About Whitewater Valley Dog Training Club

Whitewater Valley Dog Training Club is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit in Richmond that describes itself as a community resource for dog lovers in Richmond and the surrounding area. It is the volume class provider in Wayne County: instead of one-to-one programmes, it runs multi-week group sessions on a published seasonal schedule, and offers memberships that come with discounted class rates and the chance to take part in club events.

Classes

The class list covers a puppy class following the AKC S.T.A.R. Puppy programme, a Family Pet class for everyday household manners, AKC Canine Good Citizen, Beginner Novice obedience, an introduction to AKC Rally, and both beginning and AKC scent work. There is also a therapy-dog class run toward Alliance of Therapy Dogs testing — a route that is otherwise hard to find east of Indianapolis.

How it runs

Classes are held in the evening at Achieva Resources on Mendleson Drive and run as fixed multi-week sessions, so enrolment follows the club's posted calendar rather than starting on demand. Popular sessions do sell out. The stated approach throughout is positive reinforcement, for the handler as much as the dog.