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How to Join
If you are interested in joining, and you have not done agility before *, you must attend a new members class which is an introduction to clicker training. These are usually held at 3.00 pm on the first training Sunday in each month except January. When a competition is being held at the club or the ground is closed by Council, the class will be held on the following training Sunday. The club calendar will tell you when the next new members class is to be held.
This page explains what happens at the new member class. We will start with a brief assessment of your dog. There is no preparation needed for the assessment - it is simply to ensure that your dog will be able to learn in an environment with other dogs nearby. (Nearly all dogs pass; for those that do not, we can suggest alternative training).
After successful completion of the assessment, you can join the club, and participate in our new members clicker class, which will finish by 4.00 pm. Paws 4 Fun encourages its members to use clicker training.There is a link below to the clicker training resources on this site.
These activities will be done outside. If it is raining or the ground is closed by Council, these activities will be postponed by one training week. Weekend ground closure is usually declared by The Hills Shire Council on Friday morning; if this occurs, I will email you. You can check the Council's wet weather closures by using the web address or telephone number at the bottom of this page.
Age of dogs Dogs must be 6 months of age to join the club and participate in club activities. Dogs are not permitted to jump full-sized obstacles until they are one year old.
The Clicker Orientation Class. This class goes through the basics of dog training. The club uses clicker training and the talk explains exactly how clicker training works and how you can use it at home, to get the most out of the time you spend training. The presenter uses her own dog to show how clicker training works in practice. The talk gives lots of helpful tips and hints that we just don't have enough time in class to give you, and it will really get your training off to a flying start. You will receive a clicker when you join the club.
What to bring with you Your dogs, and other members of your family, especially children, who interact with your dog. Your dog’s vaccination certificate. A mat or bed for your dog to lie on during the talk. Treats, say three sorts (e.g. sausage, cheese and cabanossi). Avoid using ordinary treats such as Schmakos or liver treats, and dried dog food. A favourite toy. Please do not bring a ball, as it is likely to cause problems with other dogs. The membership fee and the joining fee. A hat for each attendee, if it is hot.
Our classes The class that dogs join after the Clicker Orientation class is the introductory class, (which runs from 4-5pm) where we teach owners how to train their dog using a clicker and positive reinforcement methods (i.e. lots of rewards for doing what we want). Basic agility skills that don't involve jumping, and lots of recall work (calling your dog back to you) are also taught. Dogs have to be at least a year old to progress to jumping obstacles, because their bones are still soft until they are about one year old. We have three more levels of class after the introductory class, which teach progressively more agility techniques and provide dogs with lots of practice of what is taught.
Our fees
Our fees are based on the financial year, 1st July to 30th June. Members joining after January 1st pay half the listed fee for the first year of membership, plus the joining fee.
Proof of current vaccination to C3 or better is required when you join the club and when you renew your membership. Membership covers multiple dogs, and a vaccination certificate is required for each dog. If you subsequently bring a new dog to training, please ensure that your new dog is added to your membership application and that you show a vaccination certificate for the new dog to the club.
*if you are already a member of an Agility club, please call the Secretary on 9980 1573 Related pages
Clicker training links There is an article on the clicker here There is an excellent introduction to clicker training here
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