Glossary of Terms

 
 

Agility:  An activity in which a dog completes a course of athletic events under the direction of the  handler.  Agility tests the ability of the  handler to direct  his dog through an obstacle course which  may include tunnels, weave  poles, j umps, and see saws.

Association of Pet Dog Trainers:  The APDT is a  professional organization of individual trainers who are committed to  becoming  better trainers through education.  The APDT  promotes caring  relationships  between dogs and  people  by educating trainers in canine  behavior and emphasizing  professionalism and  reward-based training.

American Kennel Club:  The AKC is a  breed  registry that  promotes the sport of purebred dogs and  breeding for form and function.  The AKC works to advance the study,  breeding, exhibiting,  running, and  maintenance of  purebred dogs.

Basic Obedience:  A class that instructs owners on  how to teach  basic commands to their dogs.   Dogs are taught:  “sit”, “down”, “stay”, “come”, “heel”, and “stand” as well as other useful commands using  positive training  methods.   This is a good  beginning class for owners and dogs.

Canine Good Citizen (CGC):  An American  Kennel Club  program which  promotes responsible dog ownership and encourages the training of well  mannered dogs.   Dogs do  not  have to  be  registered with the AKC in order to  participate.  In order to  receive a CGC certificate, a dog is evaluated on ten  behavioral objectives and  must  pass all ten.  This is a good starting  point for  more advanced dog training.

North American Dog Agility Council:  The  NADAC was formed to  provide  North American dogs and their  handlers with a fast, safe, and enjoyable form of the sport of dog agility.   NADAC sanctions agility trials sponsored  by affiliated clubs.  The Capital Kennel Club of Juneau is an affiliated club.

Obedience Trial:   Dogs  perform a series of exercises at the command of the  handler.  There are several  levels of competition,  ranging from  basic commands such as “sit”, “come”, and “heel” to scent discrimination and directed  retrieves over jumps.

Practice Session:  A dog and  handler are  provided with a suitable space and  basic equipment to  practice obedience and/or agility on their own. In a facilitated  practice an experienced trainer is available for consultation and oversight.

Puppy Kindergarten:  A class that  provides an introduction to dog training using positive  methods and also  provides opportunities for supervised socialization.  The class focuses on getting your puppy comfortable with other people and puppies and provides instruction on how to teach your puppy basic manners and commands.

Rally Obedience: Rally: is a more relaxed approach to obedience competition than  traditional obedience. Dog and handler negotiate a course of stations and each station instructs them to perform specific actions. Unlike traditional obedience trials, rally trials allow the handler to talk to the dog and give extra commands and signals. Retries are allowed and rules about dog/handler positioning are more relaxed. In rally novice competitions, the dog may compete on leash. This is a good entry level obedience activity for dogs and handlers.

Run Through: This is the equivalent of a dress rehearsal for an obedience trial or other trial. A run through is a practice session that follows the rules and the sequence of events that the dog and handler will follow during an actual trial.

United Kennel Club (UKC): UKC is an all-breed registry of purebred dog pedigrees. Three types of registration are offered.

  • Single Registration is for dogs whose parents are not UKC registered, but are registered by another approved entity.
  • Limited Privilege allows purebred dogs of unknown pedigree and mixed breed dogs to participate in obedience and agility.
  • Litter registration is for puppies whose parents are both UKC registered.

The Obedience and Rally events offered by the Capital Kennel Club of Juneau are held under the auspices of the UKC. All dogs who enter these events must be UKC registered. Titles are awarded based on UKC criteria.