Classes

Class Information

  • All of our classes are held Wednesday nights.
  • Three sessions are offered annually (Fall, Winter, Spring).
  • Each session consists of 8 or 9 classes.
  • Each class is 45 minutes long, with a 15-minute break between classes to allow for class changeover, chats with instructors.  
  • Students must be 12 years or older and are required to be a club member to train with our club.

Fees and Refund Policy

Class Fees

Refund Policy

  • All refunds will be subject to a $10 administration fee.
  • If you cancel your class after registration, but before classes begin, there will be a complete refund.
  • If you cancel your class on or before the second night of class, one half of your fee will be refunded.
  • If you cancel your class after the second night of classes, there will be no refund.
  • Membership fees are non refundable.

Class Descriptions

Puppy & Beginner Classes

Puppy

  • Puppy is for puppies between 3 – 5 ½ months old when they start the class. If you have a young dog who will be older than 5 ½ months when classes begin, you should consider the Pet Manners or Focus & Foundation classes instead.
  • Puppy class provides socialization and teaches basic obedience (sit, down, come on command and walking on leash), grooming and general health care.
  • The fee for this class is $120.00

Pet Manners

  • Pet Manners is for puppies between 5 1/2 to 12 months old when classes begin and have not been to any class including Puppy class.
  • Pet Manners is an introductory class for dogs who would benefit from basic household training.
  • Topics taught in this class include: focus, sit, down, settle, recall, grooming, preparing for the vet visit, walking on leash, and jumping up.

Focus & Foundation

  • Focus & Foundation is for dogs who will be older than 5 1/2 months when classes begin, have not taken any classes other than Puppy or a socialization class, and hope to continue with additional training for dog sports.
  • Focus & Foundation is recommended for dog and handler teams just starting out in dog obedience and dog sports, as it lays the groundwork for all follow-on classes.
  • Topics taught in this class include: an introduction to sit, stay, down, and recalls. Walking politely on leash and pivot work are also covered. Focus and attention work is an important part of this class and teamwork with your dog is emphasized.

Beginners

  • Beginners is for dogs who will be older than 5 ½ months when classes begin and have already completed some formal training.

  • Topics taught in this class include: sit, down, come on command, walking on leash, sit for exam, and long sit & down stays.

  • Additional Obedience classes are often required to polish your teamwork and make your dog a well-mannered canine citizen or to ready the team for competition.

  • This class is required if you are interested in continuing on in any Obedience or Rally dog sports.

Obedience Classes

Novice

  • Novice is for dogs that have completed a Beginner’s class.
  • Novice reinforces and builds upon the basic Pre-Novice and Novice exercises, as defined by the Canadian Kennel Club (CKC)  and as learned in Beginners (sit, down, stand and come on command; walking on leash; and sit, down and stand-stays).

Advanced

  • Advanced is for dogs that can do all the Novice exercises (Heel on & off leash, Figure Eight, Stand For Examination, Recall, and Long Sit and Long Down exercises), but who require refinement and increased precision.

Trials Practice

  • Trials Practice is for dogs that can do all the Novice exercises.
  • Trials Practice focuses on the handler (footwork, body language, etc.), trial preparations and procedures, distraction training.

Intermediate

  • Intermediate is for dogs that have at least 1 CD (Companion Dog) leg.
  • This class is an introduction to Open work (i.e., heeling off leash, retrieving, jumping, drop on recall, and long sits and downs with handlers out of the room).

Open

  • Open is for dogs that have completed Intermediate and can do most Open exercises. They must have a reliable retrieve and dependable out-of-sight sits and downs.
  • This class focuses on refining those exercises that require more work.

Trials Open

  • Trials Open is for dogs who are ready to trial in Open.
  • This class focuses on trialing, proofing, handler errors, refining and increasing precision.

Beginners Utility

  •  Beginners Utility is for dogs that have at least 1 CDX (Companion Dog Excellent) leg.
  • This class is an introduction to the Utility exercises (scent articles, signals, directed jumping, glove and moving stand).

Utility

  • Utility is for dogs working well in Utility who are trialing or preparing to trial.
  • This class focuses on refinement, precision, handler errors, distraction training and trial procedures.

Rally Classes

Novice

  • Novice rally is a beginner level class is where the handler and dog learn the first 40 signs in rally. Courses will be laid out and the rally team will learn each sign with the instructor and then practice them by going through the course together.
  • Dogs who are reactive to other dogs will not have an easy time as we offer the class in a hall with other classes underway, and we often run two dogs on the course at a time.
  • Basic obedience skills are required to join a novice rally class: Sit, Down, a form of Heel. A dog that has learned to focus on its handler will be an asset that will grow in rally.  A beginner obedience class like Focus & Foundation or Beginners is advised.

Intermediate

  • Intermediate rally provides a continuation of learning from Novice rally with approximately 23 more signs to learn. These signs focus on teaching the handler to pay attention to both their dog and the next activity in front of them. While teaching the dog increased impulse control and focus through more sits and turns in sync with its handler. During this level early off-leash learning can be begun if the rally team is ready. 
  • Prerequisites to this class are: completion of at least one session of Novice rally classes OR at least one leg of a Rally Novice title.

Advanced

  • Advanced rally builds on the skills learned in Novice & Intermediate, adds additional signs, and begins off-leash work.  Jumps are a part of Advanced and are introduced in this class.
  • Prerequisites for this class are: completion of at least one session of Novice or Intermediate rally classes OR at least one leg of a Rally Novice title.

Excellent

  • Excellent rally builds on the skills learned in Advanced and adds additional signs and jumps. As Excellent is performed off-leash the expectation is that students will be comfortable working their dog off-leash.
  • Prerequisites for this class are: completion of at least one session of Advanced rally classes OR at least one leg of a Rally Advanced title.

Masters

  • Rally Masters is the top level of Rally Obedience in Canada.  Masters adds a sizeable number of new signs and skills.  Handlers must be completely comfortable working their dogs off leash.  The difficulty of jump-work is also increased.  It may be beneficial to students to complete at least one Novice level obedience class before taking this class.
  • Prerequisites for this class are:  completion of at least one session of Excellent rally OR at least one leg of a Rally Excellent title.

Scent Detection Classes

Introduction to Odour

  • Introduction to Odour teaches the basic skills needed for scent detection, including introduction of the trained odours of wintergreen, pine, thyme.  
  • Dogs will be introduced to searching for, finding, and indicating to the handler where a hide is located utilizing any of the three introduced odours.
  • Basic obedience skills are required for this class: Sit, Down, Stay, Come, and Loose Leash Walking. A dog that has learned to focus will be an asset that will grow in Scent sports. A beginner obedience class like Focus & Foundation or Beginners is advised.
  • The fee for this class is $150.00

Advanced/Open

  • Advanced/Open scent detection is for dogs that show odour obedience and dog/handler teams that may or may not be getting ready for their SDDA Advanced or CKC Open title.
  • Odours used:  SDDA (Wintergreen, Pine & Thyme) and CKC (Wintergreen, Pine  Anise & Cloves) are routinely used to set training hides . The CKC odours Anise and Cloves will be introduced in the first class of this level.
  • Prerequisites for this class are: completion of Introduction to Odour or a SDDA Started or CKC Novice title.

Excellent

  • Excellent scent detection is for dogs who may be working towards their SDDA or CKC Excellent Title.
  • Odours used:  SDDA (Wintergreen, Pine & Thyme) and CKC (Wintergreen, Pine, Anise & Cloves) with equal frequency.
  • Components:  typically Container & Interior searches, occasionally there may be exterior searches, depending on the weather and other considerations. There will often be multiples of each component in the class.
  • Prerequisites for this class are: completion of Advanced/Open scent detection or SDDA Advanced or CKC Open title

CGN & Trick Classes

Canine Good Neighbour (CGN)

  • Canine Good Neighbour is a practical class for people who want a good pet, but are not interested in competitive obedience (trialing their dogs), or for those who want to prepare for a Canine Good Neighbour test.
  • Provides control, socialization and basic obedience.
  • For cross-bred and pure-bred dogs alike that have completed a Beginners obedience class.

Trick

  • Trick Focuses on teaching tricks to earn Novice, Intermediate, Advanced, Expert and Championship titles and to increase the bond you have with your dog.
  • Trick introduces a wide variety of skills that are helpful with basic manners as well as other dog sports such as jump over a bar (obedience, rally and agility), sit and down (obedience and rally), go through a tunnel (agility and barn hunt). Trick training helps to boost a dog’s confidence and increase the trust and bond with the handler.
  • As part of this class, students will be evaluated by a Do More With Your Dog (DMWYD) certified instructor. Upon successful completion, students will have the option to submit to DMWYD for their Trick Dog Title.
  • Prerequisites for this class are: completion of a Beginners obedience class and 
  • Novice, Intermediate, Advanced, Expert, and Championship level classes are available if there is sufficient interest.
  • The fees for these classes are $150.00

Registration Information

Register early!  Classes are limited in size and fill up quickly.

Registration for new members in Puppy, Focus & Foundations and Beginners classes is ongoing.  These classes are very popular, and placement is based on receipt of completed forms and payment.

Registration for all other classes is first offered to those members already training with NOSA. Registration is then opened to new members or existing members who have taken a break from training. 

How to Register for a Class

Are you a paid-up club member? You must be a club member to attend a class with NOSA so the first step is to complete the Membership Application. If you’re not sure of your club status, contact us and the secretary can advise. You can include the payment for your membership with your registration fees.

If you know which class (or classes) you want to register for, please click on the Class Registration button below. Once we confirm that there is space in the class(es) you have requested, you will send in your payment for those (and membership if need be), and you are done. Additional information about the time of your class and any pre-work to be done will be sent out prior to the session start date. 

It may happen that the class(es) you have requested are full, in which case you will be asked if you wish to be waitlisted. If there is enough interest, we may be able to add on an extra time, so it’s always a good idea to go onto the waitlist. You will also be at the top of the list for the next session class. We will not request payment for classes until your spot has been confirmed.

We will do our best to accommodate everyone who wishes to train with the club.

If you wish to withdraw prior to the first night of classes or, have any other questions regarding registration, please contact our Training Committee.

Class Registration

Contact Our Training Committee