Prince Rock Dog Training &
Agility Club
Autumn Newsletter 2012
Issue 4/2012
We
are pleased you have taken the step to join our club and we will do our best to
help you train your dog. A most
important part of having a dog, is to socialise it. This means that it will be comfortable in
situations where there is a lot of noise, and activity around it, but that your
dog will be able to ignore it and not display any aggressive behaviour.
Initially, when dogs join a group they are feeling unsure and therefore can
disturb the class for a short time. We
ask that should this happen in a class, for the rest of the class members to
give the new dog a chance, and in no time at all, it will adjust and be a happy
member of the group. We recommend owners
practice the obedience techniques taught for only about 5-10 minutes a day.
That is sufficient.
Please also remember that the club is
run by volunteers who dedicate their time and energy to it because they love
dogs.
Liz Riley – Head Trainer
Please feel free to talk to
any of our trainers on Club night
or by these methods below:
Club
Folder ~ available on club nights
Our
website ~ princerockdogclub.webs.com
Our Blog ~ http://princerockdogtrainingclub.blogspot.com
Email
us ~ prdtc@btinternet.com
Suggestion
Box ~ available on club nights
St Matthias Church Hall, Bedford Park, North Hill, Plymouth, PL4 8HU
Paws to Note……….
Monday 17TH
December 2012 7.15 Christmas Party Tickets £2 each
Games, fun, hat competition, prize
giving and of course, Lou’s special doggy Christmas cake! Also
it will be the last club night of 2012.
Classes
re start Monday 7th January 2013
Home and Aboard Animal Charity talk has been
postponed. See Chairman’s letter later.
A Grand Day Out - The Sponsored Walk
at Cann Woods on 16th September raised £222 for the Wallace &
Gromit’s Children’s Foundation and The Kennel Club Charitable Trust. Many thanks to all who participated and
donated.
For Sale: Dog guard to go
between front car seats £10.00
The Prince Rock Dog Training and Agility Club
The Trainers
In the last newsletter we met David Frost who teaches the
second class on Mondays In this edition we introduce you to Liz Riley
our Head Trainer.
Liz will enrol you into the club when you first
join, explain the philosophy of the club and discuss what we can offer to help
you train your dog.
Liz joined the Prince Rock Dog Club 16
years ago with her dog Cleo, stayed on to lend a hand, completed Graham Mabbit’s
Police Dog Handler’s and the Kennel Club Good Citizen’s Award courses, attended
seminars and various other canine behaviour courses over the years and is now
our Head Trainer With her experience and common sense, her love of dogs is self
evident. Like people, all dogs are
different in size, behaviour, circumstances and demands, so it is a difficult
job to assess and bring the best out of them.
With her quiet manner, she can gently suggest improvements in the
owner’s commands. As she says, the most
difficult part of her job, is training the owners, not the dogs! Liz takes 2 classes, one on Monday and one on
Tuesday and agility on Thursdays. She also
holds Bronze, Silver and Gold Good Citizen Award courses. She will approach you if she considers you and
your dog are ready to attend them.
So, with the benefit of her team around her,
Liz can oversee the activities of the dogs and owners, and I hope you will
agree, the club is a very happy place to be!
Lou’s
Top Tips: November 5th and Fireworks
November
5th is such a happy time for children, the sky filled with pretty
lights, rockets soaring into the sky, sparklers, bangers and bonfires with
flames high in the air. Happy children
laughing and enjoying the fun, but give a thought to our poor dogs. If you have ever seen a dog afraid of loud
bangs, unable to settle or escape, hiding in a corner of the room or behind a
sofa, shaking uncontrollably, saliva dripping from its’ mouth or worse, it is
not nice for you or the dog.
So, what to can you do ?? Take the dog for it’s walk early in the
morning, forget his evening one, feed him early and make sure he is settled
before the fireworks start. If he is
nervous, DO NOT MAKE A FUSS OF HIM.
Although you will want to, you must ignore him or you will only
reinforce his stress. You could try a
natural remedy like the herb Basil or Bach Flower Rescue Remedy or visit your
vet to see if he would recommend a sedative.
Make sure the dog is in the home and don’t forget cats and other
animals. In case of accidents, have your vet’s number handy. Have a good time but take care.
Lou
Bronze Award Success !!
Congratulations to Cathy & Casper, Carly
& Daisy, Jane & Sandy, Angela & Mac, Pam & Brooke, Chris &
Lily, Joanne & Zeus, Susanne & Rosie, Moira & Chester and Dawn
& Humphrey all who passed the Kennel Club Good Citizen Bronze Award in
October. Thanks go to the Dog warden Julie
and of course, to Liz Riley, our Head Trainer.
And
finally, a note from the Chairman ………………
Here we are, nearing the end of 2012
with plans for the Christmas party under way.
For those of you new to the club, it is one of the rare opportunities
for everyone to get together with the evening including customised,
fun games for owner & dog together (such as musical squares, biscuit relay
race, egg & spoon race, statues, etc).
We also hold a themed fancy dress competition (your dog – not you) so
get your “thinking caps” on. We also
present the achievement awards with trophies & certificates, hold a raffle
& there will be a very special “Christmas Cake” carefully baked &
“iced” by Lou for the dogs.
This Christmas Party is only possible
because of the committee members & other volunteers who give their time
freely to purchase/prepare the food & help with the games. I am sure that those who have attended in
previous years will say the £2.00 charge for the buffet food is good value for
money. Tickets will go on sale soon.
As
many of you know, the club has a special affinity with The Woodside Animal
Welfare Trust (charity number 299789) & we are, again, asking club members
to donate food, treats & toys for all the animals they take in (not just
dogs). A box will be available during
club nights for you to place your kind donation(s) & everything collected
will be passed on to the charity’s representative during the Christmas
Party. Your contributions will make a
big difference to those who are not as fortunate as your own pet(s).
Regrettably, we have been forced to postpone the talk by
Clare Smith in respect of Home & Abroad Animal Welfare Charity however we
would still like to help the charity.
Please check your cupboards for any serviceable leads, harnesses,
collars, plastic dog bowls, toys, packets of dog food, chews, flea and worming treatment
you no longer need as any contribution you make for this charity could save a
dog’s life & will certainly enhance their conditions. There already is a basket available for your
kind donations.
Finally a
few “thank you’s” to everyone who attended & helped with the obedience
& agility displays we put on this year.
We have had such positive feedback from the organisers. It is lovely
to show such a wide variety of experience from those dogs who’ve been part of
the team for a number of years to relative newcomers to the club who took part
for the very first time. Whilst a
daunting experience, I do hope you enjoyed showing off your dog’s skills &
did not worry if your dog didn’t stick to the script or invented their own way
of negotiating the agility equipment (as this is what the audience love to
see). Please tell
your class members, as your influence may result in them joining too.
Judith Hosking
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