Dog Training classes

GROUP DOG TRAINING CLASSES

Dog training

This will not be a surprise to anyone who has been attending classes recently.  After 27 years of operating Dog Training Classes, we have made the difficult decision to make 2023 the last year we will run our Dog Training and Puppy Classes.

We have had the pleasure of seeing so many puppies grow into well behaved dogs and supported so many clients with not only their first but sometimes second, third and even fourth dogs. We would like to take this opportunity to thank all our customers who attended over the 27 years. We simply would not have had the success we have had without all of you.

It has been extremely enjoyable to have run our classes, to have met so many people and seen so many dogs loved and trained over so many years. Not many people are as privileged to have been successful doing something they have truly enjoyed.

On our first night running classes at Norwood it was 38 degrees and we had 3 dogs attend. At our peak we had over 200 dogs a week attending classes.  We have been very lucky to enjoy such times.

We understand that this will be upsetting too many people; we hope however that people will understand that we have not made this decision lightly.  I know many of you will be asking why we have decided to finish and in the end, there is not one singular reason but instead several reasons, including but not limited to changes to cost and coverage in insurance, limited location options to run classes and substantial increases to the costs of running classes.  Some of you may also be aware that one of our senior trainers has been diagnosed with a very serious health issue.

Over the years we have committed long hours and our weekends to running classes, as we get older it is time for us to wind back a little.   All good things must, unfortunately, come to an end.

Post 2023 we will continue to offer ”in home” lessons as well as the “dog boarding school” to help our customers with their training needs going forward.  We will also be seeking to offer new services in the future and will announce these on our website as well as our Facebook page as soon as we are able to.

Our last class will run on Sunday the 10th of December 2023. If you have ever been to our classes and would like to drop in and say goodbye please drop by between 10am and 12pm on the 10th. Our last session will be a bit of a celebration of the last 27 years. We would love to see anyone that has enjoyed the classes over this time.

If anyone would like to discuss this further call us on (03) 9723 4387.

About Our Dog Obedience Training Classes

Our group dog training classes are held in Ringwood on Thursday evenings and Sunday mornings. A variety of dog training lessons and classes are available to choose from at Eastern Companion Dog Training, with levels ranging from puppies through to advanced. Your first lesson will be free.

Below, we answer some of the most frequently asked questions concerning our dog obedience training classes. If you need more information, feel free to contact us anytime on (03) 9723 4387.

We also have a separate page that details our puppy classes.

Our puppy and dog training classes in Melbourne are held on the premises of Norwood Secondary College, located on Byron St in Ringwood (Melways Reference 49 K4). The dog training courses are conducted in an area containing basketball courts with full lighting and undercover areas, allowing our dog training classes to run in rain, hail or shine. Our dog training school can be accessed from Byron St – you can’t miss us! You’ll see signs both on Byron St and after you enter the school so you’ll know where to go. We recommend arriving fifteen minutes before the class begins and bringing your dog, a lead, and your dog’s vaccination card.  Follow us on Facebook for all dog training classes updates.

For more details, please check out our location page.

Eastern Companion Dog Training offers two membership levels to choose from, enabling us to cater to the varying needs of our customers.

For both of our membership levels, we provide your first lesson free of charge to allow you to see what our group dog training lessons entail. Through participating in this initial class, you can take a look at our training centre, observe the techniques we use, meet our training staff, and gauge the overall atmosphere. This class will be completely free with no obligations – you won’t pay anything unless you choose to continue with our group dog training course.

After your free trial lesson, you can choose to join us with either a Silver or Gold Membership:

  • Our Bronze Membership has no upfront membership fee and you can attend as many dog training classes as you choose for the small fee of $60.00 per class.
  • Our Silver membership is ideal for those wanting to attain a basic level of control and obedience. This membership level has an annual membership fee of $300.00 and then you only pay a $10 fee for each class you and your puppy attend.
  • Our Gold membership is designed for those wanting to train their puppy to a higher obedience level. The cost is a once-off membership fee of $450.00. After this, you will incur no training fees regardless of how often you attend classes. You can also train from puppy class right through to advanced obedience levels at no further cost. This membership stays valid until the 31st of December 2023.

We offer reduced rates for second dogs. All memberships are non-refundable. You can also upgrade your membership at any time.

To ensure our clients are provided with convenient dog training, we offer a variety of flexible Dog training class times that can be attended at any time. There’s no requirement to attend the same dog behaviour training classes every week – simply go to the one that is most convenient for you. We’ve also designed our class structure so that you can feel free to come and go as you please, as we understand that you may only need to train your dog up to a certain level.

Thursday Evening Times:

If you’re attending your first class, please come to either the 10.00am Sunday morning or 7.00pm Thursday evening dog training class.

First Timers: 7.00pm
Puppies (under 5 months of age): 7.00pm
Socialisation: 7.30pm
Basic Dog Training Class: 7.55pm
Intermediate Class: 7.55pm
Advanced Class: 7.55pm

Sunday Morning Times:

First Timers: 10.00am
Puppies (under 5 months of age): 10.00am
Socialisation: 10.30am
Basic Class: 10.55am
Intermediate Class: 10.55am
Advanced Class: 10.55am

Our clients can feel confident knowing that all of our dog training classes in Melbourne are run by fully qualified instructors who have:

  • Undertaken a minimum 12 month specialist dog training course
  • Trained at least 100 dogs of different breeds, ages and genders
  • Attended 12 lectures on psychology and learning principles
  • Completed a minimum of 100 hours of on-the-job training at Eastern Companion Dog Training
  • Attended seminars given by some of the leading dog trainers in the world
  • Continued their learning further to become qualified Canine Behaviourists or Psychologists.

We assign multiple instructors to each class to ensure our clients receive plenty of guidance. We also provide time in between our dog obedience training classes for clients to obtain one-on-one help from instructors if necessary.

Through allocating many instructors to each class, we provide one of the best instructor-to-student ratios in Melbourne’s dog training industry. On average, our dog training classes are attended by one instructor to every six students, providing clients with plenty of assistance.

We believe that socialising dogs is of the utmost important. That’s why all of our dog school classes feature a separate socialisation section where we introduce a range of everyday objects that are known to make dogs feel uncomfortable or anxious. We expose each object to dogs in a way that teaches them that there’s nothing to fear, ensuring both them and their owners are prepared for the unexpected. These objects often change from class to class but can include items like lawn mowers, whipper snippers, motorbikes, and even other animals such as horses and cats. We also encourage dog-to-dog socialisation to ensure there’s no anxiety or aggression. This socialisation section is included in all dog training classes we offer.

We are often asked if we can train a client’s dog to ‘their’ individual requirements rather than the requirements of other class members. Fortunately, our training process is very flexible, allowing us to tailor dog training lessons to each client’s preference. Within the class environment, we can help you rectify many specific behavioural problems, including jumping up, barking and aggression.

If you’ve tried other dog training schools in Melbourne without seeing results, attend a class at Eastern Companion Dog Training to discover how we can help you and your four-legged friend. If you have any further questions regarding our group dog obedience training classes, feel free to contact us on (03) 9723 4387.

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