DOCOH Obedience

Developed in the 1930s, Obedience is one of the AKC’s oldest sporting events and is open to all purebred and mixed breed dogs who are AKC registered.  From on and off-leash heeling to retrieving, jumping and demonstrating your dog’s ability to obey a variety of commands with willingness and enjoyment while working, Obedience trials feature dogs that are well-behaved at home, in public places, and in the presence of other dogs. For more information about the AKC’s Competition Obedience program, please go to the following page: https://www.akc.org/sports/obedience/

History Of Competition Obedience

AKC Obedience Trials owe their existence to a pioneer in the sport of purebred dogs, Mrs. Helen Whitehouse Walker who was a breeder of Standard Poodles under the name Carillon Kennels. Her dogs gained recognition as dogs with outstanding quality and character and she had to fight the stereotype at the time that Poodles were nothing more than just a fancy haircut. To combat that image, she devised a series of exercises to showcase their intelligence, borrowing the idea from England’s sponsorship of the Associated Sheep, Police & Army Dog Society. This Society had developed competitive tests that were open to all breeds of dogs. Mrs. Walker approached dog clubs and private kennel owners with her idea of holding competitive tests in conjunction with dog shows in the area. With months of hard work and perseverance in October of 1933, the first Obedience Trial (then called a test) was held on her father’s estate in Mt. Kisco, New York. There were 8 dogs entered in that first obedience test, 2 Labrador Retrievers, 3 Poodles, 2 English Springer Spaniels, and 1 German Shepherd Dog. The winner was a Labrador Retriever owned by William F. Hutchison of Far Hills, New Jersey.

The enthusiasm for this new event spread quickly, and Mrs. Walker scrambled to organize a second test to be held in conjunction with the North Westchester Kennel Club show in June of 1934. She sent a letter to the American Kennel Gazette (AKC’s official publication) stating that test classes could become popular, not only to prove the value of developing a dog’s brain but also in getting the interest of the average visiting public at a show. The judging of dogs in the breed classes is a mystery to many, but a series of tests displaying the dog’s brain is something they can actually see. Initially, there was only 1 obedience class. The exercises included heeling on-leash and off-leash, sitting for 2 minutes and lying down for 5 minutes while the owner went out of sight, a drop on recall where the dog was commanded to lie down when it is halfway to the handler and then called to come and sit in front of the handler), retrieving a 2 pound dumbbell and retrieving another slightly lighter dumbbell over a 42″ jump (both exercises regardless of breed size !).

Mrs. Walker emphasized the importance of dog owners to develop a deeper relationship with their dogs. She encouraged amateurs to participate in obedience tests and stressed accuracy and precision in performance while the dog demonstrated enjoyment and willingness to work. She submitted the first set of guidelines and procedures for obedience tests to the American Kennel Club for consideration on December 7th, 1935. On March 10th, 1936, the American Kennel Club approved the first set of regulations titled “Regulations and Standards for Obedience Test Field Trials”.
~Excerpt from “The Story of Dog Obedience” by Blanche Saunders, Howell Books (1974)

Obedience tests were divided into the three levels of competition that are known as the Regular classes today: Novice, Open and Utility. The exercises in Mrs. Walker’s initial test were in the Open class with less challenging exercises in Novice and more challenging exercises in Utility. The Obedience Regulations have expanded to facilitate the sport of obedience to grow and flourish through the years, but the core values that Mrs. Walker strove to instill in obedience competitors are still with us today. Obedience dogs are true family companions that share their lives with the people who showcase their skills in a competitive arena.

Obedience Training

Our Obedience classes are open to all purebred and mixed breed dogs. We offer a variety of classes from Puppy to Adult for basic manners to competitive classes and advanced practices to train and prepare your dog to compete in obedience trials. Anyone interested in participating in any other type of dog sport must have a strong foundation in basic obedience on their dog. Registrations for all of our classes must be completed and paid for online via our Class Registration page.

Obedience Class Descriptions

This is the order of classes where you start your training, based on your dog’s age. All of these classes are 6-week sessions and cost $100.00. Please see our Calendar for the dates when these classes are offered. For a more detailed description of each class, including any pre-requisite classes or training, please review the listings under our  Class Descriptions page.

Canine Good Citizen Class

This class focuses solely on the 10 elements needed to pass the AKC CGC evaluation. Registration is open to any dog that has taken our 6-week Manners or STAR Puppy classes or similar group training. The CGC evaluation is offered to all attendees on the last night of class.

Obedience Skills Drill Class

Obedience Skills practice is a fun, fast-paced group class open to all dogs who have taken any of our core 6-week training classes or have had other similar group training; dogs with no prior general obedience training are not eligible to participate in this class. Please refer to the Obedience Skills Drill Class listing on our Calendar for dates and time when this class is offered and how to register: https://dogclubofhollywood.com/calendar-2025/

Competition Obedience Classes

If you are interested in expanding into the world of competition obedience, the Obedience Skills class is where you will start your training. The Skills class and advanced competition classes are offered at certain times throughout the year as scheduled on the Calendar. For a more detailed description of each class, including any pre-requisite classes or training, please review the listings under our Class Description page.

Obedience Skills Class

This is a 3-week introductory class geared towards beginner handlers who have not previously trained for competitive Obedience/Rally or competed in trials. This class is the pre-requisite for all beginner handlers in order to register for any advanced competition Obedience and Rally classes.

Dogs must have participated in any of our core 6-week classes or similar training in order to register for this class. This class is also open to experienced handlers who want to brush up on their skills with a new dog or focus on remedial work with a current dog.

Competition Obedience Level I

This is a 6-week class is for beginner handlers who have started training for competitive Obedience but have not yet competed in trials, as well as handlers with prior training and trialing experience who have a new dog to train. All beginner handlers must have taken our 3-week Obedience Skills class as a pre-requisite for this class.

Competition Obedience Level II

This 6-week class will focus on the foundation for getting the handler and dog ready to enter obedience trials at the Novice, Graduate Novice and Graduate Open class levels. All handlers must have completed the 6-week Competition Obedience Level I class or have similar training/trialing experience.

Competition Obedience Level III

This 6-week class is for handlers who are training or trialing in competitive Obedience in the Novice, Graduate Novice or Graduate Open classes and want to learn the next level of competition.

DOCOH Contacts