By Xavier Smerdon
MAN’S best friend deserves to be treated that way, according to a Werribee dog trainer.
Ken Buckley first joined the Werribee Obedience Dog Club (WODC) seven years ago when he got his border collie, Tim.
Since then he has become a qualified trainer himself and is now helping other residents to develop their dogs’ manners.
Mr Buckley said it was the owners responsibility to make sure they raise a “socially acceptable animal”.
“The days of people just buying a dog and leaving it in the backyard are long gone,” Mr Buckley said.
“If you are going to make the commitment to have a dog, it’s got to be a 100 per cent commitment.
“They can’t just be an ornament in the backyard, so to speak.”
Since it was established in 1975 at the Werribee Racecourse, WODC has grown to accommodate more than 500 members and their four legged friends.
Members learn everything from how to socialise their dogs properly through to how to stop them from pulling the washing off the line.
WODC is still the only community based obedience club that is run completely by volunteers in Wyndham.
Mr Buckley said training a dog did not have to be as it seemed.
“We don’t train the dog, we train the human,” he said.
“It’s all about showing people how to do something with their dog.
“People are amazed what they can get their dog to do with just a snippet of food.”
Visit www.werribeeobediancedogs.org for more information.
