ACT Companion Dog Club

1. All dogs are to be kept on the lead at all times during training sessions, except when given permission by an instructor to work off lead in classes.
2. Dogs may not be taken inside the clubhouse.
3. Handlers may only leave their dogs tied up on the club grounds if their dog is not aggressive to people, particularly children, or other dogs. Dogs are not to be tied up in such a way that they can reach another tethered dog.
4. Bitches in season are not to be brought on to the club grounds at any time.
5. Dogs must have current immunisation against distemper, canine hepatitis and parvovirus before attending classes.
6. A dog suffering from any illness or skin problems is not to be brought to classes until a vet has pronounced the condition non-contagious.
7. Handlers must remove their dog's excreta from the club grounds and environs and place in the bins provided. Implements are also provided.
8. Handlers are to use only approved club training methods when training on club grounds. Mistreatment of dogs during training sessions will not be tolerated and may result in removal from class and withdrawal of training privileges.
9. During training sessions, handlers must not run with their dogs except when under instruction.
10. Free running of dogs on club grounds outside training sessions is only permitted in nominated free run areas. Dogs must remain under supervision and control, and not be allowed to interfere with other dogs or handlers.
11. Club members are responsible at all times for the behaviour of their children whilst on club grounds (there is a toy box in the clubhouse).
12. Instructors have authority over their classes and may ask a member to take their dog out of the class if it is disruptive.
13. Smoking is not permitted in class.
14. Parking on Club grounds is limited to Club instructors and disabled parking - except for competition days and trials.
15. Training fees entitle handlers to attend only one training session per week.
16. Club membership is only open to people over 11 years old.

Please take particular note of rules 3 and 11

Children and Dogs on Club Grounds

Children are most welcome on Club grounds, but they (like your dogs) should be well behaved and under control. If you do bring children then you need to be aware of some of the possible risks. It must not be assumed that all the dogs at the Club are safe with children. In fact, some dogs are brought to classes BECAUSE they have behavioural problems. A particular worry we have is that our children are generally very used to dogs and don’t always realise that other dogs may not be as friendly as their own.

Children under the age of 10 should not be left unattended on Club grounds nor in the clubhouse. All children should be taught that they should not touch a tethered dog or a dog in a car. They should not touch any dog without the permission of the owner and the permission of the dog (which means that they should not touch any dog that appears afraid or angry). They should not touch a dog that is sleeping or eating. You should tell your children not to run past dogs as this may excite or intimidate the dog and cause an unpleasant incident. These problems are a particular concern on Club Competition Days when the grounds are more crowded ... so please don't bring your children unless you have a second person to look after them whilst you are being judged.

Finally please be aware while in the free run areas young children running, playing with toys (e.g. balls, frisbees, teddy bears, etc.), or carrying food will often attract the attention of dogs in the area ... so be extra vigilant in these situations.

Tying dogs up

There are a number of posts throughout the Club grounds (mostly under trees in shady areas) where a dog can be left tied up for a few minutes ... handlers might need to go into the Clubhouse or help someone with something. There is also an exercise taught in our Intermediate Classes ("Wait for Me") that requires a dog being tied to a post or fence for a minute or so.

You should be aware of dogs that are tied up and not approach them or allow your dog to approach them without their handlers consent. Some dogs get anxious when away from their handlers and may become agitated or aggressive if approached by strange people or dogs. So please ... be aware of tied up dogs and of your dog, and do not walk past tied up dogs too closely. The same is also true of dogs that are in crates or cages.

Finally, please don't stand with your dogs on the paths are at any of the gates to talk. Many people and their dogs use these places and congestion here can sometimes lead to unfortunate incidents. Please take just a few steps off the paths or move a few metres from the gates before getting into a serious chat session.

Injury and Liability

All owners of dogs should be aware that any injury caused by their dog, whether to a child, an adult or another dog, is the responsibility of the dog’s owners and not the Club. Members are advised to check whether their household contents insurance policy covers their liability which could be quite considerable.

The Club has procedures in place to record and respond to incidents that occur on Club grounds. If you require further information on this or wish to report an incident, then please see your instructor or the session manager. If the incident occurs outside of class times, then a written incident report can be lodged with the office during office hours (see contact page for contact details and office hours).