Kaipara canines back to school

 

JULIA WADE

With the return of spring Mangawhai’s hairy four-legged residents can now enrol in canine classes to polish up on their social etiquette.

From September 23, Kaipara Dog Training Club (KDTC) are offering two different sessions for dogs and their humans, an eight week ‘Beginner Obedience Class’ and a ‘mix and mingle’ for the more mature dog which KDTC secretary Jo Mayne says is based on ‘social interactions for the dogs as well as their handlers’.

“These are simple, fun and enjoyable activities for the dogs… plus a cuppa and a choccy biscuit for their handlers afterwards, this is on a casual basis with a small charge of five dollars per session,” she says. “The Beginner Obedience Classes covers a range of basic good manners for dogs, they are super popular and we really see significant improvements as we progress through.”

Well-known for their canine athletic and talent display at Mangawhai Domain’s annual summer gala, KDTC offers training in agility, ‘RallyO’ and other dog-related activities. Club members compete regularly, and achieve a high level of success, in agility competitions which are held across the country. The club also provides an opportunity for dog owners wanting to achieve the ‘Canine Good Citizen’ certificate which is a recognised obedience qualification.

Mayne says the club is just getting back into their normal Wednesday evening routine at the Mangawhai Domain, after the recent Covid-19 level 2 restrictions and wet season postponed many of their usual sessions.

“We tend to be somewhat less active in winter due to the weather but now that daylight savings is just around the corner, the evenings will be nicer to do some activities with the dogs,” she says. “We enjoy meeting a range of new people and their dogs, it’s great for like-minded people to mix and mingle so we welcome anyone to pop down and see us!”

„ Want to know more? Visit Kaipara Dog Training Club’s facebook or drop down to the Domain on Wednesday evening.

Training sessions are considered important for the dogs – and their handlers.