Group Obedience Training | Private Lessons | Puppy Kindergarten | Beginning Obedience | Intermediate Obedience | Agility | Puppy Agility | Agility Foundations | Agility 1 | Agility 2

Group Obedience Training
Group classes in obedience allow your dog to learn good manners and desirable behaviors with a small group of dogs and their families. If your dog performs beautifully at home but “forgets” behaviors everywhere else, group classes are for you!

Classes are taught using positive reinforcement techniques only. We focus on what we want your dog to do and reward that behavior when it happens. You and your dog will learn to enjoy training as a team using these reward-based methods.

Group classes cover all of the basic cues such as SIT and STAY, but also teach you:

• How dogs learn
• How your dog communicates with his body and how he interprets your body language
• How and why it is important to be a kind and benevolent pack leader
• Why timing and consistency are crucial to your dog’s success
• How to use clickers to enhance your dog’s learning process

Three Rivers Training offers classes for all ages and all breeds. Young dogs between the ages of 10 weeks and 8 months attend Puppy Kindergarten. Older dogs can choose between Beginning Obedience and Intermediate Obedience. All classes run for six weeks and the cost is $100. Discounts are available for additional dogs within the family either for the same six week session or a subsequent session.

Group obedience classes are not for dogs that are reactive or aggressive in any way to other dogs or people. If your dog has a reactivity or aggression problem, please consider private lessons.

Puppy Kindergarten
Designed for puppies between 10 weeks and 8 months of age, this class focuses on getting your puppy off to a good start.Socialization is a big part of puppy class - teaching your puppy how to play appropriately with other dogs and enjoy the company of children and adults.

Your puppy will learn bite inhibition (how to inhibit the strength of his bite) and begin to master many of the behaviors necessary for good manners such as Sit, Down, Come, Stay, and walking on a loose leash. You will be taught positive leadership skills, body language, and the philosophy of how puppies learn. Understanding canine learning theory will give you the confidence you need to enable you to teach your puppy anything you wish him to learn. Information on grooming and health care is also included.

Small breed puppies (under 20 pounds at maturity) may attend Puppy Kindergarten up through 12 months of age. Medium and large breed puppies over the age of 8 months may attend with the trainer’s permission. All puppies must have proof of current vaccinations – a minimum of two sets of the distemper series and rabies if age appropriate. The bordetella vaccine (kennel cough) is recommended, but not required.

Beginning Obedience
Designed for any non-aggressive dog over 8 months of age, this class focuses on improving your skills as the benevolent leader of the pack, helping you understand how dogs communicate with their body and their voice, socializing safely and politely, and learning basic behaviors such as Down, Stay, Come, and walking on a loose leash. Information on grooming and health care is also included.

The Beginning Obedience class is excellent for dogs without any formal training or dogs that have been trained at home, but want to practice around distractions in a new location. It is also a good choice for families that have recently adopted a rescue dog. Training is one of the best ways to create a bond between you and your new family member.

All dogs must have proof of current vaccinations. Spaying or neutering is recommended, but not required as is the bordetella vaccine (kennel cough).

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Agility
Agility is a game in which handlers direct their dogs through an obstacle course in a race for time and accuracy.  Agility helps to increase your dog’s confidence, coordination, balance and stamina while teaching you to perform effectively as team.  All sizes and breeds of dogs can participate in agility. Although competition is the ultimate goal for some teams, learning agility through Three Rivers Training focuses more on fun and fitness.

Three Rivers Training offers agility options for puppies and adult dogs. Full height obstacles are not introduced until your dog has safely finished growing. This is approximately 1 year for small breed dogs and 18 months for large breed dogs. Three Rivers Training offers four different agility classes: Puppy Agility Agility Foundations Agility 1 Agility 2 The Agility Foundations, Agility 1, and Agility 2 classes can be repeated as often as necessary to allow dog/handler teams to master the skills taught at each level. All classes run for six weeks and the cost is $80.

Because these classes are held outdoors, they are only offered in the spring, summer, and fall. Please call (509) 341-4353 or email threeriverstraining@yahoo.com for a current schedule.

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Puppy Agility
For puppies two to six months, Puppy Agility will give you and your puppy a safe and positive introduction to agility training. Puppy Agility is designed to be easy on growing joints and bones – no jumping or weaving.

Because there is no prerequisite for this class, Puppy Agility will teach you how to instruct your puppy with positive, reward-based training, how to use the clicker, and help your puppy learn basic behaviors such as sit, down, stay, and come. Puppy Agility will also include games to build drive, focus and teamwork and introduce some of the agility foundation skills such as targeting and contact training.

For a schedule of upcoming Puppy Agility classes, please call (509) 341-4353 or email threeriverstraining@yahoo.com.

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Agility Foundations
For dogs of any age with no prior agility experience or dogs who need a refresher on foundation behaviors. All dogs must be able to sit and lie down on cue, hold a brief stay, and maintain control around other dogs.

The Agility Foundations class gives dogs the skills necessary to succeed on an agility course. This class teaches dogs to focus on their handler in spite of distractions such as noise, movement, and other dogs and their handlers. Agility Foundations also teaches behaviors such as targeting, attention, body awareness, basic handling techniques, focus, and self control. Preparatory equipment such as the wobble board and low plank will be used to introduce your dog to the concepts of height, noise, and movement.  

For a schedule of upcoming Agility Foundation classes, please call (509) 341-4353 or email threeriverstraining@yahoo.com.

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Agility 1
For dogs of any age who have completed Agility Foundations. Agility 1 continues building on the behaviors learned in the foundations class, adding more handling techniques and an introduction to each of the agility obstacles. Dogs will learn how to negotiate each obstacle correctly and safely. Jumps are kept at low heights as are contact equipment such as the dog walk and teeter.

For a schedule of upcoming Agility 1 classes, please call (509) 341-4353 or email threeriverstraining@yahoo.com.

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Agility 2
For dogs of any age that have mastered the skills taught in both Agility Foundations and Agility 1. Any dog enrolled in Agility 2 must be able to perform each of the obstacles correctly on cue and be under the handler’s control off leash.

A continuation of Agility 1, Agility 2 adds angles and distance to the handler’s directions and introduces simple sequences. Strategies for building desire, speed, and accuracy to your dog’s performance are also included.

For a schedule of upcoming Agility 2 classes, please call (509) 341-4353 or email threeriverstraining@yahoo.com.

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