About Us

4RK9s Dog Training Club has been supporting responsible dog ownership and encouraging participation in canine sports since November of 1993, when ten dog training enthusiasts registered 4RK9s Dog Training Club with the state of Iowa. The Club is member-owned and operated; members support the Club through teaching classes, working at Club-sponsored events and competitions, serving in leadership positions and maintaining the Club's training facility near downtown Cedar Rapids.

4RK9s initially held fun matches, demonstrations, seminars and agility trials. In 1994, 4RK9s held two non-titling NCDA Agility Trials at the Linn County Fairgrounds with about 48 entries for each trial. In 1995 4RK9s became an approved UKC (United Kennel Club) Agility club and in 1996 added approval as a UKC Obedience club. We held our first UKC Obedience trial in August 1996 and first UKC Agility trial in September 1996, and used the Cedar Rapids Armory and Amana's RV Convention Center for annual UKC Agility trials through 2008.

The Club outgrew part-time room rentals at the Armory and Hawkeye Downs, and, on June 1, 2000, moved to the current training building at 910 2nd Avenue SW. The training building has storage space for equipment and supplies and - best of all - we didn't have to unroll and re-roll mats before and after every class but could permanently deploy dog- and human-friendly low-impact, non-skid matting.

In June of 2008, the Cedar River flooded downtown Cedar Rapids along with many neighborhoods along the river. Nine blocks from the river, the 4RK9s training building took on a considerable amount of filthy water. As soon as the building was again accessible, members rallied to scoop out the mud, removing and scouring all those heavy mats and scrubbing down the building interior.

In 2009, 4RK9s added NADAC (North American Dog Agility Council) accreditation and began holding NADAC Agility trials at the Quad Cities Dog Center, and also added Rally to their UKC Obedience trials held at the 4RK9s training facility.

In 2013, 4RK9s began offering nosework classes and, in December, held the first United Nosework trial in the Midwest.  United Nosework was integrated into the UKC in 2014.  

4RK9s now holds two NADAC Agility trial weekends, two UKC Obedience/Rally trial weekends, and two UKC Nosework trial weekends annually. The Agility trials are held at the Quad Cities Dog Training Center in Davenport, the UKC Obedience/Rally trials are held at the 4RK9s training center in Cedar Rapids, and the Nosework trials at the Club building or at various sites around the area.  

4RK9s regularly holds training classes for home obedience (manners), all levels of UKC and AKC obedience, NADAC and AKC agility, and UKC/AKC and NACSW Nosework/Scent Work. We also hold occasional fun matches and seminars. 4RK9s also provides demonstrations for area organizations to promote the fun and enjoyment of owning a well-trained dog.

4RK9s members enjoy participating in many different venues with their dogs such as conformation, agility, obedience and rally, nosework, lure coursing, flyball, herding, tracking, freestyle, barn hunt, and earth dog. Although not affiliated with any therapy dog organization, many 4RK9s members have registered therapy dogs, visiting hospitals and nursing homes and participating in "Kids Reading to Dogs" programs; the Club also makes the training center available to therapy dog organizations for their tests.

Club meetings are held at the training center on the second Monday of each month. If you are interested in becoming a member, please click here to learn more.


since 1/26/24