Frequently Asked Questions
Simply print out and complete the “Application for Membership” form below and come along to the Club on the 1st Sunday of any Month with your dog, and $120 (EFTPOS is now available) to cover your Annual Membership Fee.
The only other “fee” you will incur is the $3 per week (per dog) Training Fee for each week that you attend. We now sell these in packs of ten (10) at $27 ($2.70 per lesson, per dog)
You will also need to bring along a Vet Certificate showing “Proof of Vaccination” (with no further inoculations due for approximately 12 months).
Ideally, you will have with you a properly fitted chain Correction Collar (Choke Chain), and a suitable leather or woven- cotton leash. These items are usually available at the Club for a cost of under $30 if you need to purchase them from us. “Harnesses”, retractable leashes, chain and Nylon (seatbelt material) leashes are not advised as they can hurt the handler’s hands. You may purchase these items from your local Pet Shop, Supermarket or Veterinary Practice if you prefer, athough these are sometimes inadequate or improperly fitted to your dog.
No. For approximately 24 years the Club was affiliated with Dogs Victoria, but since it was perceived that we got little or no support from that Organisation, it was determined that we cease affiliation in 2017. However, we still train to an acceptable level as espoused by Dogs Victoria, and we do not discourage persons from entering Obedience Trials put on or supported by that entity. Membership of DV is entirely under the control of and at the wishes of the individual dog owners
First time participants and Class 1 start at 9:45am, but we ask that you arrive on the grounds by at least 9:30am to allow time to settle your dogs, “meet and greet” other dogs and Handlers, purchase any equipment, pay dues, and so on. Start-ups are a busy time for us; arriving in a timely manner means that participants can get the value of a full hour’s training.
Provided you have a “final vaccination certificate” (as above), usually given at about 3 months of age, you can start. Ideally, you will wait two weeks after the date of that last vaccination, to allow the medication to have full effect. This is for your protection rather than ours as we are only on the grounds for 3 hours per week, and we have no control over animals which may defecate on or contaminate the grounds during the 165 hours a week that we are not there. If your dog’s vaccination is not current, just go along to your local Vet and get a new inoculation and certificate. Then come along with your Certificate, collar, leash and dog – we’ll take it from there.
That depends entirely upon you. If you pay attention to what you are being told, and if you come along regularly and do your “homework” , your dog will be capable of working “off leash”, from a distance, using only hand signals (rather than verbal commands) within 48 hours (24 weekly lessons of 1 hour per week for 24 weeks), plus an additional 1 hour per week as “homework” (broken up into sessions of 10 minutes per day for 6 days per week, one-on-one with you and your dog). Remember, we do not train dogs, we train handlers to teach their own dogs. Some people who do not wish to do their “homework”, have remained in our Class One for over 2 years, and their dogs are still not fully trained. Even if you have a fully-trained dog, it is recommended that you continue with weekly Classes, as this reinforces the work in the dog’s mind. The more you practice, the better you get. Also, weekly training gives the dog an enjoyable “day out” where they get to meet and play with their new-found doggie friends!
The Annual Membership Fee covers the cost of the Club’s “overheads”, such as Council Ground Rentals, Electricity and Services, Facility Maintenance, and Public Liability Insurances. The Club’s owners are passionate about responsible dog ownership and have an abundance of knowledge to share. We deserve to be remunerated for our time and effort. We’ve looked at other clubs, puppy schools pet schools and private dog training facilitators, and our prices are are still a drop in the ocean compared to other training organisations. The Weekly Training Fee covers the cost of instructors, Equipment, and other Purchases (see-saws, tunnels, jumps, scaling platforms, dog walk frames, etc) and maintenance thereof. We usually provide our members with free raffles for Mothers day, Fathers Day, and other special event days (that don’t require a long weekend). We also host the occasional sausage sizzle and our end of year fun day at no cost to members.
Usually not, but this depends on how long the dog has been left with no training or discipline. It may take a little longer to train an older dog. Similarly, dogs which have come to you via “shelters” or are “rescue dogs” may have experienced earlier trauma from their previous owners, and this may take time to rectify. We suggest that Handlers persevere with their animals until it becomes clear that the perceived problems cannot be alleviated.
Class 1 (approx 6 hours) Dog Heeling on Loose Leash, Sit, Stand, Come, Stay
Class 2 (approx 6 hours) Advanced Heeling, Down, Left About Turn
Class 3 (approx 6 hours) Introduction to Leash Removal, Non-verbal Commands
Class 4 (approx 6 hours) Distance Control, Food Refusal, Retrieving, Agility, etc
Yes! But the child must be old enough to follow simple directions, and must be sufficiently co-ordinated and strong enough to control an excitable dog. We recommend that an adult do the initial training, and then pass on their knowledge to the child during “homework” sessions. Similarly, if there are two adults in the family we recommend that the person who is most likely to spend the most time with the dog should train the animal, and then pass on that knowledge to the other Adult during their “homework sessions”. Generally a dog will respect the Alpha Figure in the family as their “Pack Leader”, and whilst the animal will obey other family members, the Pack Leader usually has precedence for the dog’s attention.
Not usually, although we do not object to animals being occasionally rewarded with “nibblies” for exceptional performance. Some Clubs recommend food training, but this usually requires the Handlers to carry supplies of food reward with them when they walk their dogs. We prefer to train dogs to work without food reward and to expect nothing more than praise when they do something right.
Not at all. Proper use of the correction collar will never harm the dog. Improper use of the chain collar may result in the dog choking (thus the incorrect name of “Choker chain”), neck rashes or a wearing away of fur around the collar area. If these problems occur, it is simply because the Handler is not listening to their Instructor correctly. People who suggest that the chain correction collars are cruel, have most likely never actually trained a dog. A properly trained dog will actually rush to have his collar put on, as this means the dog is going out, to have fun, and to get lots of praise. Under “normal” conditions, the chain just hangs loosely around the dog’s neck and is never tight or restrictive. Remember, our ultimate aim is to have the dog work willingly without a collar or leash, and without continual food rewards.
Usually yes. The Club trains every weekend (except Long Weekends) between February and November. Handlers can wear gumboots, Dri-z-bone coats or other warm and weatherproof clothing, including mittens. Dogs have furry coats and usually love the wet weather. One of the joys of pet ownership is to have a muddy, wet dog run through your house. If you want, you can also buy warm coats for your dogs, at most Pet Shops. The only time we will cancel Training is if the weather is so bad that the grounds are sodden and lake-like, or the precipitation is so strong that you can’t see in front of you. This rarely happens though.