Obedience: Utility
2028-03-20 13:00 - 13:50 (America/Chicago)
Prerequisite: The dog must have earned at least one leg in the Open class toward their CDX, be able to execute scent discrimination among several articles, and have a general understanding of the Directed Retrieve & Directed Jumping exercise, or with the approval of the NOCI Director of Training.
All the skills covered in the Pre-Utility class will be refined to prepare the student to show at the Utility level.

Skills:

Heeling with no verbal commands to their dog (all signals)
A drop, sit, & come using no verbal commands (all signals)
A stand at the halt in the heeling & signal exercise
The scent discrimination exercise, where the dog is trained to find & retrieve an article scented by the handler
The directed retrieve exercise, where the dog will learn to retrieve the correct glove from the three placed out
The moving stand exercise, which includes a more thorough exam than at the Novice level
The directed jumping exercise, which consists of a 40’ go out, and then a directed recall over either the high or the bar jump

Agility: Intermediate | Advanced
2028-03-22 13:00 - 13:50
This class continues the elemental work from the Foundation class and builds on it towards full size equipment. The curriculum will progress with a focus on Distance, Distraction, and Duration of training behaviors that will be built in agility. These are the 3D’s of training a fluid performance in the future. In this class the A-frame will be going upwards towards a full height when dogs are confident as well as the dog walk. Teeter banging and climbing will be built towards performing a complete teeter. Jump work will continue with small skill sets building up towards sequencing. Participants in this class will be directed to add a jump towards weaves and a jump toward contacts and vice versa when teams are ready. Dogs will begin to perform angles towards obstacles and turns upon exits. Handlers will learn to train and perform common sequences to add confidence for the dogs towards doing coursework. Progress in weave-pole training with emphasis on this continuing at home to allow for a confident weaver will be ongoing.
Note, it is difficult to train a dog to weave in a once-a-week class, so it is VERY important for teams to follow up at home or a rental time with this as homework.
Handlers will continue with handling skills on an ongoing basis with importance on connection with the dog, cuing the obstacles, and support of those cues to help the dog with commitment. Obstacle discrimination will be introduced. The handler will learn how to change directions with a post turn, a front cross, a rear cross, and a blind cross is. The handler will begin to learn how and when to perform these handling moves.

Prerequisite: Previous foundation class and director/instructor approval.

Obedience: Open
2028-03-23 13:00 - 13:50
Prerequisite: The dog must have earned at least one leg in the Novice class toward their CD, be holding and retrieving the dumbbell, and be started on the Drop on Recall, or with the approval of the NOCI Director of Training.
All skills introduced in the Pre-Open class will be refined so that eventually the dog can compete at the Open level in AKC or UKC.

Skills:

The drop on recall
The command discrimination exercise (stand, sit, & down from a distance)
Introducing the dumbbell to the dog, and how to get them to hold it
The retrieve on the flat & retrieve over the high jump
The recall over the broad jump
The open version of the stay and get the leash exercise
Variations of these exercises that are used in the UKC Open class
