Dog Training

Best Dog Training Dayton OH

Big Times Kennel Obedience and Agility Training

After 25+ years of group classes and over 6,000 dogs trained, we are now offering more personalized training solutions. Today’s client wants more individual guidance for their pet, and they want faster results.

By changing our strategy away from group lessons and into private lessons, we feel these challenges can be met. In our experience, many of the training challenges can be solved mainly by the amount of owner involvement and getting the information in a timely manner. This allows a more specific focus on challenges and solutions for your training.

Agility (Keep scrolling for Obedience Classes)

Thinking about getting into the agility game with your best friend? Now is the time! We have new sessions beginning regularly. In order for our trainers to best place your dog in the right class, we ask that you take one private lesson with our trainer to evaluate your dog’s level.

A few basic skills are needed to make your dog successful in our classes. Your dog needs to be able to focus around distractions, have a good come on recall, and have a good sit/down stay. Remember you will be in class with dogs off lead and running by week 3.

So don’t delay. If you are new to the sport, call now, and we will have a trainer contact you! Please call us directly at 937-885-3427 for our class schedule, more information, and to register.

Agility Class Descriptions

2024 Classes Coming Soon!

October 18, 2023

• 5:30 pm Agility Foundations
• 6:45 pm Introduction to Handling
• 8:00 pm Novice Competition Agility FULL

October 19, 2023

• 7:30 pm Advanced Competition Agility FULL

Private Lesson Schedule

• Sunday, October 8th after 12:00 pm
• Sunday, October 22nd after 2:00 pm
• Sunday, November 19th after 2:00 pm

Pre-Foundations/Evaluations Class

• Sunday, October 8th – 10:00 am, 8 students max
• Sunday, October 14th – 10:00 am, 8 students max
• Sunday, October 22nd – 12:00 pm, 8 students max
• Sunday, November 19th – 10:00 am, 8 students max

Foundation Workshops

• Sunday, October 8th – 12:00 pm, 6 student max
• Sunday, October 22nd – 10:00 am, 6 student max
• Sunday, November 19th – 12:00 pm, 6 student max

Agility Class Descriptions

Agility Pre-Foundations/Evaluation Class

Welcome to the sport of Dog Agility! Our Agility Pre-Foundations class is for students who have successfully completed one or more obedience classes and are ready to take their training to the next level. Agility is a fun, fast-paced sport that requires focus and teamwork. This class will evaluate your dog’s ability to stay calm and focused in a high-energy environment while introducing you to the core foundation skills needed to be successful in the sport. We encourage you to repeat this class as many times as you need until you and your dog have a full understanding of all the skills taught in this class.
Pre-Foundations classes are a one-time class offered monthly. Days and times may vary depending on instructor availability and will be announced at least a month in advance. Please contact us for times and availability! 937-885-3427

Class is $60 – 8 or less in the class

Agility Foundations

This class will focus on proper introduction and execution of obstacles as well as focusing on flat work skills, 2-on-2 off, and place work. Start line stays, strong attention skills, and the proper execution of each and every obstacle, with special emphasis given to the contacts and weave poles. It is our belief that a strong foundation in contact obstacles and weave poles will lead you to future successes in agility. You and your dog’s full understanding of the foundation skills learned in our Pre-Foundations class will be put to the test each week while introducing new skills and challenges. This class requires a strong sit-stay and recall as dogs are off-leash by week 3.

6-week course is $110 — 7 or less in the class.
A Minimum of 1 Pre-Foundations class or Private lesson is required for evaluation and placement

Introduction to Handling

Now that the dog understands the basics, it is time to move on to the next step. This class will focus on putting obstacles together to create sequences while focusing on building a true team relationship with your dog. We will continue to focus on bringing the teeter up to full height and closing down the weaves. Special emphasis will continue to be placed on the contact obstacles, weave poles, and their proper execution. Front, rear, and blind crossing techniques will be introduced along with short course sequences.

6-week course $110 — 7 or fewer in the class

Novice Competition Agility

This course is for the team who is interested in true competition. We will focus on
continuing to build the relationship between you and your dog while focusing on
implementing the skills needed to make your dog successful in the ring. The weave poles are now closed, the teeter is at full height, and the challenges are at more of a competitive level. Each week the class is presented with new problems with the challenge of how to run faster and cleaner. This is a pre-competition class.

6-week course $110 — 7 or fewer in class

Advanced Competition Agility

This is a class for the true competitor, as the focus will be on increasing dog speed and handler skills. Skills necessary to be successful in excellent and premier will be the focus. Courses will be developed from actual problems experienced by the students when competing.

6-week course $110.00 — 7 or fewer in class

Agility Private Lessons

• Private Lessons are $80 per hour
• Semi-private lessons are $50 per hour per dog

If you do not have a partner, we will match you up with one with equal skills.

Obedience Classes

A Word About Group Classes

Group classes have been very successful, but people have difficulty staying focused and getting in practice time during these busy times. By limiting the class size to six and moving the teaching/learning curve from 6 weeks to 4 weeks, we are solving that problem. We will still teach all basic behaviors (sit, stay, down and come) and are better able to concentrate on your individual problems.

Session 1 begins January 8, 2024

Monday, January 8, 2023

• 5:00 pm Puppy Class
• 6:00 pm Manners 101

Tuesday, January 9, 2023

• 5:00 pm Puppy Class
• 6:00 pm 101/201 Skills Class – Held at various locations in the community

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Session 11 begins December 4, 2023

**PLEASE NOTE DECEMBER CLASSES ARE ONLY 3 WEEKS AND $150 DUE TO HOLIDAY**

Monday, December 4, 2023

• 5:00 pm Puppy Class **
• 6:00 pm Manners 101 **

Tuesday, December 5, 2023

• 5:00 pm Puppy Class **
• 6:00 pm Manners 101 **

Obedience Class Descriptions

Puppy Class

We focus on making you and your dog successful! The very first thing we work on is attention! We use games for this to keep it interesting for your dog. This is the foundation of all dog training. Your dog needs to think you are the best thing ever! We will discuss words of affirmation and correction words as well. We cover impulse control and behaviors such as jumping, barking, and potty training. We talk about body awareness and environmental stimuli. We cover commands such as leave it, sit, stay, down, come on recall, and how to start properly walking on a leash. We also work on fun commands like get it and find it and target training. This class is the basis for training your dog in the future and continuing with Manners 101 and 201.

4-week course $195

Manners 101

Manners 101 is the next step after completing puppy training or for dogs over six months of age. We will also cover attention in this class, as it is the foundation of dog training. Everything covered in puppy class will also be covered in this class, with a focus on loose-leashing walking and adding a physical correction with your verbal command for “No” during walking. Your stay endurance will increase as well as distance if your dog is ready. We will cover exiting and entering doorways properly. Your come-on-recall distance will increase. This class will add more distractions, challenging your dog’s ability to focus on the handler. A proper greeting protocol will be introduced here as well. You will be challenged as a handler in this class, but our goal is to make your dog successful!

4-week course $195

Manners 201

Manners 201 is an extension of 101. Handlers will practice longer stay times, increasing distance. Loose leash walking will become perfect. All activities will have more distractions and situations to test your relationship with your dog and build more trust!

4-week course $195

Canine Good Citizen

CGC is an AKC certification that you can get with your dog! It is all the skills you have been working on, but no training collars are permitted. This is a step that is usually required prior to a therapy dog or a service dog certification.

• Test 1: Accepting a friendly stranger+
• Test 2: Sitting politely for petting+
• Test 3: Appearance and grooming+
• Test 4: Out for a walk (walking on a loose lead)+
• Test 5: Walking through a crowd+
• Test 6: Sit and down on cue and stay in place+
• Test 7: Coming when called+
• Test 8: Reaction to another dog+
• Test 9: Reaction to distraction+
• Test 10: Supervised separation+

4-week course $195

Urban Canine Good Citizen Practice Class – Austin Landing

In this class, we will adventure into various stores and walk outside near people and children. We will experience people approaching your dog and different noises and experiences in new surroundings. We will practice going in and out of automatic doors as well as riding in an elevator. Please note to receive a UCGC Title, you must first have a CGC certificate. That test can be given by your instructor if you are interested.

4-week course $195

AKC Fit Dog Class – Level 1

Come and have fun with your dog!!! No age requirement! Come and have fun with your dog! Learn new behaviors and skills for your dog, and help them become engaged in the learning process. We will work on front paw targeting, a tuck sit, a kickback stand, some cookie stretches, and many more fitness activities. Each class will include a warmup and a cool-down. This class helps the handler learn proper dog alignment and teaches your dog to perform the exercise correctly.

There are three levels of AKC fitness titles-Bronze, Silver, and Gold. Each title requires a specific number of activity points to be completed, which varies based on title level. Earning points is done outside of class as well with hikes and outings, with dog and handler.

4-week course $195

Private Lessons

Private lessons will be available Monday, Tuesday, and some weekends. If you want to train with friends, we can make that happen. Call our office, and one of our trainers will contact you. All classes are held in our large heated training facility. $80/hr or three one-hour sessions $220.

Unfortunately, we are unable to offer makeup classes for all of our group lessons.

Need some extra practice? Try our New Drop-in policy to practice with your dog in any obedience class. Participants must have attended classes at Big Times or scheduled an evaluation. Class cost is $20, evaluation $10.

We accept cash, personal checks, and credit cards.*

Availability

This is a first-come, first-serve opportunity. Call Big Times Kennel at 937-885-3427. We are excited to offer more personalized dog training and dog lessons for you and your pet.

Do you have questions about our training program? Feel free to call. You can schedule a visit to see a training session.

Big Times Kennel Dog Training Center is located south of the kennel, with ample parking and plenty of open grassy areas to walk your dog before class begins.

Meet Our Trainers

You can follow us on Facebook at Big Times Kennel and K9 Training on Instagram or subscribe to our YouTube channel — you might see you and your pup on there!

Enjoy these special training videos:

*There is a service fee of 2.65% on credit card payments.