***A Brief History of the Club***

                                                     A long, long

                                                Time ago in a galaxy

                                                    Far, far away…

                                            Or was it 30 years ago in a

                                             Paddock not so far away?

The Whangarei Dog Obedience Association had its inaugural meeting on 28 February 1980 in the Morningside Scout Den in Jellicoe Street. This Meeting effectively formed a training club which was a break-away from the Northland Canine Association which still operates as an all breeds club.

The first President was Dale Hannam and Vice President was Don Ross. The Chief Instructor was Mack McDougall, and other founding members of the committee of note were Nadine Walker, Margaret Gardner & Barbara Massey.

The first Obedience Championship Show was held in November 1980 at Kensington Park in conjunction with the Northland Canine Association Show. Indeed, the NCA helped to run the first show. Judges at the first show were Margaret Murray (Steward Jane Black) and Miss Sue Elton (now Sue Howe), and obedience entries in that year were raised to $4.00

Meanwhile in that paddock nearby…Pam Tong, Heather Routley and Sue Hersey started agility training in the ’80s. That famous empty paddock on Western Hills drive is now the Jennian Show Homes site. Later the training moved to Heather’s neighbours paddock in Tikipunga before moving to Otaika.

Rod Pearce who is Judging Agility this weekend was a past member of the club in the late 1980’s. He was often Show Manager for us, and did a smashing job.

Heather Routley:..She recalls WDOA doing a display (obedience and agility) at the Whangarei A. & P. Show in 1987. The people she can remember are Colin Mackey (compere - he was then President & Chief Instructor), Peter Norgate, the Slaters, Sue Hersey, Pam Tong, Gillian Bicknell, Peter Hesen (who still lives in Takahe St), Liz Wright who used to be Club Secretary (or Treasurer) - she is now Liz Shi, I think Sybal Graham, someone else with a border collie and another person with a spaniel (can't recall who they were), plus yours truly. Also that same year I had written to the Police Dog Training School in Trentham for some advice on Agility Training, to which they replied and sent some info . So that was certainly early days for Agility as info wasn't readily available. I still think it was Pam Tong who set the ball rolling - Wayne her husband made most of the wooden equipment and Pam and I painted most of it (brown!!) - David made the seesaw and I have an idea it may still be the same one they use now. I can recall Pam purchasing for the club the tunnels - after we had started out with big cardboard boxes from washing machines and other appliances, and an old cable reel for a table. We used to train in a paddock behind our house in Takahe Street and in the paddock behind the Bradley’s house in Western Hills Drive - real rough stuff!! Adrian Fooy was another person involved at the time of Western Hills but probably not much before then.

The first club member to become Obedience Champion was Barbara Massey with her German Shepherd Dog Bonny. The only other club members to achieve Obedience Champion status as a member of the club are Anthony Scott and his Golden Retriever Beau and more recently, October 2008, Ed Knynenburg with his Dobermann Tui.

We have yet to achieve any Agility Champions in the club but Anne Cozins and Suzie were the first to make it to Senior Class. In the last two years Suzie has been joined by three other members who’ve made it to senior.

The club became Whangarei Dog Training Association in 1996 to reflect the addition of the sport of Agility to its training regime. Crys and Nigel Mewitt have been a strong force on the agility side.

The first Agility Championship Show was held in November 1999 at Otaika Sports Park.

Whilst in recent years, as with many clubs, in the shadow of the exhilarating and exciting sport of Agility, it has been difficult to attract new competitors to the sport of Obedience, the club is in the happy position of once again having a number of keen members bringing their dogs up through the classes, or bringing new dogs in at a Novice level.