About Our Club

The Obedience Club of San Diego County, Inc. was founded in 1949 by a responsible and insightful group of dog fanciers whose goal was to share their knowledge and expertise with the dog-owning community.  

The Club's mission is to provide high quality instruction for both pet and competitive dog owners at a reasonable price. We welcome all dogs whether they need basic training or are dogs ready for competition.  

The Obedience Club of San Diego County regularly conducts annual AKC Licensed Obedience and Scent work Trials, as well as providing testing for the AKC's Star Puppy, Canine Good Citizen and Temperament Test (ATT) programs.

All of our instructors have extensive training experience, and have earned multiple titles in a variety of dog sports including Obedience, Rally, Scent Work, Tracking, Trick, Conformation and Agility.

Our classes help you and your dog develop a trusting and positive relationship. We offer a variety of courses for raising happy, cooperative dogs by providing them with a strong foundation for a wide variety of competitive dog sports. In addition, our instructors utilize a variety of training methods to teach fun, interesting activities and exercises, in a positive supportive class environment.

Training classes are typically held Tuesday thru Thursday evenings at the San Diego Zoo parking lot. 

Our basic obedience classes run for one hour a week, for 8 weeks. We also offer specialty classes for those wishing to compete in dog sports. Free drop-in classes for Rally, Obedience, Scent Work and Conformation are also offered to our members.

Please refer to the course and drop in schedule for class offerings, registration and start times.

We hold our General Meetings on the Third Wednesday of the following months at 7:00 p.m..  Our General Meetings are currently being held via Zoom.

• JUNE (JUNE WITH JOAN)
• SEPTEMBER (BOARD NOMINATIONS)
• OCTOBER (CLUB VOTING)
• NOVEMBER (THANKSGIVING POTLUCK)
• DECEMBER (AWARDS/HOLIDAY PARTY)*

The "June With Joan" event is a unique experience involving an evening at the Pillsbury Ranch during which Joan Embery and her staff of animal handler's present an educational program involving the various animals they keep on the Ranch and stories of her lifetime commitment to wildlife conservation.

*Announcements for our December Holiday Party and Awards will appear in our monthly newsletter.

We have close to 200 regular members from all over San Diego County.  Our members have dogs of all breeds and mixes, sizes and shapes, from breeders and rescues.  They compete in rally obedience, scent work, obedience, tracking, agility and more.  

Our club is run by a bustling board of directors and an unruly band of resourceful trainers.

Meet the trainers and the board of directors.

The Happy Heeler is our monthly newsletter where we share the happenings in the club, member brags, announcements of things to come and many educational articles involving the care and training of our dogs. 

If you are new to our club, you'll want to join as an associate member. This initial associate membership is for a 4 month period, during which you are welcome to come to any of the Drop In Classes once your initial class is finished. After the 4 months, if you would like to continue with our club, you may switch to a regular membership for $30.00 per calendar year.  Click here to submit your membership application.

1. Do not allow your dog to interact with other dogs or people during classes. Dogs should be six feet apart at all times during classes, unless directed by an instructor.
2. Pay attention to your dog. If you cannot give full attention to your dog, crate your dog or put your dog in your car.
3. Dogs must be crated or contained when not actively training. Instructors may ask for dogs to be crated or put in cars during portions of classes. No loose dogs in the car if the windows are open. If the car windows are open, the dog must be crated in the car.  Dogs need ventilation, but must not be able to get out of the car. This applies to all drop-in classes as well. 
4. In case of dog attacks and/or bites (to either another dog or to a person), OCSDC will follow AKC protocols. The dog will not be allowed to attend any club events or training classes until recent documentation of stability training is provided and all parties involved in the incident and the club training director deem the dog suitable for reinstatement. All incidents must be reported to the instructor.
5. No uncontrolled, uncontrollable or disruptive dogs are allowed in classes. Participation in a class is at the discretion of the trainer.  Dogs and handlers may be dismissed from classes, drop-in classes, and club activities if not following the above rules. If a trainer is not comfortable with a dog, the training director will work with the trainer and the dog’s owner to find a resolution. 

Attendance at classes and club events indicates that you have read and agree with the OCSDC's club protocols on dog handling.