Mornington Peninsula Community Dog Club Membership
Frequently Asked Questions

The classes generally 30 minutes in duration, as we find this is better for young dogs (and their handlers!).  This allows the owners\handlers to focus on the key aspects of training being taught (without overloading), this in turn makes things easier to remember and practice on their own when they are away from MPCDC during the week.

Details can be found on our Membership Fees Page

Yes, all dogs must have up to date vaccinations before they come to the club. You will need to bring your dog’s vaccination certificate with you when you enroll at the Club.

Individual membership is for one person to be the sole trainer of the dog on an ongoing basis and is not transferable. This means that only one person will be covered by insurance.

Family membership extends this to include two adults and two children of same family (living at the same address) to train including children over 7 years of age (Children under 7 years of age are not covered by insurance).

A child over 12 years of age is able to train the family dog.

A child between the age of 7 -12 years of age is able to train the family dog if they have been assessed by an instructor and deemed responsible (NB children under the age of 12 years training their family dog must be accompanied by an adult at all times)

We encourage the whole family to be involved with training at home. At the club, only children over 7 years of age are covered by our insurance.

Please note:

• Children under the age of 12 years must be accompanied by an adult at all times on the club grounds.

• Any child under 7 years old attending the club grounds is not covered by the club insurance and the family understands they enter the grounds at their own risk.

The entire family is encouraged to come along, some aspects of our courses are designed to include other members of the family. For safety reasons, if bringing along children under 7 years old please bring another adult (over 16 years old) along to supervise the child.

Please note:

• Children under the age of 12 years must be accompanied by an adult at all times on the club grounds.
• Any child under 7 years old attending the club grounds is not covered by the club insurance and the family understands they enter the grounds at their own risk.

Unfortunately due to the Clubs Insurance conditions memberships are not transferable. The exception are family memberships, where another member of the family included on the membership can attend training.

Definitely not! Each week we will show you how to train your dog. Our classes are practical and “hands on” with opportunities to ask questions. To get the most out of our classes you and your dog will need to regularly practice what you have learned. We recommend training little and often, say a couple of times a day for five minutes or so.

Our training is based on positive reinforcement – rewarding the behaviour we want.

Our goal is for you to have a happy and sociable dog. We do not enforce strict competition obedience, but rather dogs and trainers working together.

What does a training session involve?

Our sessions include –

• Learning new skills
• Practicing skills learned
• Socialising with other dogs and dog owners
• Opportunities to ask questions
• Learning about dog behaviour and how to manage unwanted behaviour
• Games/agility equipment

Please note: That MPC Dog Club does not approve the use of Choke (or similar collars) or Retractable Leads at dog training

1. A hungry dog (will be keen for treats)
2. Your dog’s normal collar and lead of your choice. You may use a regular collar, harness, or halti-style head collar. (Please note: No Choke (or similar collars) or Retractable Leads are allowed. We can advise you if your choice is suitable, or what is needed going forward.)
3. Yummy, soft and tasty treats (see more information below)
4. Poo bags – Please pick up after your dog!

Yummy, deliciously smelling and “wet” treats work better than dry ones.

Suggested treats –

• Cut up sausages
• Cut up hot dogs
• Wet dog food (better than dried)
• 4 Legs meat balls
• Cut up dog food roll (whichever one your dog likes)
• Devon sausage (not varieties with onion or garlic
• Cut up chicken
• Cheese (not too much as it’s rich)

Milky sticks or similar

MPDC dog training classes are rarely cancelled. Classes will only be cancelled if conditions are unsafe (such as extreme weather conditions or hot days) or if the club grounds are not accessible. In these cases, please check our Facebook page for any cancellation announcement

Our class exercises may differ from what you have already been taught. Therefore all dogs, other than the youngest puppies and our greyhounds who have their own classes, will start in our beginners’ class.  This class enables our instructors to assess the dogs and then move them, if required to another class level. Our instructors are very conscious to ensure dogs are in the appropriate class to ensure they are not bored or, overwhelmed.