Search for new home dogging local canine club

The Bayshore Companion Dog Club has been helping dog owners train their prized possessions for more than 20 years. Now the club is in trouble and needs a little help from its friends.

According to Cheryl Fischer of Howell, agility trainer at the club which is based on Front Street, Red Bank, the building currently being used for training sessions and meetings has been sold, and the group’s lease is due to expire in November.

Fischer said although members have been actively seeking a new location for more than a year, attempts have been unsuccessful.

"Either the rents are too high or landlords won’t accept the dogs," she said.

The nonprofit organization needs at least 2,500 square feet of space, Fischer explained.

"Ideally, we’d like to purchase property in Monmouth County and erect a pre-fab structure so that our obedience and agility classes can be held at the same location," she said.

Fischer said the primary goal of the club is to have dogs become canine good citizens.

"We hope that by training dogs to be well-behaved and manageable, owners will not feel the need to give them away. We don’t want to see them put into shelters," she said.

The club offers a course called "Canine Good Citizens." Completion of the course allows an owner to add the initials C.G.C. after his dog’s name.

A dog’s age is irrelevant for the lessons, according to Fischer. The club even offers "Puppy Kindergarten" where puppies learn to socialize with people and other puppies.

The obedience and agility courses both build confidence in dogs, said Fischer.

"Obedience is confidence building by their learning socialization skills, while agility training gives them confidence by learning to master physical skills," she said.

Presently, the agility course is being held on Fischer’s property, a portion of which has been transformed into a virtual canine amusement park.

Fischer’s three champion titled papillons showed their stuff with speed and accuracy as they worked the outdoor equipment built by Fischer’s husband, Tom. As the trainer made calls and gave cues, the tiny performers soared over "jumps," slid through plastic tunnels, raced up and down A-frames and balanced their bodies on a wooden see-saw. All of it is the sweet reward of Fischer’s expertise and dedication to her craft.

"We have top-quality instructors who have brought dogs to the highest level of achievement in dog sports," Fischer said. "They’ve spent their lives working with dogs and are familiar with all methods of training, using positive motivation such as treats and toys as their basic creed."

A certified dog therapy evaluator who trains dogs to go into nursing homes and become part of a resident’s therapy is also on staff with the club, according to Fischer.

"These dogs provide a healing touch for the elderly," she noted. "They’re a source of softness and comfort for many patients, providing smiles and flashbacks of sweet memories of their own pets."

In addition to therapy, the club also puts on free demonstrations for nursing homes and schools in the area.

The club will be entering its prized contenders in the American Kennel Club’s agility show to be held on Sept. 30 and Oct. 1 at the East Freehold Park showgrounds, Kozloski Road, Freehold Township, according to Fischer.

"People really enjoy watching the dogs perform. The agility competitions are really a spectator sport. People love cheering the dogs on, and they can see how much the dogs are really enjoying what they’re doing. They work very hard and the competitions are self-rewarding," she said.

When asked what club members will do if a new location is not found, Fischer hesitated before stating, "I don’t have an answer to that question. I honestly don’t know what we’ll do."

For information regarding dog obedience and agility lessons call (732) 741-8046. Anyone with a lead on a new location for the Bayshore Companion Dog Club may call Charles DiIorio, the club’s president, at (732) 458-2159.