This history of Huntsville Obedience Training Club (HOTC) can be traced back to an article which appeared in The Huntsville Times on April 23, 1963. This article stated, "A dog obedience course will begin at Big Springs Park on Monday, May 6, under the direction of Mrs. Barbara Treanor...". Mrs. Treanor was offering ten weeks of private obedience training lessons to all those interested in training their dogs. These lessons were sponsored by the Huntsville Parks and Recreation Department. Mrs. Treanor had expected as many as ten dogs might attend, she got thirty to fifty instead.

Due to the amount of interest in obedience training, in July of 1963 the idea of an obedience club was brought to task. HOTC was founded on three basic principles. First, obedience is a full-time activity, a self-sustaining discipline, which is formal and unique. Second, the club would offer training to all dogs -- from household pets to show dogs and from mixed-breeds to pure-breds. Third, the club would work for the betterment of dogs.

In 1964, the members of HOTC voted to incorporate as a non-profit organization, with training receipts used to support club operations. Any surplus money would be used to promote dog obedience in Huntsville or to advance dog welfare whenever there was an opportunity to give purposeful help. The club also agreed that instructors would not be paid. It was agreed that instructors would be allowed to teach all the classes they wished and HOTC would not charge them for the wealth of experience and pleasure they would undoubtedly gain.

As it was in 1964, it is today. HOTC's main purpose is to train dogs (actually, to train people to train their dogs). As it was with the first class beginning in May of 1963, HOTC offers obedience training to all those interested.