Charleston Dog Training Club

The Charleston Dog Training Club offers a diverse range of classes for both family pets and competitive dogs. Family Dog classes include Puppy Beginnings, S.T.A.R. Puppy, Steps to CGC, Canine Good Citizen (CGC), AKC Community Canine (CGCA) & Urban, and Therapy Dog Prep.

Sport classes cover Body Conditioning/Fit Dog, Competition Building Blocks (1 & 2), various levels of Obedience (Break it Down & Build it Up, Unleashed, Beginning Novice, Open, Utility), Agility (Intro to Agility, Weaves), Scent Work (Novice, Advanced), and Rally (Novice/Advanced, Excellent & Masters).

They also provide continual drop-in sessions for Conformation (Small and Large Dogs), Heeling, and Rally, as well as random fun pop-up sessions on various topics. Classes vary in length from 4 to 6 weeks, with some being weekly drop-ins or intermittent pop-ups. Prerequisites are often required for advanced classes.

Pricing Summary

New membership currently runs $35/year for a single member. Family Membership (two adults in the same household) is $60. Membership entitles members to discounted class and building pass entry rates after a class has been completed at regular prices.

For CGC & Trick Dog Testing, there is a $10 fee if you haven’t taken the CGC or Tricks class. If you were in their CGC or Tricks class, there is no charge for your first test.

Policies

The Charleston Dog Training Club requires a minimum of 72-hours notice to cancel a class registration for a partial refund. A non-refundable $10 cancellation fee will be held for processing. Cancellations made with less than 72-hours notice will not receive a refund but rather a credit towards another class. For cancellations, clients should contact charlestondogtrainingclub@gmail.com.

The Charleston Dog Training Club is a non-profit affiliate club of the American Kennel Club, founded in 1959, dedicated to teaching owners and their canine companions. They offer a variety of classes for both pet dogs and competitors, aiming to build a better bond between owners and their furry loved ones.

The club provides a clean, climate-controlled facility for training, with floors and crates disinfected daily and professional cleaning quarterly. They also offer a range of dog sports and events, encouraging members to volunteer at trials and special events.

Their offerings include family dog classes, pet therapy preparation, and various sport classes like Obedience, Rally, Conformation, Tracking, Scent Work, Barn Hunt, Fast CAT, Agility, and Tricks. They emphasize building core skills for any sport and offer drop-in sessions and pop-up classes for flexible training.

Accomplishments

The Charleston Dog Training Club was founded in 1959 and is a non-profit affiliate club of the American Kennel Club.

Their instructors have extensive experience and notable accomplishments. Ricki Silveria, President, has 20 years in competitive dog sports, finished 9 Conformation Champions, and earned numerous Rally and Obedience titles. Several of her dogs are Registered Therapy Dogs.

Linda Garrett, AKC Evaluator, has been participating in companion and performance events since 2006, with two Weimaraners winning all-breed obedience High In Trial and four listed as Weimaraner Club of America’s Top Ten Obedience Dogs. She has achieved Utility Dog, Rally Excellent, Tracking Dog, Master Hunter, Trick Dog Advanced, Shooting Dog Excellent, and Retrieving Dog Excellent titles with her dogs. She is a certified Canine Athlete Specialist and Level 2 AKC FIT DOG Instructor.

Susan Norris, Corresponding Secretary, has been training dogs since 2007, with her Labradors earning CD, RA, Therapy Dog, CD, RI, Rally Intermediate, Beginner Novice, Temperament, FIT dog Bronze, and Fetch Novice titles. She is a CGC evaluator, Temperament Evaluator, and Fetch judge with AKC.

Susan Cipolla has earned titles in obedience, rally, farm dog, trick dog, CGC, therapy work, carting, scent work, and Barn Hunt with her Leonbergers. Debora Donahue has titled dogs through Open Obedience, Masters Rally, and earned a TD in Tracking, with Agility Championships in ASCA and NADAC, and an AKC Agility Masters Level title. She is an ASCA Rally & Obedience Judge and Rally Course Reviewer.

Sue Revord is an AKC CGC evaluator and has been training dogs her entire adulthood, with three of her American Cocker Spaniels being registered therapy dogs. Marion Schutt has been involved in dog training since 1990, competing in obedience, rally, flyball, and agility. Jane Hirsch is a dedicated clicker trainer who has attended five Clicker Expos and trained with top clicker trainers.

How to Get Started!

To get started, prospective clients can visit the Class/Event calendar to sign up for classes. It is recommended to review the class description page for further details on which class is best for a particular dog. If a class is full, clients are encouraged to put their name on the waitlist and can email the Training Director with any questions. Members should log in prior to going to the Class/Event Calendar to receive discounted rates.