About Murfreesboro Obedience Training Club

Murfreesboro Obedience Training Club is a club rather than a commercial school, and states its status plainly: "Murfreesboro Obedience Training Club is an AKC approved dog obedience training club. We offer dog training classes at all levels from puppy to advanced competition."

What they publish

Classes run in sequence. Puppy Class takes puppies from three to six months with basic vaccinations, teaching everything on leash – "attention, walking on a loose leash, sit, down, and come." Basic Manners is for dogs six months and older, adding stand and stay plus "teaching tricks for the AKC Trick Dog Novice title." The Canine Good Citizen/Tricks class teaches the ten-step AKC CGC test, held in the last week of class, and the club notes the CGC "is a pre-requisite for many therapy dog groups; and some homeowner's insurance companies encourage CGC testing." Competition Obedience continues the ladder. The club also holds "both AKC obedience and agility trials throughout the year."

How it works in practice

Group sizes and terms are published: classes are "group classes with 5-8 students," enrollment "will last seven weeks," and fees are "a non-refundable $110 for 5 week classes and $150 for 7 week classes, due at registration." Membership is not a condition of attending – "No! Everybody is welcome to join a class" – though the club reserves the right to prohibit "the attendance of any aggressive or disruptive students or dogs." Instructors are volunteers: "Because our volunteer instructors are active in their chosen dog activity and sport, they bring a wealth of knowledge and expertise to our classes."

The building

The club trains at 1519 Sarah Court, in what it describes as a "6,000 square foot facility … fully matted with ring gates easily making 2 AKC sized rings for Obedience and Rally or use the whole area for Agility and Flyball." The hall is rented to other groups on weekends and weekdays when classes are not in session.