Sutherland & Peakhurst Training

[staffylovers]

Can someone please tell me a little about Sutherland Training?

How do the Sutherland/Peakhurst/Hanrob training schools differ....do some concentrate on specific training needs?

Do they have a website?

Can we just turn up?

Have we missed out on classes?

Thank you :-)

[Mrsdog]

I imagine that Sutherland and Peakhurst are similar and Hanrob being private and costing more would have smaller classes.

How about I give you a thumbnail view of Sutherland?

First off dogs must be at least four months old and have their 4-month vaccination, please bring current vaccination certificate with you. It is $20 to join and $3 each time you attend. Time is 8am on Sunday morning. We also train Monday, Wednesday and Friday nights, but beginners must start on Sunday.

Class size is dependent on number of volunteer instructors and dogs attending on the day. We try to keep class sizes as small as possible and give individual help where needed.

As well as obedience classes Sutherland also offers courses in clicker training, agility, flyball, Canine Mans Best Friend certificate course, and we have a group of Caring Canines who visit the local nursing homes. Our demonstration team performs at Fetes and for charities whenever we are asked.

Hope this is sufficient info for you, but please ask if I have left anything out (sure I have...). We have lots of Staffies at Sutherland. One of the instructors said SDTC stands for Staffy Dog Training Club. :rolleyes:

Why don't you come one Sunday morning and check us out?

Noels.

[MonElite]

staffylovers - Peakhurst rules are simmilar, just like any other club that is run by volounteers. lessons are $2 and we train on Saturday afternoons. All other stuff is more or less the same as Sutherland.

Club in Peakhurst is smaller, it doenst offer some things that Sutherland does (such as flyball) but overall a good friendly club.

It will not hurt if you go to both, I used to.......

Mrsdog, I have now just clicked who you are, I always suspected but now Im sure.

Hello, Its Monika, remember? I used to come on Mondays and Wednesdays with my agro doberman male, I often came with a girlfriend that had a dobie girl. And you have a lagotto, right?

[staffylovers]

Thanks Mrsdog and Myska.

First off dogs must be at least four months old and have their 4-month vaccination, please bring current vaccination certificate with you. It is $20 to join and $3 each time you attend. Time is 8am on Sunday morning.

He has had his 4mth vac. but I don't have the certificate....I do have the receipt however. Will that do?

Can we come tomorrow?

If yes, where are you located? What else do I need to bring? Should he have something to eat or come on an empty stomach? How long do the classes run for? Is there a mixed group? Pups and adult dogs? What do they do on Sundays?

I know what agility training is...but what is flyball and clicker training? Forgive my ignorance...new to all this. I'm learning and want to expose our little guy to a fun active lifestye, as we love him dearly :-). He is such a clever little thing!

Myska....I think I read in a previous email that your classes begin March 4th...is that right? So, we can do Sat. afternoons at Peakhurst and Sunday's at Sutherland?

Many thanks

[Mrsdog]

Hey, hey, what a keen little vegemite. Good for you. I also think it is good to expose your dog to many experiences.

Yes, come tomorrow. Try to get there about 7.45 as you have a simple form to fill in. Receipt is probably OK as they usually say what it was for. You will be given a booklet for new people and also "The Wag", which is the club magazine.

Bring some treats for your dog. Wet treats are better than hard treats as easier and quicker to swallow (Cabanossi, sausage, chicken, cheese). The Club President takes newbies on their first day and will tell you about the Club and show you around. Then you will do some training.

Training is for one hour but of course you are not training all that time. If at any time you feel that your dog needs a break just take it aside and let it rest in the shade for a short while. However you will find that the hour goes really fast and will be over before you realise.

Whoops, nearly forgot to answer your question: New dogs are mostly puppies and young dogs. Occasionally get an older dog in the group. About the breakfast question - up to you. Personally I think young dogs need their breakfast, but some people prefer to feed their dog when they get home. Since you won't be training intensive on this day why don't you feed him first and decide about that next time?

Do you know where the Swimming Pool/Leisure Centre is at Sutherland? Old Princes Highway? Well, going towards Engadine just past the swimming pool there is a running track and football fields - that is where we are - you will see all the dogs. Go to the clubhouse, which is the road side of the football field.

Good luck, have fun.

Noels.

[Mrsdog]

Hi Myszka. We'll have to catch up some day. I have two Lagotti - one brown roan boy and a white girl. Mostly do Agility on Monday and Wednesdays and show training on Friday. Then there is flyball on Thursday nights. Oh, well, it keeps me off the streets. :rolleyes:

Perhaps we can meet up at one of the get-togethers for DOL?

Noels.

[MonElite]

stuffylovers, lets hope you keep up the enthusiasm for a long time.

The most important tho is to take the info you will be given during class, take it home and train at home, in the park on your own, tahn you will see results. If you rely on a lesson a week in the club it will not be enough. Well it actually depends on your goals, but imho its a lot better to do 10 minutes each day than an hour once a week.

Mrsdog - i only remember your girl, Ive seen her as a cutes puppy and how she was growing up to be a pretty young lady.

[wagsalot]

Ok im back in the training section again

If i took Riley to Sutherland , can I train him on a harness??? He's useless otherwise (which is why we gave up hanrob as we werent allowed to use the harness).

I would like to give RIley a shot at flyball (I didnt know sutherland did it) - how do I go about getting into that?

[MonElite]

wagsalot, is he useless on a martingale as well?

I dont think youd have any problems working him on a harness if you insisted, you might be recomended someting different, up to you if you take the recommendation on or not.

Flyball is on a weeknight at sutherland, they do a bit of obiedience than some flyball practicing. Remember you have to have a very good recall for it, under distractions, lots of dogs around.

I think there is also a pure flyball club in the area, possibly called Hurstville flyball club, would anyone know?

[wagsalot]

Yeah, no good on a martingale either.

His recall is normally really good - however Im not sure how he'd go in that situation. But id like to give it a try.

Ive been meaning to go for a while, but been to embarassed incase he's really bad .

I have no idea how he'll go.

A beginners class would be good

[Mrsdog]

Wags if you want to do flyball best go to St. George Flyball club at Mortdale. They will take you through from beginners and teach you properly. There is a lot more to it than you would realise just watching.

Sutherland is only just starting to teach flyball this year and we are waiting for new equipment. Some of the Sutho dogs do flyball, but they did their training mostly with St. George.

Tigerjack here on DOL will give you more details or you can phone Sandra Hindmarsh on 9534.2645.

Training is Thursday evening 6.30pm in the schoolgrounds - Mortdale Primary/Carinya School I think it is called. Better check this.

The St. George crowd would be one of the friendliest I have ever come across. So helpful and supportive of new people.

If you have a reasonable level of obedience and recalls then you have a good start.

Guarantee you and your dog will just love it.

Noels.

[wagsalot]

Tigerjack has been very helpful to me before.

I cant do Thursdays which is why I never ended up going to St George.

[staffylovers]

Can someone answer two questions for me please?

What is a martingale? I know it's some type of collar...but can you describe it please?

And what exactly is flyball training?

[MonElite]

martingale collar or limited slip collar

its usually a fabric collar that has a part of a chain that you can correct the dog with.

flyball - dog sport a team discipline where two teams of dogs compete to get a certain amounf of balls out of the machine where on the way there and back they go through a set of jumps.

[TigerJack]

wagsalot - if you can't make thursdays for flyball with St George then go to the Australian Flyball Association website www.flyball.org.au and check out clubs. I think you are located at the south end of Sydney?? The others that might suit you are Leaps and Bounds at Bankstown. They train on a weekend. Deerbush dog training club is getting back into flyball but haven't competed for ages that I know of. As you are at the bottom of the Sydney map, you might even find it quicker to get to the guys that train at Dapto. They also train on a weekend I believe.

If anyone wants details for St George then please PM me, we have a few requirements for basic obedience before you can start.

To answer staffylover - flyball is a team sport. Four dogs and four handlers. Each dog is released and has to race down a row of four jumps and then turn on a flyball box. The front of the box is a trigger that causes the box to throw out a tennis ball which the dog must catch and then bring back across the 4 jumps through the start gate. Then the next dog goes and so on. It is very fast and very noisy and a lot of fun.

There is potential for developing bad habits that may cause injury if you attempt to teach yourself flyball. Please go to a club where you can be taught properly. It is easier to teach the correct way than try to change a behaviour later on.

Jo

edited to add that flyball is not something that can be taught in just a couple of lessons, it takes some time and lots of homework. Having said that, Mrs Dog only joined us in the last couple of months of 2005 and we have her entered in the upcoming competition at Castle Hill with her dog Kiss.

Edited February 28, 2006 by TigerJack

[MonElite]

We have had 22 new dogs join today, for a small club thats a lot! So many cute pupps, couple of gorgeous GSDs, it wil be great if they all stay and learn heaps.

Even my Rex after a 3 month break managed to do everything I asked for, including off lead and distance work with few onlookers.

Oh and he didnt "eat" any new commers, thats always a bonus :D