Next Class Starts on October 1
Registration NOW OPEN FOR AKC Community Canine class & Test!
Far from being frivolous, tricks act as building blocks for more advanced behaviors and provide practical training experience for the owner. Plus, its fun!
Next Class Starts November 5, 2026 - Registration Opens October 8
This class introduces the handlers and dogs to some basic obedience commands that should help both partners in their daily lives.
Canine Good Citizen is a 10-skill test that teaches good manners to dogs and responsible dog ownership to their owners.
Find the Right Class for Your Dog
The Catawba Valley Obedience Club offers a variety of positive training approaches, with options tailored to each dog’s needs and each handler’s goals. Beyond weekly classes, the club also sponsors and supports social and educational activities throughout the area.
PRE-REGISTRATION AND VACCINATION RECORDS ARE REQUIRED FOR ALL CLASSES - When you submit your completed application for a class, vaccination records and payment must accompany it, or your registration is NOT complete.
Due to demand and class size limitations, classes are filled on a first come, first serve basis.
Learn important skills that can used to prepare for therapy dog organization tests and activities.
AKC Community Canine is an advanced level of the Canine Good Citizen™ (CGC) Program. In AKC Community Canine, dogs can earn the CGCA (Advanced CGC) title.
Next Class Starts October 1, 2026 - Registration Now Open
2026 Dog Training Class Offerings
Our class trainers...
Shirley McGillen
Shirley is a retired teacher and has been a member of CVOC for almost 16 years. She and her male German Shepherd dog worked together to earn a Novice Level Companion Dog title. Her husband, Wayne, worked with their female German Shephard dog for the Novice Level Companion Dog title as well.
Suzanne Hefner
Suzanne is an experienced dog trainer with a passion for obedience training and positive, reward-based methods. She is an AKC Canine Good Citizen™ (CGC) Evaluator and has competed in breed, obedience, and lure coursing events. Committed to lifelong learning, she regularly attends seminars and workshops to stay current with modern training techniques.
Suzanne previously served as Obedience Chairperson for the Greater Hickory Kennel Club's AKC Obedience Trials and has taught Beginner Obedience classes for CVOC. She currently serves as CVOC's evaluator for the AKC Canine Good Citizen (CGC), Trick Dog, and Temperament Test (ATT) programs.
Her training philosophy is influenced by the positive, motivational methods of Dr. Ian Dunbar, Pat Miller, and Karen Pryor. Suzanne is a member in good standing of CVOC, the Greater Hickory Kennel Club (GHKC), and the Basenji Club of America (BCOA).
Tracy Cooper
Tracy has been a CVOC member since 2017 and began training with her family dog to build confidence and better understand canine behavior. She is an AKC Canine Good Citizen (CGC) test Evaluator and believes that identifying what motivates a dog—and rewarding it—reinforces the behaviors dogs learn best. Tracy looks forward to sharing what she has learned with her students.
Barbara Busch
Barbara has owned Rhodesian Ridgebacks as well as a Pembroke Welsh Corgi, Border Terrier, and Labrador Retriever, and she has trained and competed with her dogs in Obedience, Rally, Tracking, Trick Dog, and Agility. All of her dogs have earned Canine Good Citizen (CGC) certificates, several have served as therapy dogs, and Barbara especially enjoys Rally because it allows you to encourage your dog in both training and competition.
Contact
Ready to get started?
Join us for a weekly class, or contact us to learn more about membership and on-going training.
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mailing Address:
P.O. Box 3581, Hickory, NC 28603