Sunday Obedience Training (from Puppy classes to Class 4)

Classes commence promptly at 10:00am and run until approximately 11:00am. It’s always a good idea to arrive 15 minutes early to register and settle yourself and your dog down. (Remember dogs love school and can get somewhat excited) Please leave your dog in the car or outside with a helper when you go to register.

We welcome and encourage you to stay behind after class and have a chat with the committee, instructors or other members and we sometimes run extra activities after class.

The “Dog” Shop

Our Dog Shop sells leads, collars and myriad other equipment for your dog.  Come in and browse. We are sure you will find something that your dog will love.

Royal Canin dry dog food is available at heavily discounted prices to members.

 

Sunday Show Training

Ask our Show Instructor Barbara Jacobs about showing your dog.

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So, you have a new puppy…..

Most of the world is currently experiencing some level of social distancing or isolation at the moment.. but have you just acquired a new puppy?

Puppies have a critical learning period up to 16 weeks of age and it’s important to start all their training during this time

Here are 7 areas of puppy raising that will be impacted but this may help your puppy settle in.

👉 SOCIALISATION/Exposure to new things and people– ‘Social distancing’ may actually work in your puppy’s favour. This allows you to take your puppy for walks, absorbing the world from a reasonable distance without them being overwhelmed, smothered by cuddles or going into a socially arousing flap at the sight of every many and his dog.
Isolation is a little more difficult:
• Anyone that comes to your home needs to meet your puppy; a friend, family member, delivery guy, postman. Even if they just fling a treat from a distance!
• Play dress ups! Don that Batman suit, wig, cowboy hat, trench coat, hi-vis shirt, walking stick and pram you have hiding away in the cupboard and allow your puppy to experience different characters. Get creative! Just go about each day dressed in a new outfit. Experiment with different accents and personalities if you feel compelled.

👉 BUILDING INDEPENDENCE– Puppies are highly social creatures and need to learn, through small successions, how to feel comfortable being left alone. Being in lock down, means you have a great opportunity to build their confidence through gradual increments of alone time. Set up a puppy pen or a crate and ensure they have periods throughout the day where they are experiencing being separate from you. Stay nearby to begin with and then work towards leaving the room. IMPORTANT NOTE: If you spend the next few weeks/months with your puppy attached to you every minute of the day, I can promise you now, your puppy will suffer severely when you do need to return to work/school.

👉 THE LEAD – It will be very easy to completely forget about putting your puppy on lead if you are never venturing outside. But this will produce a problem down the track when the isolation period lifts and you eventually do decide to go for a walk.
Practice all training on lead in the home. Sit, drop, stay etc. this will begin to form a positive association to the lead. Put your pup on lead occasionally and go for a walk around the back yard. Keep the lead loose and let them just explore. After you’ve gone for a walk, practice the ‘Cafe Dog’ exercise over a cuppa by tying your puppy’s lead to your chair the same way you would at a cafe. Allow them to experience settling and sleeping underneath you.

👉 TIME – Something you may have a lot more of if you are self isolating. And boy oh boy does a new puppy do better if you have the time to invest in them in the early days! Time to enrich, time to play, time to train, time to practise rest and crate time! Use this time wisely to prepare for when you don’t have a lot of time down the track!

👉 CONFIDENCE BUILDING – Sit down with your family tonight, brainstorm and write down everything you would like your puppy to be familiar with and relaxed around as an adult; balls, bikes, skateboards, postman, water, cars etc.
Now get creative again! 🤔 Think of ways you can bring all these things into your home so your puppy can experience them during the isolation period. If you are struggling to bring a car into your living room, And it’s safe to do so, go and sit on your nature strip, walk up and down your street or venture to an empty park.

👉 SOUNDS – Down load the Sound Proof Puppy Training App and start desensitising your pup to all the weird and wacky noises our world has to offer.

👉 PUPPY SCHOOL – A must! Unfortunately we are unable to run our puppy classes at the moment.  We will advise you here when we are able to commence our classes again.

 

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**Any Dogs Wearing the Yellow and Black “In Training GIVE ME SPACE!” Saddles or Bandanas- Need a Little Space
These dogs may be shy, pregnant, nervous, not ready to say hello, old & fragile or simply young & easily knocked over. It’s an owners choice to use this sign, so be polite and ask if it’s alright to approach the dog.

If you would like to purchase an ‘In Training GIVE ME SPACE’ saddle or Bandana please see the Chief Instructor or purchase one from the Dog Shop.

Remember polite socialising is done calmly and on a loose lead!

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HEAT POLICY
If the temperature predicted by the BOM for the day is 35 degrees or higher there will be no training. This is in line with Dogs Victoria Heat Policy.