Dogs celebrate summer at canine festival

Dozens of dogs took to the park in Thompson Falls for the Canine Carnival, hosted by the Sanders County Dog Training Club (SCDTC). There were plenty of activities to keep dogs occupied, whether it be running through the agility course, trying their paws at the rally course, or just making new friends. The SCDTC had numerous people at the event that offered advice and training tips.

The SCDTC was founded in 2009 as the  Huckleberry Hounds Agility Club of Sanders County. Since its founding, the SCDTC has grown considerably and continues to every year. SCDTC has about 60 members. Most of the people who join are seeking the basic level of manners training for their family pet. The classes that SCDTC offers have proven fun and engaging and participants return often return for more of what the SCDTC has to offer.

There are some members from outside of Montana, but most members are local. Joining the SCDTC or simple participating in one of their yearly activities is a great way to meet new friends and be a part of a social group that is good for you and your furry friend. 

The SCDTC holds classes for Dog Agility, Rally Obedience, traditional competitive obedience, tracking, freestyle (dog dancing), Canine Good Citizen (CGC)tests, 4-H Dog Project, canine first aid and canine behavior.  The club provides free dog collars and dog ID tags to anyone in the county who needs them through their "Get 'Em Home" project, to ensure that dogs can stay safe and be identified if there is ever a situation where they are lost. 

The SCDTC is responsible for developing the Thompson Falls Dog Park and they actively manage it so it can continue to serve the community for years to come. Members of the club also visit schools to present dog safety demonstrations to kids. The club also holds agility and obedience demonstrations at many public functions, including the Huckleberry Festival in August, and is an active supporter in therapy dog training. To keep their costs down, the SCDTC have set up various fundraising booths at many public functions and they have even written their own dog-training book.

The SCDTC offers a lot of classes to  provide specific help or activities to engage all of the dogs involved. Doggy Boot Camp, which is a "first step" class, teaches basic manners, owner communication skills and leadership principles. Doggy Boot Camp is four weeks long and they meet once a week. Dogs must be at least four months old to take the course. Introduction to Agility is offered to slowly introduce the dog and also the owner to the agility equipment and fundamentals of the sport. This beginner's course is great for confidence building and an opportunity to find out if your dog has a knack for competition. There are several agility classes offered at different levels for advancement.  

The SCDTC also offers Rally Obedience training, which is where there are different stations set up and owners walk with dogs and perform the different tasks each station instructs. Pat Cook and her All-American mixed breed dog, Kelly, showed off their skills on the Rally course that was set up. The two are currently working on getting registered for Rally at the Masters level. They were invited to Nationals in Oklahoma but some inconveniences prevented them from attending. 

The SCDTC also offers several obedience classes and even Canine Good Citizen Test (CGC) preparation, which meets three times to prepare you and your dog to take the AKC CGC Test. The Canine Good Citizen Test is the gold-standard of behavioral classes. The CGC award is a prerequisite for many therapy dog groups. Some homeowner's insurance companies encourage CGC testing, and an increasing number of apartments and condos require that resident dogs pass the CGC test. The tagline of the CGC program is, "Responsible Owners, Well-Mannered Dogs," and that is the main goal of the CGC.

There are also Canine Freestyle classes where dogs learn to "dance and perform routines. Tracking classes and Therapy Work are also very important to the SCDTC. Jan Harris and her Australian Shepherd, Buddy, lend their time to the Clark Fork Valley Hospital where Buddy works as a therapy dog for patients and visitors who meet him. In his free time, Buddy loves to run the agility course with Harris and needs little to no instructions. 

Early in 2015, SCDTC approached the City of Thompson Falls about renovating and repurposing a piece of land that had gone unused for years. The land was developed into the Thompson Falls Dog Park, where off-leash dogs could safely play together in the city limits. The dog park is located at 410 Golf Street, next to the Community Center and Little League field.  The 60' x 160' property is fenced and sodded, thanks to grants from generous supporters. There has also been an additional fenced area added so that smaller dogs and larger dogs can play separately. The park officially opened Oct. 31, 2015. More improvements will be made as funds become available, including a double-gated safety entrance, fencing upgrades, and the addition of doggy playground equipment.

For more information on the SCDTC or any of the courses offered, visit http://www.sanderscountydog

trainingclub.com.