BOTC History and Mission

Bloomington Obedience Training Club is a dog-training club that advocates and practices positive motivational training methods. It consists of dedicated volunteer members who are passionate about dogs and dog training. They enjoy and are committed to training their own dogs and to helping others to train their dogs. Whether it is training for a well-mannered family dog or developing a new handler and dog competition team in Agility, Obedience, Rally, Conformation or Flyball, BOTC is a great choice for your canine training.

BOTC was formed in 1956 by a group of dog enthusiastic individuals. Early on, these club members wanted to share their knowledge by offering dog-training lessons to the public. Starting with Obedience classes, the club has now grown to provide Agility, Conformation, Therapy Dog, Trick Dog, CGC and Flyball classes. Currently, BOTC has about 40 volunteer instructors providing classes throughout the week.

In addition to classes, BOTC volunteer members plan and organize numerous dog related events and activities throughout the year. After obtaining an American Kennel Club (www.akc.org) affiliation in the mid-sixties, BOTC began its long-standing tradition of hosting an annual AKC Obedience & Rally show in the fall. In 2021, we added another annual AKC Obedience & Rally show held in the spring. In 1995, BOTC held its first Agility trial and currently hosts a spring and fall trial. Please check out our Events page for information on those shows and other BOTC sponsored events.

Overall, BOTC provides a wide range of options for any dog owner/handler. We offer basic obedience classes, as well as, classes for those who want to compete in a variety of dog sports. If you are looking to be a part of a dog community we welcome you to look into joining our club. BOTC also invites you to look at our website and contact us for any additional questions.