Membership and Fees

        Membership is open to everyone, and all breeds (and mixtures of breeds) of dogs.  The Club is bound by its Constitution and the Regulations of the South Australian Canine Association.
     Club members are not required to also become members of S.A.C.A., but will need to do so if and when they reach the appropriate standard in either Obedience or Agility and decide they wish to enter dogsports trials and competitions .     

      All dogs must be vaccinated at least to C3 level (Distemper, Hepatitis,
& Parvo virus), and proof of this will be required to be sighted before your dog may participate in classes. The Club strongly recommends you discuss with your veterinarian C4 & C5 vaccinations,  which cover  Kennel Cough ...

Note from the dog &cat management board
"The board has determined that if a dog is less than a year old proof  of graduation from a puppy pre-school will make it eligible for a training rebate"
That rebate applies when you register your dog with your council.


Membership Fees:  

    Annual  Subscriptions

           Single Adult  .....  $ 50.OO                      Double ..... $ 60.00

  Junior (10 yrs to under 17 yrs) or Pensioner $ 40.00 ( Dble .. $ 50.00 )
                                                        
  After the 31st. of August of each year,
 membership fees to the end of the year are halved.

      There are currently no extra fees for an individual or family wishing to     train more than one dog, but it should be realized that some clashes in    class-times are likely to occur at various stages, and you may need to   decide which dog needs the experience more, or alternate them in class.
      For these fees, you will receive:
          A name badge (one for each member), which you  are required to wear in class, and which is not transferrable between family members or friends. The badge features a series of markings indicating the class-level you and your your dog have reached, which is assessed at the  last training session of each month.
          A bi-monthly newsletter, the "Chattersheet"  in which Club news and   events and articles of interest to dog-owners are published, as well as   names of new members, and those nominated each month as the "Most   Improved" in their class, those graduating from Grade 5 with their Basic   Obedience Certificate, and our members' results from Obedience and   Agility competitions.  
  Members' suggestions and contributions are always appreciated.
           Weekly classes (or twice weekly if you are keen enough and able
   to attend on both Tuesday mornings and evenings - see:
  'Class Information').  Classes are allocated at the beginning of each  month,  and as far as possible remain with the same instructor for the whole  month, leading up to an assessment and graduation during the the final  week's class.  It is entirely up to you how often you attend, and how much  'homework'  you do, but assessments only take place at these monthly  graduations,  and if you miss one, you stay another month in that class
 until the next end-of-month assessment.
        Each week, new members attending for the first time have paperwork
   to complete, then join an Orientation class in which Club rules, class structure and expectations are outlined. A basic introduction to training is given, before being allocated to their class for the following week.  
   
        Dogs under six months of age automatically go into a Puppy class (see note re council rebate), while older (dog) beginners start in Grade 1, unless they have had previous training and need individual assessment which might put them in a higher class.  
         If you are thinking of joining the Club from elsewhere, and are unsure of your appropriate level of achievement, as criteria vary between different training schools, we encourage you to contact us by phone or e-mail to discuss your circumstances, or any particular problems you think you might have with your dog and its training.
        Our instructors are all volunteers, and have various commitments,
  but as far as possible, the Club aims that you will have the benefit of   continuity of teaching for the whole of each month. 
       You may have a new instructor each month, as they too are regularly      allocated a new schedule to teach.  This allows you to gain from the   combined wisdom of their broad experience and various training 'tips'.
   
      Please try to remember your instructor's name for those few weeks, in   case we need to re-allocate classes at any time if your instructor is away.