What Are Our Club Rules?
Rules for ALL Training Sessions
NDDAC wish everyone attending the club’s training sessions to enjoy coming to our club and get the most out of their training with their dog(s). To facilitate this, NDDAC have some fairly basic (and mostly common sense!) rules. All rules have been approved by the committee and are to ensure the safety of everyone attending. These rules apply to all NDDAC training sessions:
1. All equipment must be set up and used safely and in accordance with any guidelines given by the club’s trainers. The equipment for beginner training sessions will be correctly and safely set up by an experienced trainer of the club. For other sessions, training will be given in the sessions about the correct set up and take down of equipment. All members are responsible for their own safety and the safety of their dog(s) whilst on site, whether using the equipment or otherwise.
2. Any incidents that take place whether this is a dog/dog altercation, injury when setting up equipment or whilst training, must be reported in the incident book, which is kept within the hospitality cabin.
3. Dogs must be on lead at all times when not training on the set exercise or course. This is for the safety of everyone. Anyone found to be abusing this rule should be reported to the committee. A warning may be issued. If the committee receives three such reports then the committee will consider taking further action which, depending upon severity and likelihood of reoffending, may include suspending the handler from taking part in any further classes for a set period and/or imposing a permanent ban for that handler.
4. Any dog interfering in another’s training (irrespective of whether it is aggressively doing so) should be asked to leave the training grounds. This incident should be reported in the incident book in the hospitality cabin and to the committee. A warning may be issued. If three such reports are made then the committee will consider taking further action which, depending upon severity and likelihood of reoffending, may include suspending the handler and dog from taking part in any further classes for a set period and/or imposing a permanent ban for that dog or handler.
5. The trainer for any class has absolute authority for that class and all members (and non-members) attending the grounds will respect their decision upon any matter and follow any reasonable directions issued. Any complaints regarding a trainer must be made to the committee.
6. All dogs must wear a correctly fitted collar/harness and lead.
7. Bitches in season (BIS) should not be brought to the club grounds. The club is currently undertaking a trial period allowing BIS with the advanced class.
8. No harsh handling will be tolerated. The Club works on reward-based handling.
9. The owner of any dog, which fouls the grounds, shall immediately clear up any mess which should be removed from the site for disposal.
10. No dog that is sick or has been in contact with any contagious or infectious disease shall be brought onto the Club grounds
11. Members will assist in the setting up and putting away of equipment.
12. Members will not join or leave a training class that is in progress without the approval of the Trainer.
13. Any trainer shall have the right to exclude any dog or owner/handler from their class.
14. Taking part in any training is entirely at the members own risk and NDDAC will not be held liable for any loss, damage or injury how so ever caused to dogs, persons or property.
15. ALL children (under 16) accompanying adults to the venue must be closely supervised and are the sole responsibility of the accompanying adult.
16. The entrance gate to the venue must be kept padlocked after entering and leaving the site.
Club Ground Definition - any area of land, building which the Club is utilising
Important – Breach of rules - any training privileges and/or membership revoked
Please note: CCTV is in operation at the venue
Weekly Training Classes
NDDAC have agreed to permit our members to book for only those sessions in the month that they plan to attend. This allows members who work shift patterns or who have holidays booked to plan their training around their lives.
In order that we can do this, we need to know class numbers in advance for each class each month.
The following rules have now been approved by the committee and apply to all NDDAC training classes from April 2019:
1. Classes must be booked by no later than the 24th day of the preceding month i.e. to book classes for April you must have booked by the 24th March. All bookings must be made on the relevant Facebook booking page from 14th of the month.
2. Any cancellations or changes to booked classes must be made by the 24th of the preceding month.
3. The classes will be set on the basis of the numbers booked in to each session by the 24th of the preceding month.
4. If you have not booked in advance for a trained session then you will not be permitted to attend on the day.
5. Payment is required in full for all sessions booked for the month and must be paid no later than 1st of the month. Payments should be made by: BACs to the club’s account: Sort code 30-96-96 Account Number 72259268
6. The classes are set on the basis of the number of people booking each session, so if you have booked a class then you will be required to pay for it even if you do not attend or become unable to attend the training class. No refunds will be made and you cannot carry forwards a booked session. This is because the club sets the sessions on the basis of the numbers booked and still has to cover its expenses (paying the trainer, for the grounds, the equipment, etc.) Members can sell their training session to another suitably experienced member on the Facebook booking page.
7. If the club cancels a session then all members booked will be refunded in full for that session.
Guest Training Classes
As
a reward to NDDAC members for all of the efforts made every year to run our annual show, the committee arranges for numerous guest trainers to provide sessions throughout the year. The trainers that we invite as guests to train at NDDAC are those we feel are at the top of agility or who have specific skills that we feel will be of benefit to our members.
The guest trainers that the club has previously approved include:
Lee Gibson, Ola Kordas, Jo Orrell, Nic Jones, Georgina Baker, Jo Rhodes, Nic Wildman, & Ray Ellerton.
Any member may suggest names of guest trainers to the committee at any time. The committee will then consider the proposed trainer’s credentials, cost, and over all approach to training in deciding whether the trainer is a good fit to be invited to train at our club.
Guest Trainer Sessions are advertised on the NDDAC Members News Facebook page and are allocated on a first come first served basis with priority as follows:
- NDDAC members who helped at the previous year’s annual show
- NDDAC members who did not help at the previous year’s annual show
- Non-members.
The sessions will be set for similar grades/abilities to be in the same sessions so far as possible.
When booking, members may state preferences such as only wishing a place if they can be in a morning session. If there is not a suitable session available then the member will be contacted in the event that they still wish to have a place on an afternoon session for example. If there is no session suitable to meet with the member’s requirements then their place will be cancelled without charge to the member.
As soon as a member or non-member books a session then they are committed to paying for that session. However, members are able to sell their places on to other members through the NDDAC Members News Facebook page if they wish to do so. If the session is not sold on then the member who booked the place will be required to make payment for their place even if they do not or are unable to then attend the date as the club will still have to meet the expenses for the session.
Open Training Sessions
NDDAC appreciates that class training sessions do not always suit individual training needs and that often people wish to undertake more than one training session in a week to improve. The club therefore offers Open Training Sessions.
For these sessions the grounds, facilities and equipment store are all opened by a designated key holder. Members then have access to all equipment to set up any item, exercise, or course, upon which they wish to train.
A training fee of £2 is payable if a member has booked/attended a training session in the same month. The fee is otherwise £12.
Non-members are not allowed to attend these sessions. Only members who have successfully completed the club’s beginner courses and have been adjudged by the committee to have sufficient control over their dog, understanding of how to safely set up the equipment, and how to safely use the equipment will be invited to attend the club’s Open Training Sessions.
If you are in doubt as to whether you are invited to the club’s Open Training Sessions, please speak with your usual trainer or a committee member.