Saturday, Apr. 26, 2008

Dog obedience classes offered, free with adoption

The Yosemite Kennel Club is offering dog obedience classes to the public beginning Tuesday.

The classes will be at Applegate Park in Merced and will begin at 6 p.m. Each class will last approximately one hour, and the course is six weeks long. Class will be held near the rose garden and fountain area of the park.

The cost of each class is $60, but any dog adopted from an animal shelter or nonprofit rescue group will receive free classes with proof of adoption.

Beginning obedience will be the focus of the class, along with canine good citizenship. The American Kennel Club has formulated a course for dogs to test their canine good citizenship.

This course will teach dogs how to be well-mannered, and all dogs will be able to take a Canine Good Citizen test at the end of the class. Dogs who pass the test will be awarded a certificate stating that they are a canine good citizen.

Included in the things dogs and their owners will learn in the class are how to heel on a loose leash, how to sit and down on command, how to come when called, and how to stay.

Dogs will also be taught how to get along with other dogs, and will learn basic good manners, such as not jumping on people.

The class is open to all purebred and mixed-breed dogs. Dogs should be at least 4 months old, and in order to pass the canine good citizen test, must be vaccinated for rabies and licensed.

The Yosemite Kennel Club is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the preservation and enhancement of purebred dogs. The club meets on the second Monday of each month at 7:30 p.m.

For more information on the class, call 658-3231.