Do you want more than a well-mannered dog?
Winston-Salem Dog Training Club offers a variety of activities that will suit handlers and dogs of all ages and abilities. Do not be surprised if you and your dog end up trying more than one of these activities or even adding something new.
Many of our members also participate in other competitive events that we currently do not offer such as: herding, road trials, earthdog, field trials, dock diving, nosework, lure coursing, barn hunt and more.
There really is something for everyone to do with their dog!
Activities
Agility
A team sport which requires a balanced flow of communication and precise movements on the part of both the dog and handler.
Rally
In Rally, the handler navigates a numbered course containing 10-20 stations, depending on the level.
Canine Freestyle
Canine Freestyle is a mixture of obedience training, tricks, and dance that allows for creative interaction between dogs and their owners.
Scent Work
Scent Work is a sport that mimics the task of working detection dogs to locate a scent and communicate to the handler that the scent has been found.
Flyball
A sport in which teams of dogs race against each other from a start/finish line, over a line of hurdles, to a box that releases a tennis ball
Tracking
Companion Dog event that demonstrates a dog’s natural ability to recognize and follow a person’s scent in a wide variety of settings.
Obedience
Competition Obedience goes beyond basic obedience for the home and establishes a working relationship with your dog.
Therapy
If you and your dog seek out and welcome opportunities to interact and spend time with people, then therapy may be for you.
Agility
Club Contact: Sarah Fix
Agility is a team sport which requires a balanced flow of communication and precise movements on the part of both the dog and handler. The goal is to execute an obstacle course containing various jumps, tunnels, seesaw, dog walk, pause table, A-frame and weave poles. The team must perform the obstacles both in the correct sequence and within the allotted time.
WSDTC currently supports two venues for agility, American Kennel Club (AKC) and North American Dog Agility Council (NADAC).
There are three increasingly difficult levels of AKC competition with two classes, A class for novice handlers and B class for experienced handlers. In A class, the team must earn 85 of the 100 points in three trials in order to earn a title and move up to the next class.
Novice: This first level of competition contains14 to 16 obstacles and can be performed with minor handling skills.
Open: After a dog has completed Novice, the next level of competition contains 16 to18 obstacles and requires additional handling skills.
Excellent: At this level, there are 18 to 20 obstacles on the course and requires expert skills. It is quite an honor for a team to earn the Master Agility Champion (MACH) title.
NADAC Agility is similarly structured and offers four levels of competition. Intro, Novice, Open and Elite and divisions for Junior Handler, Veteran Dog, Veteran Handler which allows your dog to jump at a lower jump height depending on a dog or handler's age. The Proficient and Skilled categories allow you vary the jump height. This venue is excellent for beginning agility teams as they offer a variety of competition classes to hone your skills and earn titles: Regular, Jumpers, Tunnelers, Weavers, Touch and Go, Chances and Hoopers.
WSDTC Classes: Agility Foundations is the introductory class and is offered on a rotating basis with the more advanced course. The club also offers specialty classes to work on specific skills and regular practice sessions. Please check the Classes webpage for class schedule.
Canine Freestyle (CFF®)
Club Contact: Sarah Jinnah
Level 1 Brace Practice
Level 2A Practice
Freestyle Practice Level 2 B
Level 2A
This page is dedicated to Canine Freestyle. CFF (Canine Freestyle Federation) which was Founded in 1995, and Incorporated in 1996 by Joan Tennille.
Joan Tennille created the discipline of Canine Freestyle. She has been training dogs for 25 years, first in obedience and now in Canine Freestyle. She has developed a unique training method for this new discipline in the Sport of Dogs; one that combines technical skill in movement, artistic performance relative to a dog and handler team and creativity. Before competing with dogs, Joan was a dancer, choreographer and teacher. She founded the Canine Freestyle Federation as the governing body for this new dog sport and to oversee its development as a competitive event and a source for educational material.
Canine Freestyle is all about the dog and his training. As a team, dog and handler, train in movement, the dog’s movement enhanced by the handler’s movement and as a team create movement patterns to focus on the dog’s best attributes and to express to others their unique relationship.The fun is in the diversity of movements created by each team. Movement trained in this manner develops a well-conditioned dog with the potential to problem solve. The technical progressions enhance training in other disciplines such as agility, obedience, and rally. The creative work included within the class structure develops greater listening and communication skills between dog and handler and develops mutual trust and understanding.
Canine Freestyle is about building a team relationship where each member is one half of the whole team picture; moving together as one and expressing the delight and joy they have working and training together. It’s celebrating the work of your dog and what he does best in your own unique presentation.
Federation competitions are for all dogs regardless of heritage. There are 4 Levels for exhibiting. Teams may enter at either Level I or II, on or off lead. Each titling event is a celebration of dog work.
WSDTC Classes: Canine Freestyle I is the introductory course. The introductory course along with more advanced classes are offered on a rotating basis throughout the year. Please check the Classes webpage for class schedule.
Additional Information: Canine Freestyle Federation®
AKC Canine Good Citizen® Program
Club Contact:
AKC's Canine Good Citizen® (CGC)program is designed to promote responsible ownership and recognize those dogs who have been trained to be well-mannered canine citizens. Any mixed breed or purebred immunized puppy or dog of any age may participate. In order to take the CGC test, the owner must sign the AKC's Responsible Owners' Pledge and the dog must successfully pass a test consisting of ten skills relevant to daily living in the home and community.
When an AKC registered dog successfully passes the CGC test, the owner may submit the evaluation to AKC to receive the CGC Certificate or the option of a CGC Title.
WSDTC Classes: Our CGC class will help you to train the ten skills needed to become an AKC Canine Good Citizen. Please check the Classes webpage for class schedule.
WSDTC CGC Test: After each CGC class, our club's AKC authorized evaluators conduct a CGC Test to test those skills.
AKC CGC Testing Brochure
AKC CGCA Testing Items
AKC Urban Testing Items
Ten Good Canine Citizen Skills
Calmly allows handler to greet stranger
Sits politely for petting
Is clean, appears healthy and allows grooming
Walks on a loose lead
Walks politely through a crowd
Sits, lays down and stays on command
Comes to handler when called
Behaves politely with another dog
Tolerates a visual and sound distraction
Accepts supervised separation
CGC Owner's Commitment
Take care of their dog's health needs, safety, exercise, training and quality of life.
Show responsibility by cleaning up after their dogs and never letting dogs infringe on the rights of others.
CGC Certification Test
What to Bring: Your dog; Fabric or leather leash; Buckle, snap or slip collar (leather, fabric or chain) or a properly fitted non-restrictive harness; Copy of Dog's Rabies Certificate (tag is not accepted); brush of comb and $10.00 Test Fee (Cash or Check Payable to WSDTC)
What is not allowed: Prong collars, head halters, electric collars or restrictive training harnesses; food or treats cannot be on your body or given to the dog during the test and any dog on the property that demonstrates aggression will not be tested or certified
Flyball (NAFA®)
Club Contact: Becky Parker
Winston-Salem Dog Training Club is the home of the First in Flight Flyball Team®.
Flyball is a high-speed relay race in which four dogs and their handlers compete against another team of dogs and handlers as they race against each other and the clock.
The course consists of two 51-foot lanes placed side-by-side with four jumps each and a flyball box which holds the dog's ball. The start line is electronically controlled and the start dog crosses the start when the light turns green. The dog must jump each of the four jumps, push on the box to release the ball, turn 180 degrees and return over all four jumps to meet the next dog on the team as close to the start as possible. The first team to have all 4 dogs finish the course, without error, wins the heat. If the team finishes in less than 32 seconds, all the dogs running in the heat earn points toward their flyball dog titles: Flyball Dog, Flyball Master, ONYX and Flyball Grand Champion.
WSDTC Classes: Flyball I is the introductory course. This class is offered periodically by the First in Flight Flyball Team since it alternates with the advanced course. Due to the nature of the sport, dogs must have a good temperament and will be assessed for suitability for flyball prior to class and during the session. Please check the First in Flight webpage for more information. Please check the Classes webpage for class schedule.
Competitive Obedience
Club Contact: Rickie Morrison
Winston-Salem is an American Kennel Club (AKC) Member Club and we conduct AKC sanctioned Obedience Events in the Spring and Fall.
Competition Obedience goes beyond basic obedience for the home and establishes a working relationship with your dog. Any dog registered with AKC or enrolled in AKC’s Canine Partners or Purebred Alternative Listing (PAL) program may enter an AKC trial. In competition, the dog and handler team perform each designated exercise and are judged on how accurately and precise those exercises are executed. However, the natural movement of the handler and the willingness and enjoyment of the dog are very important.
The following three competition classes have evolved to include several intermediary classes of competition providing many opportunities to exhibit your proficiency:
Novice Class demonstrates good canine companion skills such as: heeling, with and without a leash, performing a figure 8, coming when called, standing for a simple physical examination, and finally staying in a sit and then a down position with a group of dogs while the handler watches.
The Open Class is more challenging since the heel and figure-8 exercises are done off leash. The dog must drop on recall which involves coming to the handler, laying down and again coming when called. The dog retrieves a dumbbell thrown on the floor and again when thrown over the high jump (going over the jump in both directions). The broad jump exercise is added and the sit and down stays are longer and performed with the handler out-of-sight.
Utility is the most challenging class which includes: Scent discrimination where the dog distinguishes and retrieves the article with the handler’s scent from a pile of matching articles. Retrieve the glove indicated by the handler. The dog must go out and jump over the high and/or bar jumps as directed by the handler. The team performs a moving stand and the dog stands for examination by the judge. The handler must also silently signal the dog to: stand, stay, down, sit and come.
Obedience is a companion dog titling event and three passing (170 of the initial 200 points) scores by two different judges are needed to earn an obedience title. Titles are shown after a dog’s name: Novice (CD), Open (CDX) and Utility (UD). The highest level, Obedience Trial Champion Title (OTCH), requires ten qualifying scores in both Open B and Utility B events and 100 cumulative points.
WSDTC Classes: Rally & Obedience Introduction is the introductory course for Competitive Obedience. Advanced level classes are regularly offered and there are a variety of specialty classes which provide specific skill building opportunities to handlers and their dogs. Please check the Classes webpage for the class schedule.
AKC Rally®
Club Contact: Sandra Averitt
American Kennel Club (AKC) Rally is a great way to build a working relationship with your dog, meet new friends and participate in a sport that is fun and challenging. These classes are an excellent introduction to obedience for new dogs and handlers as it develops basic obedience skills and measures the teamwork between the handler (you) and the dog.
In Rally, the handler navigates a numbered course containing 10-20 stations, depending on the level. The judge tells the handler to begin but gives no other direction. Each station has an illustrated sign requiring a skill to be performed before advancing to the next station. Encouragement and praise are allowed.
Any dog registered with AKC or enrolled in AKC’s Canine Partners or Purebred Alternative Listing (PAL) program may compete in an AKC Rally Trial. Rally is a companion titling event and three passing (70 of the initial 100 points) scores are needed to earn a title. Titles are shown after a dog’s name: Rally Novice (RN), Rally Advanced (RA) and Rally Excellent (RE). The Rally Advanced Excellent Title (RAE) requires ten qualifying scores in both Advanced and Excellent competitions.
WSDTC Classes: Rally & Obedience Introduction is the initial class and is offered on a rotating basis with the more advanced course. Please check the Classes webpage for class schedule.
AKC® Scent Work
Club Contact: Ellen James
Scent Work is basically challenging a handler and dog team to locate scents that are hidden. It is based on the task of working detection dogs to locate a scent and communicate to the handler that the scent has been found. Dogs communicate or indicate this in various ways: lying down, sitting, looking at the handler or touching with their nose, etc. Dog/handler teams spend a lot of time training for Scent Work. The dog must be trained to recognize the scent and the handler must learn to read their dog!
The scents that are used are Birch, Anise, Clove and Cypress. These are in the form of essential oils that are placed on the end of a Q-tip (only a couple of drops are needed) and hidden by the judge. The scents are barely perceptible to humans. The the dog/handler team must correctly find where the Q-tip is hidden.
There are four “Elements” or environments:
1- Container: scent is concealed within a container (such as a cardboard box or purse)
2- Buried: scent is concealed within a shoebox sized plastic container which contains either sand or water. (A grate is placed on top of the container to prevent the dog from disturbing the hide)
3- Interior: scent is concealed on or in an object in an indoor search area (such as underneath a table or chair arm)
4- Exterior: scent is concealed on or in an object in an outdoor search area (such as under a pine cone or rock)
Each element has four classes, corresponding to four difficulty levels: Novice, Advanced, Excellent and Masters. Dogs will begin with the Novice level classes and move up as they earn titles. Factors such as the size of the search area, the number of hides, whether the number of hides is known or unknown to the handler, and the maximum height of the hides will change with the difficulty level.
If you would like more information about Scent Work, here is a link to the AKC website…https://www.akc.org/sports/akc-scent-work/
AKC® Tracking
Club Contact: Louisa Arendt
Dogs have a highly developed sense of smell; one that is many times stronger than humans. Due to this amazing ability, dogs are used to find lost people, animals, drugs, bombs, insects (such as termites or bed bugs), and even cancer. AKC Tracking is a Companion Dog event that demonstrates a dog’s natural ability to recognize and follow a person’s scent in a wide variety of settings. Unlike other Companion Dog events such as obedience or rally or agility trials, the dog is completely in charge in tracking – using his nose to follow the ground scent of the track layer from the start to the end of the track. The handler’s job is to learn to trust their dog – the dog tells the handler where the track goes, not the other way around!
Tracking Dog (TD) – A TD track is 440 to 500 yards long with three to five changes of direction (turns) and is laid in an open field with uniform cover. The track is laid by a human tracklayer that places a cloth article at the start of the track and a glove or wallet at the end of the track. The track is "aged" at least 30 minutes but no more than two hours before the dog begins “running” the track. The owner follows the dog at a minimum distance of 20 feet. There are no obstacles on the track. This track requires the dog complete a certification track successfully before entering.
Tracking Dog Urban (TDU) – The TDU track is similar to a TD track, but is located in an urban environment that may contain paved sidewalks, lightly traveled road, parking lots, and other non-vegetated surfaces. The track must have at least two different surfaces – one vegetated and one non-vegetated. The track is 400 to 500 yards long with three to five changes of direction. There are a total of three articles along the track – one at the start, one at the end, and one about midway through the track. This track requires the dog complete a certification track successfully before entering.
Tracking Dog Excellent (TDX) - The TDX track is 800 to 100 yards long, has been aged at least 3 hours, but no more than 5 hours. The tracklayer places four dissimilar articles along the track – one at the start, one at the end, and two others someplace along the track. Additionally, the track as two sets of cross (diversionary) tracks as well as scenting obstacles (such as woods, a road, changes in cover.) The dog must have successfully earned a TD or TDU title before entering this type of test.
Variable Surface Tracking (VST) – The VST track is 600 to 800 yards long, has been aged at least 3 hours, but no more than 5 hours. The track is located in an urban environment such as a business park, a school, or university. The dog must demonstrate the ability to follow a track over non-vegetative surfaces (including turns.) There are four articles (one each of cloth, leather, plastic, and metal) along the track – one at the start, one at the end, and two in-between. The dog must have successfully earned a TD or TDU title before entering this type of test.
WSDTC Classes: Tracking I is the introductory class and it is offered on a rotating basis with the advanced class. Please check the Classes webpage for class schedule.
Therapy Dogs
Club Contact: Sherrie Johns
Winston Salem Dog Training Club is the home to a group of compassionate, volunteer handlers and their dogs. If you and your dog have the dedication and desire to make a difference in the quality of life for patients in care facilities, therapy may be for you.
While a dog may be either purebred or a mixed breed, not all dogs are qualified or have the temperament to be a Therapy Dog. WSDTC offers training classes to prepare canine prospects for a life serving others.
WSDTC Classes: Therapy Dog Training classes require Canine Good Citizen certification. Therapy dog training is regularly offered at WSDTC for handlers interested in working in the community.