About Parkersburg Obedience Training Club

Parkersburg Obedience Training Club is an AKC-sanctioned training club in Vienna, West Virginia, a few miles north of Parkersburg and within easy reach of Marietta and Athens, Ohio. It is run by volunteers, and its classes are open to the public as well as to members, so you do not have to join to enroll a pet dog.

Who runs it

The club describes itself as "run by a group of dedicated volunteers", and its instructors are club members rather than salaried staff. The Club History page traces the organization back to obedience classes started for the Blennerhassett Kennel Club in the middle 1950s; POTC itself was formed in the early 1960s and has been teaching in the Parkersburg area since. Questions about obedience and rally go to the Director of Training for Obedience, named on the site as Debbie Smith; agility inquiries go through a separate class registrar.

The facility

Since 2004 the club has trained indoors on Williams Highway in Vienna. Its own description: "The current indoor training facility is 4500 square feet, fully matted/cushioned, plus heat and air-conditioning." That matters for a year-round schedule – agility runs on Tuesday and Wednesday nights all year, and obedience on Thursday evenings.

Obedience classes

The club "offers all levels of obedience training" plus classes for puppies, "taught by experienced club volunteers using a positive reinforcement approach". Obedience runs in eight-week sessions and follows a published ladder. Puppy Class takes puppies at least 12 weeks old that have had a rabies vaccine, and covers sit, stay, come, place and down along with common behavior issues; the site notes that most puppy classes are now AKC S.T.A.R. Puppy oriented, so a puppy completing the class with an AKC Approved CGC Evaluator becomes eligible for that program. Basic Obedience covers heel, sit, down, recalls, stay and attention, and teaches a dog to behave around other dogs. Grad Basic adds fronts and finishes, longer sit stays and down stays, and sharper heeling; Canine Good Citizen material may be included depending on class interest. Advanced Obedience works the skills needed to compete at Novice and Open, with Utility addressed as a dog progresses.

Agility, rally and conformation

Agility is a genuine strength here rather than a sideline. The site states that "Instructors actively compete and are experienced in AKC, NADAC, USDAA, ASCA, and UKC agility" and that the club is home to several dogs ranked Top 5 by breed nationally. POTC coordinates or hosts six agility trials a year between September and April, plus an annual obedience and rally trial. It is also honest about who agility is for: applicants are told to submit an application only after speaking to the registrar, and that "Agility is not basic pet training." Conformation classes, which prepare dog and handler for the conformation ring, are held on Sundays. Rally does not run on a standing schedule – the club has taught it before and says it will again given enough interest, and in the meantime points inquirers to members who compete.

Practical details

Class fees are published for non-members: "Basic and Advanced Obedience Classes – $80.00" and "Agility Classes – $80.00 for first class", with puppy and conformation fees set by the instructor. Member fees vary with the level of membership. Handlers must be at least 12 years old, a current immunization record from your vet is required, and applications are posted rather than booked online – the site warns that classes fill weeks in advance and that an application arriving after the 10th of the month may mean a two-month wait. In Basic Obedience the first week is orientation and you attend without your dog.