- This topic has 2,065 voices and 5 replies.
-
Posts
-
Hi all,
As some of you know, there is a new dog trainer’s association called the Association of Pet Dog Trainers Ireland (APDT Ireland), which a number of like-minded trainers have formed so that owners can make a more informed choice when it comes to finding a dog trainer. We’re committed to ethical, dog-friendly dog training by trainers who really understand what they’re talking about.
Part of the process of becoming a member requires that applicants go through a practical assessment, in which they are assessed whilst running a dog training class.
And that’s where everyone here on the DID forum comes in! We’re looking for dogs, dogs and more dogs to attend the assessment day!
The assessment days are on Saturday 26th and Sunday 27th Feb, from 9am to 5pm, but we plan to do a roster so that no dogs have to be there for longer than a couple of hours.
The venue is Fingallians GAA club in Swords. It is an indoor venue. Grub will be available in the bar on the day.
We require dogs of all shapes, ages and sizes, but one thing we have to insist on is that dogs are dog-friendly and good-natured. They must be confident enough to be in a crowd/training environment: we don’t want to scare the life out of your dog if he/she is nervous!
All dogs must of course be vaccinated.
Water will be provided.
You can bring more than one dog, but in the classes it is one handler per dog.
Foster dogs are absolutely welcome! This could be a great opportunity to teach them some new stuff!
Your dog must be happy to be left in the car for short periods during his/her "shift"We are committed to getting dog training to a better standard in Ireland… want to be part of the process?
I’d really appreciate any volunteers who feel that their own dogs or foster dogs would be able to help out.
PM me or call me at 086 8200010.
Thanks a million!
Maureen Byrne
Dogs Behaving Badly?
APDT Ireland No. 006
APDT UK No. 924Count me in,sounds like a great opportunity, hope to see other DID doggies there .Morning of either day would suit me.
Hi Buzzsmom!
Yes, I was thinking it could be good fun if we gather a few DID dogs and volunteers together, it could turn into a great old weekend from a social point of view!
I’ve had a few poeple expressing an interest so far, which I’m thrilled about, so don’t be shy if you’d like to get involved!
MaureenBooley can you please post up what is required of the dog owner/handler on the day so we can make sure it fits the bill for some foster dogs.
Hi all,
On the day, we will probably ask most dogs to take part in 2 classes, with a break between the two classes.
This will mean we’ll be looking for people to stay with us for about 3 hours.
I’ll put a roster together so that everyone will know what time they should be there at: I don’t think it’s going to be a terribly long day in any case, but I’ll be in a position to do up a roster next week when I know exactly how many candidates we’ll have.
So, we need for people to bring a dog with them a little before the allotted time, and come and introduce yourself to our team on the day.
You’ll then be brought to your class, where you will be taught alongside 4 other dogs and owners, to do a variety of obedience skills such as sit, down, walk on loose-lead, look, leave, and stay.
the instructor will be the person being assessed, so will no doubt be nervous, so we’d ask that owners and dogs are understanding of this!
The Instructor will be being assessed by a team of 3 ADPT Ireland assessors, who will not be participating in the class, but will be standing to one side watching proceedings. If the Instructor does anything to endanger the safety of welfare of a dog or owner, the assessors will immediately intervene.
So, we’re looking for dogs whether they have loads of experience or none at all. We do not mind what they look like, how big they are, whether they’re slow on the uptake or absolute geniuses. the only thing we ask regarding your dog is that he or she is not troublesome/aggressive around other dogs or people, or that he/she is not frightened of these sorts of environments. We don’t mind dogs who are a little bit bold and cheeky, but we’d like the classes to remain reasonably low-stress for intructor, dogs and handlers.
In order to have got to the practical assessment stage, the candidate has already had to demonstrate a considerable amout of knowledge and management skills for a training class, so none of the candidates are complete novices. Most will be quite experienced.
The venue is indoor, but there is a large outdoor area with plenty of car-parking space and grass verges for peeing on (the dogs, not the handlers )
The indoors bit is large and comfortable, and there is a bar which will be selling refreshments on the day.
Does this help to clarify?
If anyoen wants to ask specific questions, please do!
Maureen
)
- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.