BARCO Dog Training

BARCO is a voluntary not for profit organisation. We run group dog obedience classes to teach people how to be responsible dog owners. Training sessions are held most Sunday mornings in NSW School Terms at Brunswick Heads Sports fields. We do not have a web site. Our preferred contabt is via email at [email protected]
Our structure.
• We currently run a New Puppy + Advanced Puppy

class and a Rebels/Achiever class. Rebels - the next step up from Puppies and Achievers - the next step up from Rebels. All classes are dependent on numbers.
• Classes currently start at 9:00AM SHARP and run for 60 minutes with a 5 minute break at half time. We recommend arriving AT LEAST 30 minutes early for three reasons 1 – to book yourself in with the admin team. 2 – To give your dog some exercise before training and burn off that initial excitement. 3 – Socialise your dog with other participating dogs – if you learn nothing else from the BARCO experience – this is one of the most important aspect of dog training.
• Classes run for 6 – 10 weeks within the NSW school terms – we normally have a break in school holidays. We encourage participating in at least a few terms training as we find the more the dogs train the more stable they become.
• We usually finish our year in early December and return early February. We have found the heat during this time is too distressing for the dogs.
• We usually have a Christmas in July at the end of term 2 as well as an end of year gathering for Christmas – a fun day with agility equipment and games / prizes as well as a BBQ – all depending on current resources. What we expect from you:
• DO NOT COME IF YOU EXHIBIT ANY COVID 19 SYMPTOMS!
• Your dog should be at least 12 weeks old and MUST be vaccinated for Pavo Virus AND to C5 (Kennel Cough) level. Request this from your Vet – local vets should know what is required by BARCO. This has to be forwarded to the secretary before your first lesson. Your dog should also be registered with the council in which you reside. We don’t require their sterilastion or micro chipping certificates.
• BOOK IN EARLY – when we get 60 or so people arriving at “9:00AM SHARP” to book in, the admin staff are overloaded. As we are volunteers most of us also train our own dogs and this makes us extremely late to join in as well.
• If you don’t come by 8:55AM the books will be closed and you will have to ask your instructor if you can join the class - very distracting to the other participants and instructor. You will also have to pay the instructor directly – no change will be given and if this happens twice you may be asked to stop coming. The paperwork will have to be done after the class – double handling for all concerned.
• WEAR YOUR NAME TAG booking in! Once again we have up to 60 people all arriving at various times. Whilst the admin staff get to know the regulars, its makes it a seamless process if the name tag is visible on the person paying the fee. Not on your wife’s blouse, not in your pocket, not at home, not in your other car, not still in your glove box – we’ve really heard ALL the excuses!
• WEAR COVERED FOOTWARE – this is a requirement of our insurance.
• Do not use your mobile phone during class – this is distracting to other participants and also the instructors.
• If you require further info or need advice please see a trainer or helper – not the book in admin staff – they are very busy at book in time.
• Minimum handler age is 12 years old. We have found children below this age lack the physical strength to handle the larger dogs. They also have to “teach” or pass on the training methods to the rest of the family. There can be exceptions to this rule if they can demonstrate their competence to our head instructor via an assessment – please see one of the trainers/helpers to arrange this.
• Kids, Nannas & Pops, partners etc are welcome BUT sometimes are distractions for the dogs – if the dogs are distracted please keep observing but stay hidden.
• You can have more than one trainer. Some prefer to do half a class each while others do week about. What is critical for this to work is that the non training partner keeps up to date on what the dog / handler are learning so we don’t have to double teach. Some dogs will “seek out or look for” the other handler – this can be VERY distracting to the dog. If this happens we ask the non
handler to stay hidden from the dog. Fill out the membership form with the name you prefer for your Name tag.
• Bring water and a bowl for your dog at half and full time.
• Most dogs are food oriented – we recommend NOT feeding your dog before class and bringing “interesting” treats such as twiggy sticks, cut up sausage, small chicken bits, etc. The dry liver treats tend to get boring after a while.
• Do not bring your female dog if it is on heat.
• BARCO uses a rewards based training system. We do not allow cruelty to any dog – no hitting, demeaning, extremely rough handling, violent shouting etc. This will not be tolerated.
• We can’t make you desex your dog – this is the individual choice of the owner – we suggest dogs are generally more stable if they are neutered.
• The use of “retractable” leads is strongly discouraged - they allow your dog to lead you instead of you controlling your dog – they can’t be used in BARCO classes. “Top Leader Harnesses” are better but dogs tend to want to “pull the sled” and lead you where they want to go – your dog becomes a “four legged handbag”. We have found “front leaders” are the best and have a selection of trial harnesses for loan / test – Cindy or Tim.
• If you are unhappy about any aspect of your training please contact the Secretary at [email protected] as opposed to sharing your grievance on social media. What to do to join in:
• Email [email protected] requesting training – I’ll respond & send you some forms & a questionnaire to fill out plus further instructions. We will work out the class numbers and structure prior to the first lesson and will be ready to assign instructors on the first day.
• The cost of initial membership is $20.00. The cost of each lesson is $8.00 per dog. If it’s you first day please bring the correct money. Once you’re a member $ 8.00 per dog – please have this ready BEFORE entering the shed.
• Staff will have a name tag ready for you on your first visit.
• Depending on your dog’s experience you may be required to do an assessment so we can place you in the most appropriate class.
• Once your request has been processed, I will send you a test email to see if you can receive bulk emails from me. You will then be sent a bulk email from the secretary on or after Thursday asking if you are attending the coming Sunday. It will have “undisclosed recipients” in the “to” field for privacy. You will be asked to reply indicating whether you are attending or not. From these responses the instructors will make up the class structure. It is imperative to reply “yes” or “no” to this email each week. If you fail to respond more than 3 times you will be removed from the membership list & will need to rejoin. Our goals:
• Our main goal is as the name implies: BARCO – Brunswick Area Responsible Canine Owners. We teach you to train your dog to be stable, social, a pleasure to take anywhere and a friend for life.
• To have fun along the journey. What we CAN’T do:
• We can’t accept dangerous, unruly, extremely difficult dogs or dogs with major behavioral issues. These dogs need one on one training which is beyond our current resources.
• We don’t do one on one training or house calls.
• We can’t train your dog in one hour per week every Sunday. YOU must train your dog by regular and consistent application of the principles and practices we show you. You dog’s success is entirely proportional to the effort YOU are prepared to put in. Tim Updated 08/05/2024