The Grand Forks Dog Training Club has had a long and active history in the city and surrounding area. It was founded in 1956 as the Grand Forks Kennel Club and held its first fully accredited AKC Conformation Show on June 16, 1957. For many years, it was very active sponsoring many shows and training activities.
After 25 years, people seemed to lose interest in continuing this important community service. Because of falling support and membership, the Grand Forks Kennel Club held its last AKC show in 1981 and was forced to disband.
Due to rekindled interest and the enthusiasm of a few individuals, the Grand Forks Kennel Club (GFKC) was reactivated in March of 2005. Since then, it has been extremely active sponsoring numerous classes in obedience, conformation, rally and agility, educational seminars, responsible dog ownerships and fun matches. In 2012 members voted to change the name to the Grand Forks Dog Training Club (GFDTC) to clearly reflect the acceptance of non-AKC recognized dogs being allowed to participate in classes and events.
In 2016 the club relocated to a new larger facility on DeMers Avenue and expanded class offerings and competitive events.
The GFDTC is made up of members who volunteer their time, experience, and passion for dog sports. We provide the general public with education and training for all kinds of dogs. We instruct people with dogs of all breeds, mixes, sizes, ages, and abilities, to train their dogs to be good companions. All our instructors have trained and shown their own dogs in breed competitions, scent work, obedience, rally, herding, or agility trials. We have set our training standards high in accordance with the American Kennel Club (AKC) for conformation, obedience, rally, scent work, and agility. We strive to give the highest quality of training available while continually updating our training methods. We offer education for YOU – teaching you how to teach your dog to obey your commands.
The actual training and practice is your responsibility. We believe in FIRM, FAIR, CONSISTENT training with heavy doses of PRAISE and LOVE. Our methods are based on positive motivation and reinforcement.
Our Thanks to
Helen Newman For creating and maintaining our first web site. Diane Morrill and Earl Morril For maintaining our previous web sites. Sun Dot Communications for hosting our previous web site and paying for our previous domain name. Thank you to Lee Anderson and Jen Koller for upgrading and maintaining our present website.
