This page gives you information on dog-related Events that occur in and around Silicon Valley (San Jose, Santa Clara, etc) (click on these headings) 

• Therapy Dogs International Test,  

• Canine Good Citizen Test, 

• Agility Tests, 

• Tracking Tests, 

• Los Gatos Children's Christmas and Holiday Parade, 

• Bark in the Park, 

• Obedience and Rally Trials, and finally

• Other Events.

You can click Here to see descriptions of the classes we offer, or click Calendar Page for a good overview of when events occur.

Events

There are lots of links on this page, for example most of the words in the previous paragraph (and lots more on our Links Page). Try clicking on them (then use your browsers BackArrow button or your keyboards BackSpace key to return).

Therapy Dogs International Evaluation Test -- A TDI Test comprises 11 basic extensions to the basic 10 CGC test exercises to demonstrate your dogs confidence and control. 

Our first TDI Test was held in 2005 and was very popular. Click here if interested in a test in 2007 (one is scheduled April 24th, we haven't picked the other dates yet) so you are sure to have a place, or you can call 408-377-0221. TDI stands for Therapy Dog International -- other info is available on the TDI site at http://www.tdi-dog.org/tditesting.html. Also, there is a local San Jose / Santa Clara group at http://www.dog-play.com/therapyl.html .

The cost for the TDI Test is only $15 (this includes the CGC Test as well!). 

Canine Good Citizen Test -- A CGC Test comprises 10 basic control exercises. It demonstrates your dogs good manners while in public. We usually have a CGC Test at the end of each Advanced Beginner & CGC (ABC) Class. The CGC Test is a good milestone to mark the completion of intermediate obedience training, such as our ABC Class, which incidentally, is not a prerequisite to the CGC Test. 

If you are interested in taking the CGC test and you wish to reserve a place, check the dates on our Calendar Page, then do one of the following: go to our registration page, use the Sign Up Sheet available during classes, send us an email, or call 408-377-0221.

At a previous CGC Test, we had 14 dogs go through the evaluation and twelve passed. The breeds that participated were  German Shepherd Dogs (4); Australian Shepherd,  Shetland Sheepdog, Rottweiler; Bearded Collie; Chinese Sharpei; Norwich Terrier, Great Dane, Saint Bernard; Saluki, and Beagle (Mixed breeds are permitted to get their CGC, but none happened to take part in this test).  Most of the  people came from our classes, however, several were outsiders who were just seeking the CGC. [Barbara Adcock]

Max (Bearded Collie, 2) behaves calmly when a stranger approaches his handler, Molly Gross, with a walker.

Hannah, a Sharpei (see www.cspca.com for tons of information about the breed) watches stranger walking near her handler, Karen Scott.

      Arlie (Norwich Terrier, 2) and his handler, Maureen Glancy.

Another CGC Test certified two Great Danes, a Boxer, a Poodle, two Dalmations (one 18 months old, one 6 1/2 years old), and a Portugese Water Dog. Click here to learn more.  

Agility Tests

Agility is a wonderful sport for your dog and a great activity for the owner as well. It really fosters communication and develops a real rapport, as well as building a physically sound dog. Your pup is just at the right age to start too! 

You start agility by beginning with obedience training. The dog has to be completely dependable off lead and verbally responsive to commands. He has to be well socialized around other dogs and friendly with people. We suggest that you start with obedience right away. 

When you feel comfortable with the degree of control on your dog, then we can refer you on to a couple of instructors in the area that may have room for agility enrollment. Agility is very popular right now and it is sometimes hard to get in a class.

Our SCDTC 2005 Agility Trial was held in Pleasanton on February 12th and 13th.In this picture, you can see a down-sit table, a jump, a teeter-totter, two chutes (the yellow one is clear all the way through, the floppy blue one close to the camera is blind), an A-frame (to climb). You can't see the other jumps, the slalom (e.g. 10 upright poles about 2' apart), the bridge, the tire, the numbered cones that guide you through the course, or the excitement of handler and dog as they race through the course against the clock, under the watchful eye of the judge. Hope to see you there next year. Check out our Gallery Page for some more pics.

The SCDTC 2006 Agility Trial was held on February 11 & 12 , 2006 at the Pleasanton Fairgound Pavillion (click here for info about Pleasanton, click here for directions to fairgrounds, click here for grounds map showing location of Amador Pavilion, at point "O").. There were hundreds of dogs running in both the Standard classes and the Jumpers with Weaves classes, for Novice, Open and Excellent competition. Each of these classes was divided into jump height divisions which is determined by the dog's size and breed. Preferred classes were also offered which allowed the handler to run the dog at a slightly lower jump height and slower pace.

The show started at 8 a.m. and continued until mid-afternoon. As always, we welcomed interested spectators and anyone interested in learning more about agility to come watch some of the best dogs in the Bay area run. It was clear that the enthusiasm of the dogs and their handlers and the camaraderie between participants excited the most casual observer. 

The SCDTC 2007 Agility Trial (AKC sanctioned) was held May 12 and 13 at Casa de Fruta, a new location that was very popular with both handlers and public visitors. 

The SCDTC 2008 Agility Trial (AKC sanctioned) will be held May 17 and 18 at Casa de Fruta (website) from 8:00 a.m. until finished in mid-afternoon each day. This location, new last year, was very popular for both public visitors and handlers traveling from a distance…Casa de Fruta is on routes 152 & 156 (click here for map) between Pacheco Pass and Gilroy. Click here for the Premium List.

Casa de Fruta offers restaurants, fruit and vegetable stand, children’s park, and a GoodSam RV and camping park. We can still use volunteers for the rings and for Sunday hospitality. Visitors who want to see a trial are welcome – free parking and entry – bring a chair, water, and snacks. There will be several vendors selling dog-related art and supplies.                                                                                                      [Maureen]

If you have further questions, please feel free to contact us. 

 Click Here to express your interest in Agility!   (also Click Here).

Tracking Tests TD & TDX

These 8 happy faces are the passing teams of our field test on Sunday March 23rd 2003. From left to right, Sandy Spinale (Brittany) TDX, Diane Sipe (German Shepherd, 2) TDX, Don Just (Schnauzer, 2) TDX and Ruth  Pietrowski (German Shepherd) TD.

Santa Clara Dog Training Club, Inc. has a combined Tracking Dog and Tracking Dog Excellent test annually at the end of March or early April.  SCDTC has been giving tracking tests since 1973. 

If you've ever wondered why tracking participants (the people) are always holding one glove, read on.

A Tracking Dog degree is earned when a dog follows a track where a person walked between 30 and 120 minutes before.  The track is 440 to 500 yards long from start to finish and has between three and five abrupt changes of direction, and drops the glove (which he has been carrying) at the end.  The dog is given a start article of cloth to take the scent..  The dog must indicate an article—usually a glove—and follow the path of the tracklayer, taking all the turns.  The dog wears a harness and is on a line that is between 20 and 40 feet long.  In order to enter a TD test, the dog must be certified by an AKC tracking judge that it is ready to enter.  The certification test has the same parameters as the test track.

To earn a Tracking Dog Excellent degree the dog must have passed the TD test.  The TDX track was walked by the tracklayer between three and five hours before.  The track must be between 800 to 1000 yards long and have five to seven turns.  There is a start article, plus two intermediate articles dropped at various places on the track, with the final article, the glove, at the end.  In addition two people walking next to each other cross the track in two different places.  There must also be at least two obstacles that are a scenting challenge to the dog.  These may be whatever is available in the area such as a small creek, a fence, a road, bushes, trees, marked changes of vegetation, etc. The articles may be things like a sock, scarf, coin purse, or glasses case with the final one being a glove or wallet.  The dog must indicate all the articles.

The AKC also offers another level of recognition in tracking called VST, Variable Surface Tracking. The dogs enjoy using their superior scenting abilities to lead their handlers down the tracks. There's even more information about tracking on our FAQ page.  

 Click Here to express your interest in Tracking! 

Los Gatos Children's Christmas and Holiday Parade

There was no stopping the annual Children's Christmas and Holiday Parade from coming to Los Gatos, and the SCDTC will participate again this year. The parade is on the first Saturday in December, so in 2007, the 51st Annual parade was held on December 1st 2007.

Festive fashions, decorated cars, floats, marching units, and trucks are all welcome, just no limos and no Santa look-a-likes.

The parade begins at 11 a.m. from the corner of Almendra Avenue and N. Santa Cruz Avenue. Participants continue onto Main Street until reaching the grounds of Los Gatos High School.

Sponsored by the Los Gatos Lions Club and Los Gatos­Saratoga Community Education and Recreation Department, this annual event is the way to kick into holiday overdrive.

See you there? Checkout our Gallery (and our Gallery2) for pictures of previous parades!

Click here to more pictures and Click here to see even more pictures

Click Here to express your interest in Los Gatos Children's Christmas and Holiday Parade! 

Bark in the Park

The SCDTC is normally prominent at San Jose's annual Bark in the Park^TM (September 15 2007 (10AM to 5PM) at William Street Park), but this year we will not be present due to a registration deadline snafu.

It's always a fun-filled day for two- and four-legged visitors.   Last year, it was estimated that over 3,500 dogs and 12,000 dog lovers attended the festivities on a very warm Saturday to partake in lots of activities such as a Dog Costume Contest (11:00AM) and a Pet/Owner Look Alike Contest (12:30PM). There also was a Dog Water Park, a Free Dog Agility Course, a $0.99 Rabies Vaccination, Food and Beverages, almost one hundred dog-related booths and much MUCH more. The SCDTC hosted a demonstration of Obedience and Agility behavior 

Visitors were able to learn about dog care, dog service, how dogs help others and how to help other dogs. Admission for people was free, but a $5 donation per registered dog was requested. A portion of the proceeds was used to benefit the Humane Society of Santa Clara County "To promote respect for all animal life in our community through direct care and education."

If you bring your dog, please adhere to several common-sense rules: All pets must be on a leash. Pick up after your dog. Most importantly, respect private property. Be careful about letting your dog sniff other dogs; let them get adjusted to each other first. And then they can PLAY!

Parking available in the Naglee Park neighborhood (but please don't block the driveways). There was a drop-off location at the park and directions to nearby parking areas. Many car pooled or utilized public transportation when practical.

 The official website for Bark in the Park is http://www.nagleepark.org/BARK/

 Click Here to express your interest in (or ask questions about) Bark in the Park! 

Obedience Trials and Rally Trials

The last SCDTC Obedience Trial was held at the Santa Clara County Fairgrounds on Sunday January 20th 2008. Our next Obedience Trial (and Rally Trial) will be held next January (2009) at the Santa Clara County Fairgrounds.   

All rings are inside and are fully matted, and there is a RAFFLE with lots of dog-friendly goodies. Judging starts at 8:00 A.M. in the Pavilion building. Parking is $10 on the fairgrounds property, or on the street for free. Spectators are welcome, of course, and admission is free of charge. 

In 2008, our Obedience and Rally Judging panels included 

Ring 1 Ms. Cathy Dutra NOVICE A, VETERANS, BRACE, PRE-NOVICE, WILD CARD

Ring 2 Mrs. Georganne Green NOVICE B

Ring 3 Mr. William Iwamoto OPEN A

Ring 4 Mr. Alvin Eng UTILITY B

Ring 5 Mr. Kenneth Blanchard OPEN B

Ring 6 Mr. Curtis Cunningham UTILITY A

 

Ring 7 Mr. C.Z. Pat Alvarez RALLY ADVANCED A, RALLY NOVICE B, A

Ring 8 Mrs. Rosalie Alvarez RALLY EXCELLENT B, A, RALLY ADVANCED B

This picture was taken in the Novice A ring at a previous Obedience Trial, where the dog must show that they can "sit" patiently when their handler is not there. This trial also included  Rally Obedience (see part of the course below)

Our next Obedience Trial will be held in 2009 at the Santa Clara County Fairgrounds.

             Click Here to express your interest in Obedience Trials! 

Other Events

Other (including non-SCDTC) Events are found on our Other Events Page.  Special Events for  members are covered by our on-line and snail-mail newsletters. See the Members page or CLICK HERE for more details.

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