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Action Dogs, Doveton?


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Missy Moo - takes a while as the clubs are in demand :)

My thoughts - great club - really focusses on improving handling and handler awareness... don't go if you aren't willing to put your homework in as you won't move up the classes.

Your dog should be completely comfortable in an enclosed area with a large number of dogs - no the classes aren't packed, but being in a horse arena with barking dogs, or when you move up to the higher classes, being in close proximity with other dogs while one is working a course, your dog should be comfortable with this.

Make sure you can get there on time to help set up and put everything away :)

The instructors are great, but like with anything, they *are* volunteers, giving up their time and expertise, so naturally, some will suit your training style more than others - but that's like any club IMO ;)

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I used to be a member there, just turn up one night, dont wait for them to contact you. Also my son was attacked by an instructors dog that was teethered on the walk way there, hopefully this is not done anymore, justbe careful of the teethered dogs not all of them are nice.

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I used to train there until another dog jumped on my dog to try and play, my dog turned around to play and the instructor (who i still swear had something against me) saw it and said he was being aggressive (he didnt even growl) so she filed an incident report against him (the other dogs owner kept actually telling her nothing happened but she wouldnt listen), then i was told to do more training with my dog to learn to control him (he is a very well behaved dog who goes to training every week!!)...then a few weeks later recieved a form in the mail saying my dog had to be muzzled when he was there, which i refuse to do as hes not agressive! so needless to say, i havent been back there since!

Nytewynd - it doesnt really surprise me your son was attacked by an instructors dog! it is not a controlled environment at all!

Missymoo - if you're serious about being a member, i would suggest going down there for a couple of weeks to make sure you can suss out the environment and see if your dog can handle the very closed environment with alot of dogs!

yes it is a good club, but dont get on the instructors bad side!! if they dont like you or your dog for any reason, you have no hope in succeeding at this club!

good luck tho

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yes it is a good club, but dont get on the instructors bad side!! if they dont like you or your dog for any reason, you have no hope in succeeding at this club!

I think that's a little unfair. As you said it was only ONE instructor and not the whole lot. These guys are still volunteers who are offering their time to others to learn about a sport they love. I don't think it's fair to make it sound like instructors will only help those that interest them.

While it's unfortunate what happened to you, it may be a variety of reasons - was it a first offence, or had it occured before. Perhaps the instructor could see some body language or behaviours from your dog that suggested that an altercation could occur again. There are so many things that are relevant here :)

I don't train there anymore, but that's for different reasons :eek:

Missy moo - I would call them again and see in regards to the waiting list. I just re-looked at when you said you put your name down. One of my dogs was on the list in 2006 and by the end of 06 we were in training.... though shortly after we joined classes with her, the lists closed... so I am not sure :eek: I'd call them :)

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yes it is a good club, but dont get on the instructors bad side!! if they dont like you or your dog for any reason, you have no hope in succeeding at this club!

I am not a member of this club, but as an Instructor at another club I also feel it is a little unfair to generalise about all the instructors like this.

I have seen a couple of Instructors at the club where I train do things that make me absolutely cringe but as LP pointed out, all are volunteers and I would hate to think that someone was going around suggesting that all the instructors (including me!) were like this because of the actions of just a few. Especially on a public forum.

Sure for the Instructors of Action Dogs it's the same.

And being an instructor is plain hard work with little thanks sometimes. Plus it also gets in the way of working your own dogs, no matter how much you are assured it won't. My young dog is nowhere near as far along as I hoped he would be by now because I rarely get to work him in class and doing it all at home is not the same.

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Geordie was jumped on there by an aggressive entire male (when he was an entire male) and understandably defended himself, nothing came of it though. However the owner knew full well her dog picked out other dogs to rush so he was obviously not suitable to be off lead.

I found that with Geordie being high drive and a bit wired all the time that he didn't cope all that well in an enclosed environment with a large amount of dogs but that is my problem not theirs, however I agree that you do need to take your dog there for a few weeks and see how they cope- except they won't let you in the main arena.

The only thing that I was disappointed about was that there were a large proportion of 'older' ladies in our group and they were quite happy to pack up the weave poles etc and leave us to the heavy stuff week-in week-out so it started really grating on my back with heavy items plus the unstable surface.

Other than that I think their beginners course is excellent and I know most of the trainers do very very well on the competition circuit. It is very hard with agility in Vic at the moment SO MANY people wanting to do it and not enough clubs. I am having large problems getting a flat piece of grass in a park no-one uses just for obed in my particular council.

Mel.

Edited by Staff'n'Toller
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I know what you mean s+t- those flat pieces of grass are pretty precious! Have you tried approaching schools?

I went to an intro session at Action dogs years ago and then couldn't attend due to unforseen circumstances- i was a bit annoyed that they would not give me my money back at the time but i understand it now ;)

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I know what you mean s+t- those flat pieces of grass are pretty precious! Have you tried approaching schools?

I went to an intro session at Action dogs years ago and then couldn't attend due to unforseen circumstances- i was a bit annoyed that they would not give me my money back at the time but i understand it now :rofl:

Thanks Cosmolo, yes schools are my next port of call if this current agreement doesn't work out.

I wish I had a lazy 250k lying around to buy a block of land and put a big shed on it and run down to the council so I can :D :rofl: :rofl: at them....except I would be paying rates then. ;) :rofl:

Mel.

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