Training
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WEDNESDAY TRAINING
All new members with dogs 3 months and over train on a Wednesday evening. Baby puppies, dogs 8 weeks to 12 weeks train on a Wednesday morning. Sunday is only for advanced classes. Please see our FB and Web page for details and updates.
New members please do not bring your dogs on Enrolment / New Members Introductory Talk night.
PLEASE BRING YOUR DOG’S VACCINATION CERTIFICATE THE NIGHT YOU ENROL, OR YOU WILL NOT BE ABLE TO ATTEND TRAINING UNTIL IT IS SIGHTED AT THE OFFICE.
GENERAL INFORMATION
We work in school term blocks and the first night of term is an introductory talk for new members so please do not bring your dogs. Dogs from 3 months of age onwards are welcome. We need to see your dog’s vaccination certificate on enrolment night. We prefer eftpos or Direct Deposit payments but we also accept cash. If you are paying in cash, please make it as close to the correct amount as possible as we do not keep much change on the premises.
Where we train: How to find the training ground at Finn Street - Map
What to bring to training:
Food - not food you would normally feed for the dog's tea. Soft treats (eg cooked sausage, devon, cheese) which are a special treat are suitable. Avoid plastic bag to store food. It's way too hard to access when you need to feed the dog.
No - choke chains, chain leads, short leads, shock collars, prong collars, harnesses
Flat collars - eg leather, webbing collars. Halties are also permissable.
Lead - longer than a metre if possible as short leads will interfere with the dog's training.
Please do not come to training if you are going to be more than 10 minutes late. Late arrivals disrupt the other dogs in the class.
TRAINING FEES 2024
Fees cover membership, insurance and all training costs for the year. No other fees for general training are required.
Please note that specifically structured courses where a guest presenter conducts it for things like agility, scent work, tracking etc may incur an additional fee to attend.
The club endeavours to keep costs at a minimum for members.
Fees go toward upkeep of the clubhouse and equipment; rental of the grounds; judges fees, trophies, catering and other costs associated with running competitions.
All committee, instructors and helpers are volunteers and receive no monetary remuneration.
New Membership - this drops pro rata if you don't join till Term 2 or Term 3 or Term 4
We prefer EFTPOS or Direct Deposit payments, however if you are paying in cash, please make it as close to the correct amount as possible as we do not keep much change on the premises.
Training is conducted in blocks which coincide with school terms.
Baby puppy classes (8 weeks - 12 weeks old) are held by special arrangement on Wednesday morning at 9:15 am. Please see the Club FB page for details.
Puppies from 3 months old, Beginners and Advanced Beginners are held weekly on Wednesdays at 6.00 - 6.30 pm and 7.00 - 7.30 pm.
Classes 1, 2, 3 are at 9.00 - 9.30 am on Sunday mornings (8.30 - 9.00 am in Term 1), and Classes 4 & 5 are at 10.00 - 10.30 am (9.30 - 10.00 am in Term 1).
All dogs to provide proof of vaccination when joining or renewing their membership.
Something to remember
The instructors do not receive any monetary benefit. They donate their time to instructing classes, attending meetings, keeping the club functioning on training days and assisting with club fundraising activities. They do this because they love their dogs and want to share the benefit of their experience to improve the relationship between other dogs and their handlers.
NEW MEMBERS
MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION FORM - click here
Please see the information above and on the FB page re how to enrol at the start of the term. The secretary will email all the relevant information on what time to attend etc.
Mebership form can be printed and brought with you to registration night. Please do not email them to the Secretary.
The first night is an introductory talk, so no dogs are to be brought this night. You will be emailed after you apply to join and given the time to attend for the talk and enrolment. NO DOGS but bring their vaccination certificate.
Please refer to the club general rules page for information on what types of leads, collars and training equipment you may find useful for training. This page contains information that will be of assistance to you prior to attending the club for the first time.
PLEASE BRING YOUR DOG’S VACCINATION CERTIFICATE THE NIGHT YOU ENROL, OR YOU WILL NOT BE ABLE TO ATTEND TRAINING UNTIL IT IS SIGHTED AT THE OFFICE.
RETURNING MEMBERS
Returning members - all training will commence the Wednesday after the Introductory night or the first Sunday after Wednesday training commences. Don’t forget your dog’s vaccination certificate if it has been up dated.
HEAT POLICY
If on a Tuesday, the weather forecast for Wednesday, is for 35 C or over practical training is cancelled, no matter what actually happens on Wednesday. Members are invited to come for a DVD or an information session but NO DOGS. However, there will be NO TRAINING OF ANY KIND ON DAYS OF EXTREME OR CATASTROPHIC FIRE DANGER RATINGS.
RAIN POLICY
There will be a post on the club FB page by 2 pm on Wednesday if training is to be cancelled due to heavy rain, wind or storms. As with the heat policy this will stay even if the storms pass closer to training time as it is too hard to let people know at the last minute.
TRAINING DATES 2024
WEDNESDAY TRAINING FOR PUPPIES, BEGINNERS AND ADVANCED BEGINNERS
Term 2 – Enrolment Wednesday April 17. Training starts Wednesday April 24 to Wednesday June 26.
Term 3 – Enrolment Wednesday July 17. Training starts Wednesday July 24 to Wednesday September 18.
Term 4 – Enrolment Wednesday October 9. Training starts Wednesday October 16 to Wednesday November 27.
SUNDAY TRAINING FOR CLASSES 1 – 5
Term 1 – Sunday February 4 to Sunday March 24.
Term 2 – Sunday April 14 to Sunday June 23.
Term 3 – Sunday July 14 to Sunday September 15.
Term 4 – Sunday October 6 to Sunday December 1.
Puppy, Beginner and Advanced Beginner Training
The club offers training for puppies from 3 months of age, new beginners and Advanced Beginners on Wednesday nights from 6.00 pm - 6:30 pm and 7.00 - 7.30 pm. There is also a baby puppy class for pups 8 to 12 weeks at 9:15 am on Wednesday. The basis of the classes are to offer positive socialisation and training to provide a strong foundation for a well balanced obedient dog.
We do not condone and will not tolerate any form of punishment eg prong collars, physically harsh corrections or smacking. Training methods recommended vary from dog to dog, with some responding well to food, whilst others need guidance by other positive methods.
General obedience classes will cover the following topics:
lead exercises - sit, stand, drop and heeling work. Recall on and off lead. Free walking - fixing the 'pulling on the lead' problem. Instructors can provide alternative methods for teaching each exercise as we understand that dogs differ in their response to training techniques. Instructors will explain how to break the exercise down in order to communicate more easily with the dog and obtain positive results.
Understanding socializing - handlers will learn how to read their dog's behaviour, both on and off lead. The puppy pens will be utilized to demonstrate social skills and "loose pack" behaviour.
Handler skills - understand and apply alpha behaviour. Using voice, lead and praise/food appropriately. If you understand how to be a good leader, your dog will respond accordingly. The information provided during lessons is applicable to how you treat your dog at home and at training. Our exercises are sometimes a little unorthodox, but these are priming handler and dog for real life situations eg taking them to a cafe or to a noisy public area.
Instructors welcome questions from handlers and will endeavour to assist where possible. None of the instructors know it all, but they do have a wealth of knowledge and other instructors to draw from. BODC instructors have many years of experience, some with difficult dogs that have had unique problems. They endeavour to continue to learn through attendance at workshops, seminars and training sessions.
The majority of dogs and handlers graduate at the end of term if they are ready. Graduation is judged on the overall progress made throughout the term and the handler's ability to utilise the training methods. No actual graduation test is required. Those dogs not ready to go into the next class level at the end of the term may move up at the end of the next term. This works well, with less stress on handlers.
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General Classes level 1 - 5
General training for classes 1 to 5 is conducted on Sunday mornings from 9.00 - 9.30 am for classes 1 - 3 and 10.00 - 10.30 am for classes 4 & 5 (8.30 - 9.00 and 9.30 - 10.00 am in first term).
These dogs can be at varying levels within a class and are encouraged to progress to the next training step when they are ready. We firmly believe in a 'baby steps' attitude to training, with dogs needing to have a solid understanding of the exercise before they move on to the next step. However, the dogs in the higher classes are at a standard where both handlers and dogs can be given more challenges and we are constantly looking for ways to keep the dogs interested and to make the training both fun and educational.
Training dogs is a journey of discovery and understanding for the handler and dog. Instructors seek input from handlers to understand why their dog is having problems with a particular exercise. Without understanding, the handler may never be able to solve the problem.
The club encourages all handlers to seek further knowledge and offer a number of learning tools in our library of books and DVD's. Every year, the club conducts workshops on a number of topics, tracking, agility, flyball, obedience etc with a view to enhancing the knowledge base of instructors and handlers alike.
Graduation Assessments will be conducted each term.
Graduation testing will take place during normal class time. Handlers and dogs will be run through all they have been learning and will be assessed on this.
Graduation requirements - Class 2 (no off lead work in Class 2)
- Ability to heel on loose lead and have dog's attention
- demonstrate good levels of praise/reward
- Stays - ability to positively manage any breaks in the stays
- Stand - with handler by dog's side
- recall - on lead
Graduation requirements - Class 3 (no off lead work in Class 3)
Click on photo for details of assessment
Graduation requirements - Class 4 (off lead stays, recalls)
Click on photo for details of assessment
Contact Details
Bendigo Obedience Dog Club Inc
Training Ground:
Finn Street Recreation Reserve, Bendigo Vic 3550
Postal Address:
PO Box 2396, Bendigo Mail Centre, Bendigo 3554
For enquiries please contact: Heather - 0409 429 972
Alternatively you can email your enquiry.