To celebrate the incredible community at Heyford Park, we have spoken to different community group leaders and asked them questions about the group/activity they run.
Up N Over is a successful dog training club based at Heyford Park, they provide an affordable yet informative training for all dog owners with an emphasis on promoting responsible dog ownership. Up N Over is a credit to the community at Heyford Park and we know all dog owners will love the club as much as we do. Puppy obedience classes are £2 per puppy and adult dog obedience classes are £4 per dog, operated on a ‘pay when you come’ basis.
We asked David Baker a few questions about Up N Over Dog Training…
How was Up N Over Started?
Up N Over was founded in 2000 for the training of dogs in Obedience and agility. The seven founding members, who had worked for some years to raise funds for dog rescue, recognised the need for dog owners to be able to train their dogs in a friendly and relaxed environment. By providing training and support for dogs, we hope to keep dogs and owners together reducing the number of dogs handed in to rescue. Often it is a case of training the owner!
Many of our members are shift workers. Fire, Police, Nurses, Carers and Ambulance etc, they are attracted to us as we operate a ‘pay when you come’ system. At a time when puppy training can cost anything from £90 to £120 for a six-to-eight-week course, we only charge £2 an obedience visit for a pup and £4 a visit for an adult dog. Shift workers cannot always train every week so elsewhere they pay for sessions they cannot attend. Others have children to take to various activities or to visit granny.
Tell us a little bit more about Up N Over?
We are non-profit making and donate 25% of our weekly income to dog rescue and other worthwhile causes.
Sadly, our days on the road running our Fun Dog Show and Have a Go agility to raise rescue funds are currently reduced. This is due to overwhelming demand for training and the need to staff our classes. As people return to work after the COVID pandemic they found their dogs purchased during the lock downs in need of training and socialisation. We did our best to help. We reorganised our training, doubled our classes and spent over £2,000 to become as COVID secure as possible.
Please tell us about some of the successes you have seen at Up N Over?
Up N Over is Kennel Club listed for the Good Citizen Awards with tests held under an impartial kennel Club Assessor. To date we have trained over 4,000 dogs in our 23 years at Heyford Park. Not everyone wishes to take an award, however we have achieved 861 KC passes.
We are so proud that several of our members became our trainers and have gone on to qualify and to work in the dog sector as personal trainers, behaviourists, dog walkers and for Dogs For Good.
What benefits does Up N Over bring to the community?
The benefits to the community are clear. A trained dog, (and owner!), are welcomed in the community. We promote responsible dog ownership with reference to current legislation. We explain how to travel safely with your dogs in cars and the requirement in this respect to complying with Highway Code rule 57.
Whilst most dog owners are aware that dogs must be micro chipped, they do not know that under the 1992 Control of dogs order, dogs in a public place must have a collar and a visible means of identification such as a dog tag with the correct wording. That is the name of the owner, owners address and post code. A phone number is not required by law, but it is a sensible addition. The tag is a requirement even if micro chipped. There are a few notable exceptions. The fine for non-compliance is a maximum of £5,000. A dog tag costs just five Pounds or so. We also advise our members to engrave on the rear of the tag their vets name and phone number.
Dog owners not clearing up after their dog is a major problem and a cause of annoyance to both dog owners and non-dog owners alike. Consequently, our members will always have a dog poo bag in their pockets.
Are there any opportunities for younger people to get involved?
Absolutely, yes! As well as being run by a democratic committee complimented by a trainer’s group, we also have a Junior Rep. Jess who is 15 is our junior rep and acts as the voice of the under 16’s. Any youngster having ideas or concerns can speak with Jess who then passes the information to myself. Jess started to train her Grandmothers Poodle at 8 years of age and obtained Gold standard. Jess is now a respected trainer for us in her own right and has also trained my own two dogs to Gold standard.
We like to encourage the younger handlers as they are the future of what we do. It’s really good to see the more introverted youngsters and those suffering from the pressures of modern life on youngsters today gain confidence and come out of their shell once they realise they will be treated as adults here.
What’s your favourite memory with Up N Over to date?
If I were to personally have a favourite memory, I would say those created in the first few months of moving in to Building 296 and with its compound. Having been empty for some years, there was a considerable amount of work to be done clearing the tall grass and weeds by hand and making the kennel block serviceable. During this time the team worked well together to achieve our aim. We are so fortunate and grateful to have been given the use of the secure former USAF dog training area and kennels by Dorchester Living.
For more information visit their website here: Up N Over DTC (google.com)
