Our training is held on Tuesday nights during the school term. Training does not run during school holidays or public holidays.
Our classes start with basic pet training, teaching basics of sit, stand, drop, stay, loose lead walking, recall etc. As you progress through the levels, our classes build on these skills, adding distractions, obstacles, some tricks, and higher-level obedience skills. When progressing to the senior levels, you may continue with social pet obedience or choose a pathway to formal obedience training with a view to compete in official Obedience trials.
Our training is strictly using methods of Positive Reinforcement. Keeping training fun and rewarding for the dog will result in a happier dog who will voluntarily offer the good behaviours it has learnt. For more information about this, please read our Philosophy.
Beginner classes are limited to 10 dogs per class. Classes 1-5 are also kept small with generally no more than 12 per class although the number is not strictly controlled. These classes mostly contain people who have completed the beginner classes previously and have continued with their training.
All dogs being enrolled in our club must have at a minimum the C3 vaccination. Proof of vaccination will be required at enrolment time in the form of the dogs vaccination certificate, titre test results or a signed letter from a veterinarian. We recommend that dogs also have the Canine Cough vaccination.
Please note that all dogs must be wearing a flat collar, harness or head halter at training classes. Choke collars, prong collars etc will not be accepted and you will be asked to remove them. Martingale collars are accepted.
Leashes should be approximately 1.2-1.5 metres in length for effective training. Retractable leashes are not permitted.
Members enrolling in the Beginner course pay a $40.00 beginners fee in addition to the annual membership fee. This is a one-off fee for beginners.
Membership to the club is paid for a calendar year and due at the start of each new year. New members in Term 4 are given a discount on this due to the short time frame remaining. For full details, please see our Membership page.
An additional fee of $3 is payable each night you attend training.
Yes we do. A $10.00 discount may be given off the membership fee for people who hold a valid social security services health care card or pension card. In order to qualify for the discount on a dual membership, both parties must hold a valid card. Your card(s) will need to be sighted at the time of enrolment in order to qualify for the discount.
Beginner placements are offered for the start of each new school term only and open for pre-registration during the school holidays. Check our website and Facebook pages for pre-registration dates.
If you have prior obedience training experience of 6 months or more and would like to discuss joining a higher class, please contact us directly.
You will need to bring high value treats for your dog to use as rewards, small treats appropriate to the size of your dog. Using moist food or treats (such as quality dog rolls) as rewards work better than dry as the dog will be more able to consume them quickly while working.
You may also need to bring water and a small bowl for your dog to have a drink during breaks in class. This is particularly important during the warmer months of the year.
A tug toy (non-squeaking) is also a great thing to have in class so you can have a play with your dog during short breaks between exercises. This helps to keep the training fun and gives your dog a chance to relax from work.
If in doubt, please consult with your instructor.
Enclosed, flat, sensible shoes are a must at training, this is a requirement of the club. Additionally, it is a good idea to avoid loose, flappy clothing as it can interfere with your dog’s training. During the warmer months, wear clothing you will not overheat in as you will be moving around quite a lot. In winter, a warm shower proof jacket is highly recommended, preferably with a layer underneath so you can remove it should you get too warm.
Our club is run entirely by volunteers who give up their time to help each other. If you would like to help out as well, please speak to a committee member or nominate to join the committee at the AGM in December. Nomination forms are available in the Term 4 newsletter each year.
At times throughout the year, Midland Dog Training Club holds trial competitions. We often need people to help with stewarding at these trials. You will of course be shown what to do, so if you would like to help with that please let your trainer or a committee member know.
