Act Companion Dog Club And Canberra Dog Trainers In General

[Anastascia]

Hi all,

I would like to know if anyone has been to the grounds at ACTCDG please. I spoke to them on the phone as I would like to take my dogs for obedience classes there when they start up again February, but if I joined up now (before 1pm today as they are closing for the break!) I could use the off leash areas over the next few months.

Seeing that Canberra is devoid of dog parks I thought this could be good. Does anyone use these? Are they big?

Also, I would also like recommendations for a good trainer who I could contact now, to help me with leash walking. Any suggestions?

Many thanks!

[poodlefan]

There are quite a few CDC members here, including me.

Yes, the grounds are large. There are several fenced paddocks for offlead use. Standard ettiquette applies - don't enter an occupied paddock without asking first, clean up after your dog and your dog must be under effective voice control to be offlead.

Canberra has several fenced offlead parks (more to come) and more designated offlead areas. Maps are online here

Edited December 3, 2009 by poodlefan

[Anastascia]

There are quite a few CDC members here, including me.

Yes, the grounds are large. There are several fenced paddocks for offlead use. Standard ettiquette applies - don't enter an occupied paddock without asking first, clean up after your dog and your dog must be under effective voice control to be offlead.

Canberra has several fenced offlead parks (more to come) and more designated offlead areas. Maps are online here

Thanks Poodlefan. I think I will join up.

The Belconnen and Tuggeranong parks are too far to go. I am right near Lake BG. And I can't take them off leash because they take off.

I can't wait for the new inner area dog park to be opened.

Edited December 3, 2009 by Anastascia

[poodlefan]

There are quite a few CDC members here, including me.

Yes, the grounds are large. There are several fenced paddocks for offlead use. Standard ettiquette applies - don't enter an occupied paddock without asking first, clean up after your dog and your dog must be under effective voice control to be offlead.

Canberra has several fenced offlead parks (more to come) and more designated offlead areas. Maps are online here

Thanks Poodlefan. I think I will join up.

The Belconnen and Tuggeranong parks are too far to go. I am right near Lake BG. And I can't take them off leash because they take off.

I can't wait for the new inner area dog park to be opened.

If you can't control them off leash Anastascia a public offleash park is not the place for them. CDC's fences won't contain a dog determined to escape - they are paddock fencing only. What happens if you allow one dog offleash and keep the other on?

I'm told the RSPCA are running special "recall" classes - that might be something to investigate.

Edited December 3, 2009 by poodlefan

[Anastascia]

There are quite a few CDC members here, including me.

Yes, the grounds are large. There are several fenced paddocks for offlead use. Standard ettiquette applies - don't enter an occupied paddock without asking first, clean up after your dog and your dog must be under effective voice control to be offlead.

Canberra has several fenced offlead parks (more to come) and more designated offlead areas. Maps are online here

Thanks Poodlefan. I think I will join up.

The Belconnen and Tuggeranong parks are too far to go. I am right near Lake BG. And I can't take them off leash because they take off.

I can't wait for the new inner area dog park to be opened.

If you can't control them off leash Anastascia a public offleash park is not the place for them. CDC's fences won't contain a dog determined to escape - they are paddock fencing only. What happens if you allow one dog offleash and keep the other on?

I'm told the RSPCA are running special "recall" classes - that might be something to investigate.

Hence the reason I am/was going to take them there for classes???

They went to the dog park daily in Brisbane and there was never a problem. Why would it be different here?

I am so close to giving up on the whole thing, I can do nothing right. If you leave them in the backyard you're a shit owner, if you take them out, you shouldn't.

Edited December 3, 2009 by Anastascia

[poodlefan]

The answer to the buggering off issue is training.

Allowing them to keep doing it reinforces the behaviour, prolonging the retraining required. My guess is that one dog's behaviour reinforces the other so allowing only one off may assist with managing it while you retrain.

You can take a dog out of back yard, to an unoccupied offlead area and allow it to run. Once other dogs enter, the issue of control becomes paramount. If you don't have control, safety issues arise.

CDC's offlead areas are generally quiet but few members will want to share one with dogs that don't recall. Being mobbed by someone's dogs while you're trying to get in the gate is hardly ideal. Use them very early or late and you'll be fine.

Edited December 3, 2009 by poodlefan

[Anastascia]

The answer to the buggering off issue is training.

Allowing them to keep doing it reinforces the behaviour, prolonging the retraining required. My guess is that one dog's behaviour reinforces the other so allowing only one off may assist with managing it while you retrain.

You can take a dog out of back yard, to an unoccupied offlead area and allow it to run. Once other dogs enter, the issue of control becomes paramount. If you don't have control, safety issues arise.

CDC's offlead areas are generally quiet but few members will want to share one with dogs that don't recall. Use them very early or late and you'll be fine.

Sure. That's why I have asked for details of a trainer who can help me.

When you say 'allowing them to do it', what do you mean? They have taken off once and obviously they haven't been off leash in an unfenced area again. I am not sure what to do and I am confused about the whole thing.

[poodlefan]

Sure. That's why I have asked for details of a trainer who can help me.

When you say 'allowing them to do it', what do you mean? They have taken off once and obviously they haven't been off leash in an unfenced area again. I am not sure what to do and I am confused about the whole thing.

Call the RSPCA - their trainers have a recall class.

From your words I inferred that not coming back was more than a one off? Did they come back when called in the offlead park in Brisbane?

What happens when you take one dog out by itself. Do you get more focus on you?

Edited December 3, 2009 by poodlefan

[Anastascia]

Sure. That's why I have asked for details of a trainer who can help me.

When you say 'allowing them to do it', what do you mean? They have taken off once and obviously they haven't been off leash in an unfenced area again. I am not sure what to do and I am confused about the whole thing.

Call the RSPCA - their trainers have a recall class.

From your words I inferred that not coming back was more than a one off? What happens when you take one dog out by itself. Do you get more focus on you?

Thanks for the heads up about the RSPCA, I didn't think to check their site.

No, I let them off at the oval earlier this week, they took off for about 20 minutes and chased rabbits and completely ignored my requests to come back. I was mortified. In saying that, they spent a month at our farm (I wasn't there at the time) and I was told that they took themselves off for a lovely play in the paddock and wouldn't come back, so that would make it twice.

I am definately going to start walking one on one, I always try and walk both due to time (I go for an hour each time) and they are definately getting better at walking on leash.

Edit - in answer to your question about Brisbane. Yes, they always came back at the dog park. That's why I was very suprised when I took them to the oval, I thought they would do the same. My cavalier liked to hang around me more than the dogs anyway. Maybe they knew they couldn't run away?

Edited December 3, 2009 by Anastascia

[poodlefan]

Until you get their recalls sorted, I recommend you keep one on a long line or flexilead rather than letting both off.

[Vehs]

I was just going to say I highly recommend CDC and once we finished obedience and agility training we still paid the annual fees to just use the grounds for socializing. Have moved too far south now, but as the tuggernong dog park has opened it worked out well

good luck with their recall

[wuffles]

I've been to all fenced off leash parks in Canberra, as well as one dog club, and I would say there is a VERY low percentage of dogs there that have a 100% reliable recall.

Mine has good recall (I have put LOTS of recall training into him) but let's just say he's not the most focussed being on the planet. If selective hearing kicks in when at a dog park/dog club, I physically remove him from the area. I've never had any issues with this.

I know not everyone agrees with this, but IN MY OPINION, the occasional "not able to be called off chasing rabbits" shouldn't preclude someone from using an off leash area.

[poodlefan]

I've been to all fenced off leash parks in Canberra, as well as one dog club, and I would say there is a VERY low percentage of dogs there that have a 100% reliable recall.

Mine has good recall (I have put LOTS of recall training into him) but let's just say he's not the most focussed being on the planet. If selective hearing kicks in when at a dog park/dog club, I physically remove him from the area. I've never had any issues with this.

I know not everyone agrees with this, but IN MY OPINION, the occasional "not able to be called off chasing rabbits" shouldn't preclude someone from using an off leash area.

I agree.. but had inferred we weren't talking about that, but about serial offenders.

[Anastascia]

I've been to all fenced off leash parks in Canberra, as well as one dog club, and I would say there is a VERY low percentage of dogs there that have a 100% reliable recall.

Mine has good recall (I have put LOTS of recall training into him) but let's just say he's not the most focussed being on the planet. If selective hearing kicks in when at a dog park/dog club, I physically remove him from the area. I've never had any issues with this.

I know not everyone agrees with this, but IN MY OPINION, the occasional "not able to be called off chasing rabbits" shouldn't preclude someone from using an off leash area.

I agree.. but had inferred we weren't talking about that, but about serial offenders. :p

I think they would like to be serial offenders but I am not game enough to find out! I would prefer to take them to training before I took them off leash in unfenced area.

Wuffles - I agree, just because they don't have a 100% recall, doesn't mean they aren't fine at fenced dog parks. I have never had a problem with anyone elses dog except for ones who are agressive! Mine have never had a problem at dog parks, they always play happily and don't cause any trouble.