on leash handling and basic control. Everyone who spends quality time with the puppy is encouraged to participate in the class. Handouts are provided every week along with individual attention if needed. This is an eight-week course. Click here to download the application.
BEGINNER/CONTINUING PUPPY CLASS Sarah Connaughton CPDT
This class is designed for people with dogs 6 months and older or who have finished the puppy level and for dogs that have not taken a class before. This class teaches all the basics of obedience, including the sit, come, down, stay, wait and attention work. By continuing in this class, you will work on these exercises in different situations and under distractions. The class also provides an introduction to all Canine Good Citizen exercises and some fun agility obstacles. This is a four-week course.
COMPANION DOG Noelle Nasca This obedience class is geared for the adolescent to adult dog. Methods used in this class are reward-based and motivational for the dog and trainer! Training becomes fun and inviting and serves to strengthen your relationship with your pet in a healthy, positive, well balanced manner. The program focuses on teaching commands that foster a well behaved canine companion. Exercises include (but are not limited to) sit, down, stay, wait, polite leash walking, coming when called, stand and greeting manners. This class will give you and your dog a valuable opportunity to work on good manners and refining obedience skills in the presence of other dogs and people in a safe and positive environment.
BEGINNER BASICS Carol Harty
Each session is 8 weeks long. Classes are one hour, once a week. Emphasis is placed on training your dog to be a well-behaved, enjoyable companion. The following will be covered: coming when called, walking nicely on a loose leash, sit-stay, down-stay, sit for greeting (without jumping up), waiting at doors, accepting handling, restraint, and grooming, "leave it" and play retrieving. We will discuss common behavioral problems and how to solve them, such as barking, jumping, unruly behavior and more. You will learn how to integrate your training into everyday life, to enhance the relationship you have with your dog. Every class includes written handouts and will cover training and management topics. Families are welcome and encouraged to attend these classes.
BASIC PET OBEDIENCE Patricia Nagel
This class is a basic introduction to obedience, covering the major commands needed to control your dog and pass a Canine Good Citizen test. It also serves as an introduction and overview of the many areas of training and competition available in dog sports. The class is designed to be a fun obedience class and to help people get started in dogs as a hobby.
CANINE GOOD CITIZEN PREPARATION CLASS Carol Harty
This class is for those who have successfully completed a beginner's class. The session runs 8 weeks. Classes are held for one hour, once a week. In this class, basic skills will be perfected by training with increasing distractions. The CGC test is given at the eighth week of class, with certification awarded to qualifying participants. The Canine Good Citizen Program was started in 1989 by the American Kennel Club to give recognition to owners who have a well-behaved pet and to show the general public that dogs can be "good citizens."
RALLY Sue DiBianca
AKC Rally was designed to bridge the gap between the Canine Good Citizen Program and competitive obedience. This fun sport fosters teamwork between dog and handler. The class is designed to teach handlers how to properly perform the various Rally stations. Before starting Rally, dogs should have knowledge of basic obedience skills, including heel, stay, sit and down commands. The Novice level is designed for beginning dogs. All stations are performed on lead. The Advanced/Excellent classes are designed for more advanced dogs that can work off lead. More information on Rally as a sport can be found on the AKC website at www.akc.org.
INTRODUCTION TO COMPETITION OBEDIENCE Esther Cassatt
This is a beginner obedience class designed to start your puppy (or young dog) on the right "paw" that will set him up with a solid foundation to head for competition. You and your pup will learn basic obedience commands (sit, stay, down, stand, heel, come and finishes) as well as walking with his head up, rapid recalls and giving you the attention needed to pursue obedience competition. All of this is taught in an easy, comprehensive method. Positive motivation is a must, as you and your dog learn how to communicate with each other. This is an eight-week, one-hour course with homework sheets to follow up on the lessons at home. Esther feels that fun is the only way to train, for you and your dog!
GETTING RING READY Esther Cassatt This is a proofing class to get you and your dog into the obedience ring and ready to compete. We are currently focusing on Novice and Open but plan to expand into Utility soon.
AGILITY Sarah Connaughton CPDT
Sarah's agility classes introduce participants to a fun, safe and motivational introduction of agility obstacles. Students and dogs start with modified regulation equipment leading to full size. The class works with positive motivational techniques, mostly using clicker training, to which you will be introduced. Your dog will learn contact zones, proper jumping technique, beginner sequencing and getting your dog to go ahead of you. Class size is limited to allow for individual attention. These classes give you a proper start if you plan to compete in agility trials but are also fun and great for anyone interested in building quality time with your dog. Pre Agility can be taken after a basic pet class. We will begin with basic to advanced obedience and distraction and work into basic agility obstacles. Beginner Agility works with contact agility obstacles and moving into sequencing. Competition Classes are offered outside in a fenced area for those who are interested and have passed the beginner level.
CONFORMATION HANDLING Patricia Nagel Training is offered for conformation handlers of all levels, from the beginner to the experienced handler looking for an opportunity to practice with their dog in a show-ring setting. This class is held outdoors at the Fairgrounds during good weather and indoors at SDTC in poor weather, allowing dogs to experience showing in many conditions. For information on off-site programs, contact: Field Training for Retrievers Diane Sanfilippo - 585-535-7363 Michele Rappl - 716-649-1656 Tracking - All levels. Readying the dog and handler for tracking tests. Informal practice sessions are held at various locations and times. Linda Gonzalez - 716-649-4998 Marj Brown - 716-549-2023 Jory Herbert - 716-662-1436 Junior Handling - Preparing children to showing their dogs in the breed ring. Patricia Nagel - 716-549-0851

Click for the class schedule