Classes and courses in obedience and agility

The club offers courses in basic obedience for puppies and dogs under the age of two and also a basic introductory course to agility.  On completion of these courses, you can then join our regular obedience and agility classes which are held on Monday and Wednesday evenings respectively at The Glebe Equestrian Centre, St Marks (either at 7.15 or 8.15).  In the summer months (May to September), the regular agility classes are held at a venue in Abbeylands, near Douglas, while the obedience classes are held outdoors at The Glebe.   

For those interested in obedience but whose dogs are over the age of two, please contact us if you would like to do obedience as we may be able to join our regular beginner level classes where they will be assigned a personal trainer for a few evenings.  This will allow the jargon to be explained and help to be given to these handlers as necessary to allow you to join in and receive the full benefit of the lessons.

If you have previous experience in obedience or agility, you can join our regular classes.  The obedience class times are currently 7.15 p.m. for the combined advanced/intermediate class and 8.15 p.m. for beginners.  The agility class times are currently 7.15 p.m. for the beginners and 8.15 p.m. for the combined advanced/intermediate class.

The fees for the regular classes are £3 per class (£1 for junior/student members).  If you have more than one dog the class fee is £2.00 per additional dog, as long as the same owner handles them.  There is also an annual membership fee of £20 (£10 for junior and student members), renewable in January each year.

Obedience Newcomer and Puppy Courses

The newcomer/puppy courses are 10 weeks in duration which includes the initial talk when we shall tell you about our training and what you can expect to be learning.  The classes are held at The Glebe Equestrian Centre, St Marks on Monday evenings. The cost of an obedience newcomer course is £60 for adults and £30 for juniors.  This cost includes your membership fee. The newcomers’ courses are designed for people who have never owned a dog before or for those who have not had a young dog for many years.  At present these are held every January, July and September (subject to minor change as applicable).  Dogs / puppies can attend the courses from 4 months of age to 2 years of age.  New handlers with perhaps older dogs are encouraged to attend the beginners’ class as stated above.  A waiting list is retained for the newcomers’ course and you must reserve your place in advance on the course to avoid disappointment, as places on these courses are limited.  Once you have been allocated your “place” on the course, our Members’ Secretary will contact you the week before to confirm the course details to you.

In the beginners’ or newcomers’ classes, we will cover basic dog obedience such as:

• Coming when they are called.
• Walking nicely at heel on a lead.
• Learning to play with you.
• Sitting on command.
• Lying down on command.
• Learning to stay in both the sit and down positions when told.
• Learning a basic retrieve.
• Learning general good manners and social behaviour when meeting other people and their dogs.
• Learning a few tricks adds to all the fun!

Newcomer Agility Courses
 
The club runs Newcomer Agility Courses throughout the year. These are introductory courses for dogs that have never taken part in agility and are designed to familiarise both dogs and their handlers with the agility equipment and techniques.   Courses run for 8 weeks and cost £44 for adults and £18 for juniors and are open to all shapes and sizes of dog (and handler!).  The course fees include your annual membership fee.  They are generally held on a Saturday or Sunday morning at the venue in Abbeylands.  Generally your dog should be at a year to 18 months old (particularly if you have a larger dog) but we can discuss your particular dog’s breed to determine what is appropriate for your dog.

Juniors

We are unable to allow children under the age of 10 years of age to handle a dog in a class.  Juniors between the age of 10 -16 years must have their own insurance, or their dog must have a separate insurance, which must be produced on the first night/day of the course, and we must insist that each junior be accompanied by his or her parent / guardian to give them support should they need it.

If you are interested in joining any of the above courses, please contact us by email or telephone (per the details on our contacts page) with the following information:

Your name, address, telephone number s and email address (if you have one).

Name, age, sex and breed of your dog.

Confirmation that your dog is fully inoculated.

Your age (if you are a junior handler).